Union Gunboat update. Foiled by shrimp baiters again...good sign ???

[Jolly Mon]

Some time ago I posted an aerial photo of what I believe may be a Union gunboat sunk during the Civil War. I have been to the site twice (it is some distance from me) and both times the same two old timers have been setting out shrimp baiting poles just to the west of where the wreck's bow should lay...and I mean just to the west...a matter of a few feet...the estuary in question has many, many miles of shoreline and I just find it odd that, of all places, they would choose to work almost right on top of my theoretical wreck. The last time I was there, I struck up a converstaion with them and they told me they had been baiting that same spot for years. They were not very talkative...I am sure they thought I was a rival fisherman intent on exploiting their "honey hole". I said nothing about the wreck, of course. Both times their eastern most pole had been sunk just 10-20 feet from where the bow of the wreck would be if the photo is correct...never further east and their remaining poles strung out towards the west...my new hypothesis is that some sort of structure draws the shrimp to this location naturally and that they are expoliting that fact and not setting poles further east because their nets become hung on "something". I am even more jazzed than before...

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

DR.ÖTEK Metal Detector, Waterproof Gold Detector, Pinpoint & Terrain Modes, Professional Metal Detector - Grab it through Amazon!

[bluehunter1973]

Shipwrecks provide lots of protection for the little creatures. They got boats with sonar? You can probably talk to them and get some info on depth and position. They fish and you hunt

 

[FriscoT06]

That sounds really cool and interesting! Good luck and keep us posted! What was the other post titled?

 

[Jolly Mon]

That sounds really cool and interesting! Good luck and keep us posted! What was the other post titled?

Original post was: "Could this be a Union Gunboat?"

As far as enlisting the fishermen's help...there is just no way I would let this cat out of the bag...even though I don't know if the cat really exists.
I have to approach the site with a small boat due to numerous shoals in the area... I cannot get my big boat in...next time I am taking a portable sonar unit on a kayak so that even if I cannot dive, I can at least get an idea of any large above bottom sturcture that might exist at the location...

 

[FriscoT06]

thanks, any updates of your adventure?

 

[LM]

Have you gone down and looked to see what it is?

Or sidescanned it?

 

[Jolly Mon]

Thanks for the interest. Due to the historic nature (and possible Federal ownership) of the site, I have contacted a state university. I don't want to say anything more at this point.

 

[Trembull]

New 3D Map of Civil War Shipwreck Released - Yahoo! News

 

[seeker41]

maybe they have divers down and they aint just fishin?
chuck