In Mississippi, on occasions, fishermen have used as a trynet 

 a conical bag of webbing attached to a serrd-circular metal frame about 

 three feet across the base. A short three-strand bridle is fastened to 

 the frame for towing from a single rope. It is believed that tliis tj^e 

 of trynot has not been completely displaced by the miniatui-e trawl. 



Another method of locating shrimp has been observed in the 

 shallovf inside waters around Beaufort, North Carolina, and not elsewhere 

 in the fishery. A long oar is put out from the side while the boat is 

 running at slow speed close to shore. IiTien shrimp are present, they can 

 be readily seen jumping out of the water as the moving oar disturbs them. 



Fishermen will always try a muddy patch of water whenever one 

 is found, as concentrations of shrimp, presumably while feeding frequently 

 will stir up quantities of mud. This is not infallible, as schools of 

 fish also cause muddy patches. 



Handling the Catch at Sea 



Iced Vessels 



After the drag has been completed the bag is pulled out on the 

 deck and is opened at a height of no more than two feet above the deck 

 so that its contents are not damaged during emptying. Because of the high 

 prevailing temperatures on the decks of steel boats the deck is sometimes 

 covered with wood or cement. Cement has proven to be much more durable 

 and effective than wood for tliis purpose. Once the bag has been unloaded 

 its contents are washed with salt water from a pressure hose and imnediate- 

 ly afterward all trash fish are sorted out and thrown back into the ocean. 

 Occasionally, edible crabs and commercially valuable fish are saved. In 

 the operations obsei'ved during the sui"vey of First Research Corporation 

 from ho to 80 percent of the catch consisted of trash fish, weeds, rocks, 

 and other debris. 



During the sorting operation gloves are worn because of the 

 danger of bad cuts from trash fish. In most cases cotton work gloves are 

 usedj on board one of the vessels surveyed, rubber gloves were worn. The 

 crew members during this operation sit on low stools and \ise small hand 

 hoes to ralce individual piles of shrimp and trash from the main heap. 



Throughout the Gulf Area the general practice is to head the 

 shrimp as they are sorted except where shrimp are caught for the canneries. 

 In the Atlantic coast fishery in North Carolina, South Uai^oiina, and 

 Georgia, however, the shrimp are landed with their heads on and the 

 heading is done in the siirirap plant. 



In the other fisheries, because of the length of the ti'ipti, 

 quality considerations would ordinarily make it risky to hold the shriirip 

 heads on. Only vjhen unusually large catches are made, and no hand can be 

 spared for the heading operation, is a part of the catch iced down with 

 heads on. 



li.5 



