Question: I am a resident of Northern California and have been an avid
"crabber" for quite a while. For a new adventure I'd like to take
up "shrimping" but need some information on where to go, when to go
and how to catch shrimp. Is it legal to recreationally catch shrimp? If
so, what are the seasons and bag limits? Is there still a viable
population of shrimp in California? Thanks for any information to point
me in the right direction. (Tony M.)

Answer: You may take any type of ocean shrimp in California waters, but
spot prawns are the most desirable and sought after for eating purposes;
others are often used for bait. According to senior invertebrate
specialist Kristine Barsky, because California's spot prawns are found
so deep - usually 100 fathoms (600 feet) or more - and the bag limit is
only 35, most people are not interested in trapping these shrimp
recreationally. Check out the crustaceans section of the current Ocean
Sport Fishing regulations (beginning on page 55) for the regulations,
legal gear, limits and other information you will need to know (CCR
Title 14, Sections 29.80 through 29.88).

Carrie Wilson is a marine environmental scientist with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. While she cannot personally answer everyone’s questions, she will select a few to answer each week in this column. Please contact her at [email protected].