Ellington

PASS CHRISTIAN, Miss. (AP) — Some of the shrimpers who set out at dawn Tuesday with high hopes for a huge catch came in hours later with just enough of the spiny crustaceans for a decent shrimp boil.

Shrimp season opened at 6 a.m. in Mississippi territorial waters after sampling confirmed shrimp have reached the 68-count-per-pound state requirement.

The Sun Herald reports an aerial survey by the state Department of Marine Resources' Shrimp and Crab Bureau showed 250 shrimp boats in Mississippi waters, compared with 210 boats counted in 2012.

Shrimpers weren't finding much success.

Lauren Thompson, DMR public relations manager, says heavy rains in April and May reduced the Mississippi Sound's salinity, which contributed to the smaller catches reported Tuesday morning.

Information from: The Sun Herald.