To catch the most shrimp, you should be very slow. No sudden movements or the shrimp will jump away. Lower the Ozello Shrimper down and over the shrimp very slowly. If the shrimp should move, do not move, the shrimp will move several inches away and you will still be able to slowly follow it and catch it. Some people will see the shrimp move and they will then move quickly thinking they will catch the shrimp before it gets away. They are wrong. In the worst case, if the shrimp does jump away, they usually do not jump very far away. You can usually scan the water around you and find it sitting on the surface of the grass where it jumped to.
Now here is where the skill comes in! When you move slowly to pick up a shrimp, sometimes the shrimp will jump up and into the trap. The split second you feel the shrimp hit your trap, you must give a little tug on the cord shutting the trap door and catching the shrimp. You will not see the shrimp, and you do not have time to think about the shrimp. It is an automatic response. You feel a shrimp hit the shrimper,..you tug on the cord,and you will catch the shrimp. Wait a second to think,...and the shrimp is gone. Move slowly and no sudden movements.
Proper Care and Use
To get many years of use of your Ozello Shrimper, rinse it off with fresh water each night you return from shrimping. When dry, respray the cage with flat black spray paint. If the pole becomes sticky with salt after extended use, flush the interior of the pole out with fresh water and allow to dry overnight. Do not lubricate the sliding aluminum pole.The Ozello shrimper is constructed to catch as many shrimp as possible in a short time, with as little grass or other unwanted sea life as possible. Operation is very simple. Simply place the opening of the shrimp trap over the shrimp and slowly pull the door closed with the nylon line. The shrimp will be scooped up, into the shrimper. Lift the trap out of the water, holding the door closed with the string and place the cage over your floating bucket. Release the string and the shrimp will drop into the bucket. Now, turn around and do it again.
Many first time users of the Ozello Shrimper have a tendancy to over-pull the string and bend the cage door. This usually happens because new shrimpers are eager to catch the shrimp and they slam the door shut too forcefully or, believe that it is necessary to shove the cage into the ground and pull hard on the door to dig a shrimp out of the mud or grass. Neither of these approaches are necessary and could damage the Ozello Shrimper, rendering it unusable.
If the shrimp is nestled deep in the mud or in the grass, place the trap on top of it and shake the trap a little bit to scare it out of the grass. Usually, it will jump right up into the cage. If you accidentally "spook" one of them, and it gets away, don't worry! It didn't go far. They usually just jump a few feet away and are usually easier to catch. Take your time and you will avoid ending a night early and having to buy another trap.
Last but certainly not least, remember your own safety. If ever there should be lightning in the distance, lay the entire shrimper in the water and walk out of the water while holding only onto the nylon line to pull it behind you. Keep an eye on the tides, making sure you do not get stranded when the tide comes in and as always, watch out for boaters.
