Besides artificial illumination, what physical environmental factor dictates the timing of night shrimping efforts?

Tidal movements, which are linked to lunar cycles, affecting migration patterns.

Experienced fishers understand that successful nighttime harvesting involves more than just manipulating light; it requires aligning efforts with natural aquatic rhythms. A critical determinant for scheduling when to head out for shrimp is the state of the tide. Shrimp migration patterns are dynamic, shifting based on factors like salinity, water depth, and the flow of currents, all of which are directly regulated by tidal charts influenced by lunar cycles. Therefore, the specific time chosen for shrimping on any given night must often correlate with the tide—for example, knowing whether the tide is outgoing or slack dictates where the shrimp might be found relative to estuaries or deeper channels.