There’s a bit of a well known secret in the San Juan Islands of Washington. Growing up a Colorado boy in a hunting/fishing family, I was certainly no stranger to seafood. Dad would usually take us to his favorite seafood buffet places so he didn’t go broke trying to feed all 7 of us kids. So, of course, like any good seafood buffet, there was usually no shortage of peel n shrimp or the good ol’ shrimp scampi.
Fast forward to the early 90’s when I moved to Washington, I naturally was drawn to the saltwater and all its potential bounty. It was only a matter of time until someone asked “Have you ever been shrimping?”. “In Washington?” I would ask myself. I thought shrimp were from Florida or Mexico or somewhere by the equator. Of course, I had to figure this thing out and it wasn’t long until my friend, Capt. Corey Joyce, hailed me over the radio one day on the water and says, “Hey, do you want some shrimp?”.
Needless to say, I was wowed with excitement and slight disabelief upon my first look at the Pacific spot prawn. I was even further wowed with excitement once these little critters came off the stove and across my lips and down the hatch! I realized at that moment that I had never really eaten a shrimp in my life! The salty sweetness of these bugs is incredible!
Every spring the shrimping season in the San Juan Islands kicks off for one of the tastiest bounties you could ever have! From spring throughout summer, fishermen can run out to their favorite shrimping hole and soak their pots in hopes of gathering a nice haul. If you’re not into the do-it-yourself thing, I highly recommend hiring a charter such as San Juan Adventures in Anacortes, WA to load up on these tasty critters. And if you are wanting to do-it-yourself, I still recommend hiring Capt. Joyce for a day so you can watch and learn and do it right the first time. The trial and error of shrimping on your own as a beginner can prove to be quite costly.
If you’d like to book a charter to load up on the best shrimp you’ll ever eat, call our friend Capt. Corey Joyce 360-661-5475 or find him online at SanJuanCharters.net You’ll be glad you did!
