Only one Clear Lake bait shop offers on-the-water live shrimp bait and is an official CCA STAR Tournament weigh station: Marina Bay Harbor Marina.
I’m hungry, thinks the 20-inch redfish. It’s that time of the day, the most important time: time to eat.
But what to eat? Every night is takeout night in the ocean. Every day is “all you can eat.”
A live shrimp. Its favorite. Suspended in water, waiting.
CHOMP.
You’re reeling in that redfish as fast as you can, but it’s a big one. With a quick dip of your net, you and your buddy are finally pulling this prize into the boat while feeling grateful you stopped and picked up some live shrimp.
Then there’s a string of algae and a flash of red. No, you think, it couldn’t be…
It is! It’s a red tag from the Coastal Conservation Association’s (CCA) STAR Tournament’s 2024 Red Tag Redfish Division.
You have just won a 2024 Ford F150 XLT Super Cab with a Haynie 23-foot Amigo perched on a Mercury 150 L Pro XS Optimax and Coastline Trailer – all because of a little shrimp bait.
How to buy, hook, keep, and rig live shrimp
If you didn’t know, the CCA’s State of Texas Angler’s Rodeo (STAR) Tournament is happening now. The tournament runs from the Saturday prior to Memorial Day through Labor Day.
So as you seize the opportunity to compete with friends and win monster prizes, you might be looking for that perfect bait that will have you bringing a full stringer to a CCA official weigh station like Clear Lake Shores’ Marina Bay Harbor Marina.
Experienced anglers report sheepshead, trout, flounder, and redfish find shrimp succulent. And they’re not the only species of fish that find shrimp delicious.
Not only can Marina Bay Harbor Marina answer all your live bait questions, but they are the only marina ship store and official weigh station selling live shrimp bait right on Clear Lake. For now, familiarize yourself with how to buy, hook, keep, and rig those tasty live prawns.
What does Texas say about using live shrimp bait?
Live shrimp bait is a popular way to catch a variety of fish because shrimp are a natural food source for species like redfish, tarpon, sea trout, flounder, and many others.
In Texas fishing regulations, anglers can only use four species of shrimp for fishing. The state allows anglers to use brown shrimp, northern white shrimp, pink shrimp, mantis shrimp, or sea lice as live bait. If you’re thinking of using imported shrimp bait, think again.
It’s illegal to use imported shrimp bait because it risks the health of the natural Texas aquatic ecosystems. Imported bait means species not native to the Gulf of Mexico: that means South America (Venezuela), South Asia (Thailand), or from other non-Gulf of Mexico states.
Where to buy live shrimp bait and how to assess bait quality
First things first, buy from a reputable merchant like Marina Bay Harbor Marina. As an established South Texas bait and fuel stop for Gulf Coast boaters, Marina Bay Harbor Marina boasts a respectable reputation. Unfortunately, experienced anglers confirm there are vendors out there not taking the appropriate measures to make sure the live shrimp bait lives for an extended period of time.
The tank temperature at the bait shop, dissolved oxygen content, and how long the shrimp have been living in the tank are key indicators of the bait and vendor quality. More importantly, it’s a reflection of the bait mortality rate once taken out of the water.
A pro tip to remember is to ask the vendor for a bucket or two of the tank water to help with shrimp life longevity after the purchase.
How can I keep shrimp lively in a bucket or livewell?
Grab a bucket, mesh liner, and the live bait. Line the bucket with the mesh liner. This liner helps the bait stay suspended in the bucket water so they don’t accumulate and suffocate at the bottom of the container. By attaching the mesh liner, the shrimp have a better chance of survival.
Anglers also use oxygen systems or agitators to improve live bait mortality. As the bait breathes out toxic carbon dioxide (CO2) into the bucket, there’s less room for life-sustaining oxygen. Tools like livewell oxygen generators help release the lighter CO2 molecules from the water into the air, so there’s more room for the heavier oxygen molecules to remain and infuse into the water. Engel and Frabill also make popular live bait aerators that infuse oxygen into the water.
Large buckets filled with live bait at Marina Bay Harbor Marina
If you aren’t using your shrimp in a single day, be sure to change the water every day and monitor the oxygen concentration with an oxygen meter or test kit for high levels that can kill the bait.
How to hook live shrimp bait
Techniques regarding how to hook live shrimp bait vary depending on who you ask. Anglers have preferences. But to begin, prep yourself with the following items:
- A hook the size of your shrimp
- A popping cork (allows your bait to drift)
- A two- to four-foot leader line
To hook live shrimp, anglers must pierce the outer covering of the crustacean called the carapace. Anglers can insert the hook through the head, body, or tail. If you want the bait to hang vertically in a natural position, insert the hook through the head. Hooking the shrimp through the tail or body can mimic a wounded shrimp and release scent. For casting at distance without tearing your shrimp in half, hook through the tail. Avoid hooking into the dark areas of the shrimp (its organs), as this will kill your bait quickly.
The best (and only) live shrimp bait on Clear Lake
Remember on your next trip to South Texas that Marina Bay Harbor is the only bait shop selling live shrimp on the water on Clear Lake. This VIP Marina is open Monday through Sunday, 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and recently expanded to open the fuel and bait services at 6 a.m. on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, to accommodate the anglers who want to be on the water at dawn and ready to fish.
A snapper’s favorite meal starts with a stop at the ship store for live shrimp
The winning bait for your Gulf Coast tournament fishing
Sure, you can go with the mullet or the soft plastics – it’s fun to mix it up. But the fish you want to catch love live shrimp, and they love lively live shrimp that have been properly cared for and prepared. Knowing the bait basics is a sure way to amp up your fishing game.
Soon you’ll be pulling in a red-tagged redfish, redeeming the tag at Marina Bay Harbor, and driving home in a brand-new pickup.
If anyone from the Sugarland, Houston, Galveston, Kemah, or the Clear Lake Shores area has any more questions regarding live shrimp bait for sale at the Marina Bay Harbor Marina Ship Store, contact the marina at 281-535-2222.