Shrimp are one of the most popular and effective baits for catching fish, especially when fishing in saltwater. Their natural scent attracts fish and triggers instinctual feeding responses. While live shrimp is best, frozen shrimp can also produce amazing results when rigged properly. In this article, I’ll walk you through the step-by-step process for rigging frozen shrimp so you can catch more fish on your next fishing trip.
Why Use Frozen Shrimp for Bait?
While live shrimp is the gold standard for many anglers, frozen shrimp offers several advantages that make it a great bait option:
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Convenience – Frozen shrimp can be bought at any grocery store and kept on hand until you are ready to fish. No need to find a bait shop or keep live shrimp alive.
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Easy to store – Frozen shrimp stores easily in the freezer for months at a time. It takes up very little space compared to transporting and storing live bait.
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Cost effective – Pound for pound, frozen shrimp is significantly cheaper than live shrimp. You get more bait for less money.
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Pre-rigging – You can rig frozen shrimp at home before your fishing trip to save time and effort at the water
As long as frozen shrimp is properly thawed and rigged to look natural, most fish can’t tell the difference from live bait. Let’s look at how to prepare frozen shrimp so it fools fish into biting.
Step 1: Thaw the Frozen Shrimp
The first step is thawing the frozen shrimp. You want it soft and flexible enough to thread onto a hook without breaking. Here are a few thawing options:
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Place shrimp in a colander or perforated bag and set in the refrigerator overnight. This gradual thaw works best to keep texture intact.
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Submerge sealed bag of shrimp in a bowl of cool water for 30 minutes to an hour. Replace water if it warms up.
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Set shrimp in a single layer on a paper towel at room temperature for 1-2 hours.
Once thawed, the shrimp should bend and flex without cracking or breaking. Under thawed shrimp will crack when rigged. Over thawed shrimp will have a mushy texture.
Step 2: Peel Off the Shell
The next step is removing the shell. This allows for better hook penetration and a more natural look:
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Start by pulling off the tail. This will create an opening to access the body.
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Next, run your finger under the underside of the shell to separate it from the flesh.
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Peel the shell downward towards the head. It should come off easily in one piece.
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Remove any remaining legs or shell fragments with your fingers.
The shelled body should be fully intact and look like a natural shrimp body. Avoid tearing the flesh when removing the shell.
Step 3: Insert the Hook Strategically
With the shell removed, you can now rig the shrimp on a hook. Follow these tips for proper hook placement:
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Use a short shank live bait hook or circle hook for best results.
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Insert the hook under the head area at an angle towards the underside.
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Angle it towards the tail end and pop it out the top center of the flesh.
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The hook should run parallel with the body for a streamlined look.
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Make sure the barb pokes fully out to allow the hook to set when bitten.
The hook placement keeps the shrimp centered and weedless while allowing natural movement.
Step 4: Match the Hook Size to the Shrimp
Using the properly sized hook for the shrimp is important for both presentation and keeping the bait secure:
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For medium to large shrimp (26-30 count), use a 1/0 or 2/0 live bait hook.
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For smaller shrimp (36-50 count), drop down to a size 4/0 or 6/0.
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Circle hooks in equivalent sizes also work well.
Having the right hook to shrimp ratio keeps the bait from twisting and sliding on the hook during casts.
Step 5: Consider Adding Bait Thread
To give added security to the rig, you can wrap bait thread around the frozen shrimp:
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Use elastic bait thread designed for rigging baits.
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Wrap the thread 2-3 times around the wider body area, going between the hook shaft.
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Pull tight and knot or use a lighter to melt the ends. Trim any excess.
The bait thread holds the shrimp on the hook, adding another barrier against losing your rigged bait.
Step 6: Add a Leader for Clear Water
When fishing clear water conditions, leader line helps prevent line shy fish from seeing your rig:
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Tie a 12-24 inch section of 10-20 lb fluorocarbon line to the hook.
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Use an improved clinch knot to secure the leader.
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The light leader blends in and vanishes in clear water.
You can also add colored plastic beads between the main line and leader to further camouflage the rig.
Step 7: Match Hook Size to Rod/Reel Combo
Using too light of tackle can rip hooks out when fighting bigger fish. Tailor your shrimp rigs to your particular setup:
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Light tackle – 15-20 lb line and #4-2/0 hooks
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Medium tackle – 20-30 lb line and #2-1/0 hooks
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Heavy tackle – 30+ lb line and 1/0-2/0 octopus circle hooks
Properly balancing the tackle helps you land fish after getting bites using shrimp. Prevent losing fish or gear.
Step 8: Add Scent and Flavor Enhancers (Optional)
Adding scents and flavors to your frozen shrimp can help make it more appealing to fish. Try any of these:
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Dip in shrimp or crab flavored Fishbites.
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Soak in Menhaden oil, shrimp sauce, or anise oil.
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Coat with powdered shrimp attractant.
