Stealing Crab Pots!!!

[epoc]

I have had 3 crab pots stolen over the last few months in broad daylight from the sand flats at the Eastern end of Tiger Mullet channel. Obviously, this was getting quite frustrating as I like the anchorage and LOVE my crabbing.

Last weekend, I decided to drop a couple of pots there again. Sucker I know, but I was not going to let some scumbag interfere with my crabbing. After about an hour of the pots being in, I just happened to notice a small tinney very close to one of my pots. I grabbed my binos, and to my horror saw the occupants pulling up what appeared to be my crab pot. They then put the pot into their boat and proceeded to head toward what looks like about a 35ft power catamaran that was anchored about 100m from me. Needless to say, I quickly jumped into my duck and headed straight over to them.

The people were a man and woman aged around 60-70yo. When asked why they had my pot onboard, I got 2 very nervous, very different replies. The woman said they were going to call the phone number on the pot and let the people know they had found it. The man said they had lost 4 pots overnight and were stealing other people pots to replace their own!! I was GOBSMACKED to say the least. Upon me threatening to call the police, they quickly handed back the pot. I then proceeded to accuse them of being dirty rotten thieves and told them to go back under the rock they crawled out of. A war of words quickly errupted with some quite colourful phrases being shouted at each other.

Below is a photo of the boat they were on. I am posting this so others can be aware of these people. I am sure this boat was anchored in the same place (Eastern end of Tiger Mullet, adjacent to the little beach on the right), when I'd previously lost my pots.

I think these people are serial crab pot thieves and people need to be aware of them. If you crab in this area, keep an eye out for their boat. If they are there, watch your pots like an eagle.

http://thedvdco.com/thieves.jpg

http://www.thedvdco.com/theives.jpg

[Noelm]

OH I see how it works now, you get a pot stolen, so you pinch someone elses? and it all just goes in circles! at least you caught them, I reckon I would have called the authorities anyway, not that they would do much, if they even turned up!

[Jeremy]

need to be careful of defamation on public website, but well done for taking a photo. You definitely need to report this to police and/or fisheries.

Personally, I would have been back to pay them a visit in the early hours and their tender might have mysteriously come untied or even sunk!

Jeremy

[cormorant]

If you are serious about this the only way is to get photos and make exact record of conversations if it was to occur again. You need evidence. Solid physical evidence so get out the long camera lense and video as well to give photos context. Otherwise it is he said , you said and the winner is the person with the biggest pockets to pay a lawyer.

I would still report this incident unless you were threatening etc as then fisheries and police may attend the boat if they notice it.


Noel I'm with you mate - hate that sort of attitude and thieves. Wonder if they have lived their whole life like that and will Karma ever catch up with em??

[Reel Nauti]

I would certainly be contacting the authorities, relay what occured, and ask for them to look over the boat for your other pots. If those pots are found, and still with your name etc attached, those alleged thieves are then liable for prosecution.

Dave

[epoc]

Thanks for the comments Guys. I don't want to go down the authorities route as it would be as cormorant mentioned "he said, I said". Just want to warn others of these lowlife people....

[tigermullet]

A few days before that weekend I watched as a couple of blokes set out 5 crabpots in the late afternoon. Next morning they recovered only 2. Later that day, they again put out 5 pots (getting another three from their main boat?) and the following morning just 2 were recovered.

It was quite fascinating to observe the placement of pots in the channel (eastern end of Tigermullet) on what was to become a pair of highest night time tides for the year. The tide runs strongly there.

The first set of missing 3 were not stolen. They ended up well to the east and remained there until the boat departed two days later. As far as I know the pots will still be in the same position and abandoned. They join other groups of abandoned pots that litter the sandbanks on the north east side of Tiger Mullet.

Epoc's story is different. Way different. Courageous too. Good starting point for defamation proceedings.

[Mossy247]

you did well my friend I wish I would have the same patience, I am a little hot headed and prob would of put a hole in the side of their tinny, but you'd think they would have a little respect being that age, not like a bunch of teenagers looking for cheap thrills. Should of jumped aboard the tinny, ohhh I lost an outboard motor so I might take yours, that sound fair?

[Chamelion]

need to be careful of defamation on public website, but well done for taking a photo. You definitely need to report this to police and/or fisheries.

Personally, I would have been back to pay them a visit in the early hours and their tender might have mysteriously come untied or even sunk!

Jeremy

A legitimate defence when accused of defamation is that you were reporting the truth... You just have to be able to prove it. :)

[Noelm]

seems like setting pots for long periods (unattended) is pretty common in QLD, down my way, we only set pots for about 15 to 20 mins and stay close by, I would reckon that any pot left unattended would not see the day out, let alone overnight, but maybe it is just the way we do things in different locations huh?

