Louisiana Tradition : Shrimp Calling Making a Comeback

(KMDL-FM) In about ten days or so, the area around Delcambre, Louisiana, will start to slowly shift from a "working port" to more of a "festive port". That's because those who make their living in the always exciting world of fishing and shrimping will be taking some time away from work to celebrate the bounty that nature has given.

For 73 years, the folks in and around Delcambre have celebrated shrimp and the bounties they bring by hosting one of the most intriguing festivals in the world. The festival has been covered by travel experts, food experts, influencers, and a few RVs filled with old people who were just on a drive across the country.

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They come for the food, they stay for the food, the music, the friendship, and timeless tales that only an evening in Louisiana can provide. One such tale concerns just how the area around Delcambre came to be synonymous with shrimp.

Why is Coastal Louisiana Known For Its Shrimp and Other Seafood?

Naturally, it is easy to assume that Delcambre and the Highway 14 corridor are so interconnected with shrimp because of their close location to Vermilion Bay and the waters of the Gulf. That does play a major role in why shrimping is such a big deal down here.

But have you ever stopped to think, how did the fishermen of old get the shrimp into the boat before shrimp boats were outfitted with those big nets and motors, and harnesses?

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Just as their Cajun counterparts on land learned to improvise ways to get game like deer, ducks, turkeys, and squirrels to come in closer so the hunter could get a better shot, the original Cajun shrimpers used to make certain noises and sounds that could be detected by the shrimp as they swam near the boats.

Over time, clever Cajun fishermen devised specific shrimp calls to catch the size of shrimp they needed for their markets. Certain calls would bring in the mid-sized shrimp, other calls would land the jumbos, and these calls were passed down through generations.

Do Cajun Shrimpers Have Actual Shrimp Calls That They Use to Catch Shrimp?

Many Cajun families have their own unique and very well-protected shrimp call that only properly trained family members are allowed to use while out on the water. These calls were demonstrated to us only after we agreed not to record them and share them with other families.

There are multiple reasons for this kind of shrimp call security. Not only does it keep the family's means to get shrimp safe, but studies have shown that shrimp calls that are not precise can bring undesirable creatures to the boat. Creatures such as sharks, garfish, and fans of the University of Alabama.

But should that happen, it's okay to just throw them back. And remember to try your best, Shrimp Call during the Delcambre Shrimp Festival. It happens August 13-17th and features plenty of "pre-called" shrimp and great music.

Let's hope all of the vendors remember that the Delcambre Shrimp Festival is a celebration of the Shrimping Industry in Louisiana. So, there had better not be any fake foreign-caught shrimp being sold as Louisiana shrimp. I wonder if our friends from SeaD Consulting will be making a visit to the festival this year?

One thing we should point out, it was hard to find corroborating information to vet this story. Many of the Cajun Shrimpers and Louisiana Fishing Families we spoke to would neither confirm nor deny the existence of a "family shrimp call". I think that silence speaks volumes, don't you?