Tag Archives: Rodney Thompson
The Reason Rock Shrimp Were Almost Never Brought to Market
One man’s trash is another man’s treasure. That simple saying sums up the story of how a Florida boat builder-turned-fisherman came to introduce the world to rock shrimp. It’s difficult to imagine now, but back in the 1970s, shrimp trawlers hauling catch off the southeastern coast of the U.S. routinely dismissed a particular variety of shrimp as not worth the effort. In 1968, Thompson debuted his state-of-the-art fiberglass shrimp trawler, the R.C. Brent Jr., to little acclaim. Unfortunately, traditional shrimpers at the time weren’t ready to embrace Thompson’s fiberglass technology. With a growing family to support and boat sales on the wane, Thompson set out to prove the superiority of his fiberglass design — by going fishing. >click to read< 09:10
From trash to treat: Rock shrimp’s rise to fame in Florida
After trawling the Atlantic Ocean for days, Rodney Thompson returned to his Florida home and dropped buckets of rock shrimp in the middle of the kitchen. He ordered his four school-age children to stop playing and figure out a way to cook them. Rock shrimp were considered trash. Their hard, spiny shells would split thumbs open and take forever to peel. Thompson’s challenge to his children lasted for months, until his oldest daughter, a teenage Laurilee, had the idea to split them open, cut out the sand veins and broil them like lobsters. They were delicious. That was 50 years ago. >click to read<17:53
Rock shrimp fishing pioneer Rodney Thompson passes away
During his long career, he founded T-Craft Boats, Thompson Trawlers, Offshore 30, Thompson Industries, Sand Point Inn, Pelican Point Inn, Ponce Seafood, Dixie Crossroads Seafood Restaurant, Cape Canaveral Shrimp Company and Wild Ocean Seafood Market. Rock shrimp fishing was his claim to fame, with his family following in his footsteps. “Prior to our family getting involved with rock shrimp, they were considered a trash item. Because their shell was so hard, no one was interested in buying them. The conventional mechanical peelers that were used to peel white shrimp, brown shrimp, they would not work on the shell of the rock shrimp,” said Laurilee Thompson, Rodney’s daughter. She now co-owns Dixie Crossroads Seafood Restaurant. Read the rest here 20:17
