Booming Bama Shrimp Season

Shrimp boats crowd the dock in Bon Secour waiting for their next opportunity to haul in one of the more popular treats from Mobile Bay.

"We're getting a lot of shrimp in." Billy Parks owns Billy's Seafood where there is no shortage of shrimp in whatever size you want. "We mainly catch the bulk of 'em between May and Christmas. Then it just starts slowing on down."

Alabama shrimp nets have been busy this season. Its been a near record breaking season. Boats this size hauling in two thousand pounds of shrimp a night. "This was probably one of the top five years that I've seen as far as white shrimp in the last 30 years," says Parks.

Other parts of the gulf are reporting one of their worst seasons forcing some of those shrimpers into Alabama waters according to Parks. "We did have a lot of Louisiana boats come in here. I don't really know what happened to Louisiana's season but we've had a really good season. Lots of shrimp."

What shrimpers call sauerkraut grass is clogging up Mobile Bay and nets right now and that's translating into lower numbers. "When we get some weather in in the next week or so maybe it will get on out or go where ever it came from and the shrimpers will get back to shrimping," says Parks. Clearing the docks and nets to catch even more shrimp before the season ends in December.