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Spray with aerosol scents like Bang or JJ’s Magic.
The extra scent boosts can really amp up the effectiveness of frozen shrimp. It activates the fish’s chemosensory system for more bites.
Top Frozen Shrimp Fishing Tips
Keep these tips in mind when fishing with your frozen shrimp rigs:
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Match the hook, line, rod, and drag to prevent lost fish and gear.
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When freelining, use circle hooks and keep the reel engaged.
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Have a bait bucket to quickly exchange thawed shrimp rigs.
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Keep shrimp chilled until ready to rig to maintain texture.
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Vary retrieves until you determine the ideal action for getting bites.
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Target structure, washed out points, creek mouths, and moving water seams.
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Set the hook immediately when feel a pickup to maximize hookups.
Now that you know how to properly rig frozen shrimp, you can head out on the water with confidence it will produce fish. Following the right steps takes frozen shrimp from the grocery store to on par with live bait. Rig it up right and hold on tight, because the fish can’t tell the difference!
Reader Success Stories
- Janice Tropuhlvavic “I have hooked my shrimp right and wrong. Still do. But these tips have made me think that I might use some other shrimp that I catch by accident as chum in the future. Why waste it? I’d love to know more about when to chum and when not to. “. ” more .
Keeping Live Shrimp
- What kind of hook would work best for this? Michael Reynolds is the owner of Long Beach, California’s Fishing Lessons by Michael Reynolds and a professional fishing instructor. In the more than 40 years that Michael has been fishing, he has learned a lot about the different ways to fish. He loves teaching people, from newbies to experts, what he knows about fishing. Michael is licensed and bonded with the Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW) and has been a fishing guide and teacher for more than five years. The best hooks for fishing shrimp for bait are J-style hooks, according to Michael Reynolds, a professional fishing instructor.
- Michael Reynolds is the owner of Long Beach, California’s Fishing Lessons by Michael Reynolds and a professional fishing instructor. How do I keep the shrimp from flying off the hook? The answer is: In the more than 40 years that Michael has been fishing, he has learned a lot about the different ways to fish. He loves teaching people, from newbies to experts, what he knows about fishing. Michael is licensed and bonded with the Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW) and has been a fishing guide and teacher for more than five years. Answer from Michael Reynolds, Professional Fishing Instructor: Wrap the shrimp in sewing thread so it doesn’t fall off when you cast. The color of the thread should match the color of the shrimp—orange is the #1 color that I use.
- Professional Fishing Instructor Michael Reynolds owns Long Beach, California’s Fishing Lessons by Michael Reynolds and is a professional fishing instructor. How do I get more fish to bite shrimp? In the more than 40 years that Michael has been fishing, he has learned a lot about the different ways to fish. He loves teaching people, from newbies to experts, what he knows about fishing. Michael is licensed and bonded with the Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW) and has been a fishing guide and teacher for more than five years. Expert Answer from Michael Reynolds: As soon as the anchor is down, run to the front of the boat and throw out the line with the shrimp on it. Let that sink to the bottom. There will be a lot of fish looking for food there because the anchor made a cloud of trash.
- If you want to catch live shrimp, use the smallest and lightest hook possible for that type of fish. This will let the shrimp swim as freely as possible for as long as possible. In general, the bigger and stronger the hook should be, the harder the fish’s mouth is. In these situations, you may also want to use a treble hook instead of a single hook. Most of the time, you won’t need a hook bigger than 3/0 or 4/0. [8] [9] Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0 .
- Find out if there are bait shops in the area you want to fish that sell bait shrimp. Also, find out if there are any rules about using shrimp as bait in your area. [10] Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0 .
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How To Rig & Fish FROZEN SHRIMP For Inshore Slams
How do you rig frozen shrimp?
Use a jighead to keep the shrimp from coming off the hook easily. If you do not want to add more weight to the hook, you can just put the shrimp on a plain live bait hook. The best way to rig the frozen shrimp to the hook is to go through the rear of the shrimp instead of the head.
Can I eat raw shrimp?
Eating raw shrimp is not recommended. Raw shrimp can contain bacteria that can cause food poisoning. It is also a good source of purines, which can trigger gout attacks. If you want to eat shrimp, cook it thoroughly to reduce the risk of food poisoning and to help prevent gout attacks. Cook shrimp until it is opaque and pink to ensure that it is safe to eat.
How to fish with frozen shrimp?
Here’s a basic method for fishing with frozen shrimp: Thaw the Shrimp: You’ll need to thaw it before rigging it. Read below how to thaw a frozen shrimp. Prepare the Hook: Choose an appropriate fishing hook size based on the size of the shrimp and the fish species you are targeting.
What jig should I use if I have frozen shrimp?
If you need a plan B, frozen shrimp make a great option. They’re cheap, easy to use, and nearly always available, plus, fish love them! I recommend rigging them on a jig head with a flat bottom (like these Mission Fishin jig heads) and then retrieving them slowly across the bottom.