Be gentle. I confess to being clueless on shrimp.

[M.Fillmore]

I like shrimp and I have access to buying them directly from a Vietnamese fisherman. His English is not good so I'd rather ask y'all.

What months are fresh shrimp available?
Are there months when the shrimp are better?
Are there months to avoid?

Feel free to give me the rundown on fresh shrimp. I buy the big boys.

[BeastMan]

The coast guys will be better than me because I get confused on which season it is. Basically, there are 2 shrimp that we buy and eat, brown and white. Both are fine with me.

[SpeckleDawg]

I could not care less between brown and white. They are both great. In MS, the season usually begins early June (depends on samples taken) and runs through the rest of the year, north of the ICW. It will close in the spring, for areas farther south. You will usually get smaller ones and at a little higher price in June/early July. My favorite time to buy them is starting in mid Julyish - good size and cheap prices. This year I bought so many good boiling shrimp for $2-2.50/lb that I had to take a break for a few weeks! Ha. It's pretty great to be able to have a great seafood meal and feed the whole family for <$10. Just trust your nose for the freshness. It sounds cliche, but they really should smell like a harbor or "ocean smell". Also, if they are starting to turn black in creases and get real slimy, stay away.