To successfully harvest shrimp in Prince William Sound, you'll first need to get a shrimping permit from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. You will also need the right gear and techniques. Here's a comprehensive list to get you started:

1. Shrimp Pots: Shrimp pots are essential for capturing these crustaceans. These pots, typically made of wire mesh, are baited and dropped to the seafloor. Look for pots with an entrance funnel and escape ports to ensure legal and sustainable shrimping.

2. Bait: Effective bait is crucial for attracting shrimp. Common choices include fish heads, cat food, and commercially prepared shrimp bait. Ensure your bait is securely fastened in the pot to prevent it from being washed away by currents. Consider getting a few bait barrels to secure the bait in the pots. These look like a wire-meshed cylinder slightly bigger than a 16 oz beer can. The top screws on and off for adding the shrimp bait, and the top has a clip on it to help fasten it to the pots. Scents are an important part of attracting shrimp into the pot. You could have the best shrimp pellets in the world, but if the shrimp can’t find it, it won’t matter. For scents, I like to use tuna or cat food in a can with a few holes poked in the top. I also save all innards from the fish we catch as those make for good scents as well.

3. Rope and Buoys: Use a strong, durable rope to lower and retrieve your shrimp pots. From the buoy down, I use a thousand feet of lead-lined rope attached to 500 feet of floating plastic rope. I attach the two ropes with a strong stainless-steel carabiner with loops tied on each end of the ropes. The lead-lined rope allows the line to sink and prevents the slack from floating to the top and getting stuck in boat motors cruising by. The floating line is for having multiple pots on one line and so the slack between the pots won’t sink and get caught in the rocks. Attach a buoy to the end of the rope to mark the location of your pots. Buoys should be brightly colored and clearly labeled with your name and address, as required by regulations.

4. Depth Finder: A depth finder is invaluable for locating the ideal depths for shrimping. This tool helps you identify the contours of the seafloor and find the best spots to drop your pots. I like to look for areas with a steep drop-off. Also, observe the land in front of your chosen drop site. If you see steep rocks and cliffs going into the water, it's likely similar underwater. Conversely, if there's a gradual slope with sand and pea gravel, that's probably what the underwater terrain looks like too.

5. Puller: Manual or electric pot pullers can save you considerable effort when retrieving your pots from deep waters. These devices help you efficiently haul your catch to the surface. While it's possible to pull pots by hand, an electric pot puller will save you time, effort, and a lot of unwanted back pain. I've had to pull up my lines by hand before when I blew a fuse in the electric puller, and it was no fun! This reminds me—bring extra fuses for the pot puller.

Step-by-Step Shrimping Process

2. Choosing a Location: Use your depth finder to locate areas with rocky or sandy bottoms within the preferred depth range for the season. These habitats are where shrimp are most likely to be found.

3. Dropping the Pots: Bait your shrimp pots and lower them to the desired depth. Space your pots apart to cover a larger area and increase your chances of a successful catch. Make sure your pots fall correctly. For example, not on the top or the side, as it will render it useless.

4. Waiting Period: Allow the pots to sit on the seafloor for several hours to overnight, giving the shrimp ample time to enter the pots. I usually wait for at least one low tide cycle. The flow of the tides helps spread the scent, but the low tide, when there isn't much current, allows the shrimp to move freely and enter the pots with ease.

5. Retrieving the Pots: Use your pot puller to retrieve the pots. Check your catch, and ensure any undersized shrimp are carefully released back into the water to support sustainable shrimping practices. Have a bucket to place the shrimp in and record your harvest on the shrimping permit.

6. Processing Your Catch: Once you've harvested your shrimp, process them right away. To do this, place one hand on the tail where it meets the body and the other where the body meets the tail. Twist in opposite directions, like giving someone an Indian burn. Promptly place them in a gallon zip-lock bag and then in a cooler with ice to preserve their freshness.

Clean and prepare your shrimp as soon as possible for the best taste and texture. As we like to say, "Shrimp don't keep!"—which is just an excuse to eat all the shrimp you can in one sitting!