A Shrimp-pressive accomplishment

• 40-year-old Rey Reyes says that he and his cousin are among some of the youngest bay shrimpers in the Coastal Bend.
• Rey loves shrimping for live bait with his cousin and his son all year round.
• He is excited to shrimp for white table shrimp in August.

40-year-old Rey Reyes says he thinks he and his cousin are among the youngest bay shrimpers in the Coastal Bend area. On Tuesday, July 16, Reyes caught 150 pounds of shrimp in the Ingleside area with his son. Reyes is disappointed that the shrimping industry seems to be dying out.

“I guess, none of the younger generation want to continue the work, I guess," Reyes said.

Reyes is fairly new to the shrimping industry, as 2024 marks his second-year bay shrimping in the Coastal Bend.

“My brother-in-law bought this business and we had a shrimp boat, he bought a shrimp boat. And I just jumped on it and had some guys teach me to run it, and I just started doing it. I don’t know, I like doing it. We’re out there by ourselves, nothing to worry about. Nobody down your neck, you know, it’s just me and my son," Reyes said.

He prefers bay shrimping rather than gulf shrimping.

“Unless you know, there’s no shrimp in the bay, then we’ll go to the Gulf. But no, our boats are just like these regular bay boats here you know," Reyes said.

Reyes says there is no off-season for bay shrimping.

“All year round, catch live shrimp. And we’ll catch croaker too for fishing. Whatever bait is in season, I guess you could say," Reyes said.

While shrimping is his passion, he doesn't stop there.

“From dead shrimp to ribbon fish to squid, whatever we get our hands on that we can make money off of," Reyes said.

Reyes sells his catches at Harbor City Bait in Aransas Pass. He is the most excited to shrimp for white table shrimp. That season starts on August 15. But for now, he'll continue shrimping for live shrimp to use and sell for bait.

“Everybody likes live shrimp, so it’s like nonstop," Reyes said.

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