# Anybody try fishing with full (head-on) size shrimp?



## fishdrummer (Jul 16, 2006)

Going to Topsail for the week this Saturday, I know the Crabpot there sells whole shrimp. Rather than removing the heads before my fishing, I wondered if any of you leave the heads on. Good thing, bad thing? Waste of time? Seems like they would look more "shrimp-like". I usually peel and cut in half for smaller offerings to the mullet and small sharks (and occassional blues) I usually catch during the day. Any opinions?


----------



## speckhunter80 (Oct 3, 2011)

Waste of money and shrimp. BTW, dont peel your shrimp. Cut into appropriate size pieces for your hooks and the fish your trying to catch.


----------



## drumrun (Dec 5, 2007)

I would say cutting them in half is still a wate, ya really dont want your pieces to be bigger then your finger nail.


----------



## DrumintheSuds (Nov 19, 2007)

I don't use as much shrimp now that I fish mainly with fleas but I dehead them and do whatever i need to do to insure they remain fresh. I will use whole shrimp if they are small but cut them up into "fleas size" pieces if the shrimp are medium grade or larger.

I caught my first citation drum on a spot rig, a #2 longshank hook and a piece of cut up shrimp.


----------



## AJ35 (May 15, 2012)

I wouldn't think it would matter in the surf. Things are happening too quickly for the fish to really look the bait over too much. I do know that while fishing in the keys, the difference between dead shrimp either whole, peeled, or cut up, and live shrimp is unbelievable. I've tried both, and get far more hits on live shrimp than dead ones. It has made the difference between catching and not catching anything at all on some days.


----------



## NTKG (Aug 16, 2003)

down in southern nc, we would use live whole shrimp for trout. never done that before, but worked great


----------



## smacks fanatic (Oct 16, 2010)

yea NTKG thats what we do with the full shrimp. never heard of just leaving the heads on for bottom fishing.


----------



## NaClH20 (Sep 27, 2010)

I have used whole, headless, and salted shrimp all in the same hole on wrightsville beach. The fresh whole shrimp caught me red drum, black drum, pompano, bluefish. The smaller headless and salted pieces caught mullet, small blues, and trout. I always try to find fresh small/medium whole shrimp when fishing


----------



## NC KingFisher (Nov 20, 2011)

Always peel your shrimp as it makes it harder for fish to steal ur bait. Looking for big whiting, use a whole shrimp


----------



## fishinnc (Jan 26, 2012)

"Always peel your shrimp as it makes it harder for fish to steal ur bait." I might be out of the loop on this but wouldn't peeled shrimp be easier to steal and not stay on the hook?


----------



## HStew (Jan 8, 2009)

shrimp heads= sheepshead if in a pinch


----------



## NC KingFisher (Nov 20, 2011)

Fishin nc no it doesnt they can pull the shrimp rite out of the shell but with the shell of its harder for them. Plus they like it better


----------



## ja2808 (Dec 30, 2010)

The larger the piece, easier it is to steal. Cut into pieces. If buying by the pound, buy the edible kind (head off.) Fish find the shrimp by the smell, not the look; most of the time.


----------



## smacks fanatic (Oct 16, 2010)

NC KingFisher said:


> Fishin nc no it doesnt they can pull the shrimp rite out of the shell but with the shell of its harder for them. Plus they like it better


very true! My cousins got skunked when they went fishing on Jolly Roger and didnt peel any shrimp.


----------



## greg12345 (Jan 8, 2007)

if there are pinfish around your shrimp will not last, no matter how you prepare it/bait it. if the pinfish are thick i will switch to live fiddler crabs...can still catch pups, pompano, black drum, and sheepshead well with that. have never caught a mulllet on one but i don't see why it wouldn't work. or you could just be lazy and use fishbites...will still get picked at but lasts longer than shrimp. i'm never that impressed with the shrimp at that market next to the crab pot...either sneads ferry on the docks or one stop bait & tackle for the best quality.


----------



## fishdrummer (Jul 16, 2006)

Great answers to all! Last time I used shrimp was in the spring, they were very small, that's why the cut in half. I usually 3rd them. I probably won't mess with head on shrimp unless the fishing is particularly slow just to try something different..
Another question, for hitting the sloughs, which do ypu prefer, shrimp or live baitfish (can't think of what their called off hand, a few inches long, usually can net a bunch of them while I'm there)? I tend to use the live baitfish for night time, shrimp for daytime.
Leaving tomorrow for a week of fishing, looking forward to it of course.


----------