[epoc]

Considering we had 2 boats rafted up with a total of 9 witnesses on board, deformation is the last thing I'm worried about. Anyway, deformation is not an issue as I am simply telling the truth.

Geez some of you people are hard. All I'm doing is trying to help others avoid having their pots stolen :(

[tigermullet]

you did well my friend I wish I would have the same patience, I am a little hot headed and prob would of put a hole in the side of their tinny, but you'd think they would have a little respect being that age, not like a bunch of teenagers looking for cheap thrills. Should of jumped aboard the tinny, ohhh I lost an outboard motor so I might take yours, that sound fair?


Putting a hole in the side of tinny might not be the best course of action no matter what the circumstances.

Consider this:- The bloke who owns that boat has had two operations for bowel cancer within the last 12 months and is still (or might just have completed) yet another round of chemo. I have often seen him pull up at the wrong crab pot, thinking that it was his. Poor eyesight. He also has a strange sense of humour and his remark about replacing his pots with others could well have been a joke.

Considering the number of abandoned pots in the area, the lady's response just might have been genuine.

I don't know them well enough to come right out and defend their actions. Personally, I do not touch abandoned pots even though they are, at times, very annoying. I do not disbelieve Epoc's report - I can easily imagine a war of words developing over a misunderstanding. Not being there, it is not my place to make any specific comment other than to repeat that the report was courageous indeed.

[tigermullet]

Considering we had 2 boats rafted up with a total of 9 witnesses on board, deformation is the last thing I'm worried about. Anyway, deformation is not an issue as I am simply telling the truth.

Geez some of you people are hard. All I'm doing is trying to help others avoid having their pots stolen :(


That's another worrying fact. I have seen professionals lift crab pots but only on days when few other boats are out.

You'd have to be pretty stupid to lift pots in Tiger Mullet on a weekend.

The old bloke who owns the boat in your photograph might be a bit ill and infirm but I assure you that he is not stupid.

On the other hand he is quite forgiving of life events so defamation might not be an issue here but not for the reasons you have given.

TIger Mullet is such fun. Where would we be without drifting boats, pots, gin palaces, collisions, barneys and little white fluffy dogs.;D

[Scott nthQld]

The people were a man and woman aged around 60-70yo. When asked why they had my pot onboard, I got 2 very nervous, very different replies. The woman said they were going to call the phone number on the pot and let the people know they had found it. The man said they had lost 4 pots overnight and were stealing other people pots to replace their own!! I was GOBSMACKED to say the least. Upon me threatening to call the police, they quickly handed back the pot. I then proceeded to accuse them of being dirty rotten thieves and told them to go back under the rock they crawled out of. A war of words quickly errupted with some quite colourful phrases being shouted at each other.






Consider this:- The bloke who owns that boat has had two operations for bowel cancer within the last 12 months and is still (or might just have completed) yet another round of chemo. I have often seen him pull up at the wrong crab pot, thinking that it was his. Poor eyesight. He also has a strange sense of humour and his remark about replacing his pots with others could well have been a joke.


Seems pretty straightforward to me, they got caught flogging the pots and tried to take the high ground when confronted.

As for you're comment tigermullet, that is pretty goddamn ridiculous. I don't care how crook someone is they are NOT allowed to flog someone else gear. Sick or not, theft is still theft. An honest mistake I would perhaps be bit more inclined to curb the abuse coming from my direction, but the get caught out, admit it, then abuse the bloke who you stole from?? come on, if they were my pots and thats how the theif's dealt with me, I'd be putting money on me being in lockup right now.

I might just try that one out if I ever get done for doing something wrong "sorry officer, I was speeding because I'm sick, how bout you let me off this time?" yer...right

[bondy99]

Mate, I've seen it all before.

Bloody share farmers, I've lost 25 pots over a period of time (15 years), all heavy duty steel pots at $45.00 a throw.

It's not the first time and won't be the last time unfortunately.

Bring back the cat of nine tails and let the public view the bastards.

Peter

[tigermullet]

I definitely wasn't mentioning sickness as an excuse for stealing but as a possibility for making a mistake, which I thought had been covered in the second sentence of the paragraph. That, in my opinion, is not ridiculous. What is very clear is how easy it is for misunderstandings or misinterpretations to creep into any communication.

If you have the time then please read again what was written. You might also take into account that I find stealing or interfering with someone else's property quite obnoxious and could never condone nor excuse such behaviour.

The boat and occupants are well known at Tiger Mullet and Jacobs Well. If they have made a mistake or been misunderstood and have had their names blackened on a public forum I wonder how they will be feeling right now?

Before you jump all over me, I can also understand Epoc's feelings - in his situation I might have done exactly the same thing.

[uglyfish]

Mate go to the fisheries and report them,I'm sure the goverment could use the money lol

[Swindells]

A few years ago we had a case in Bundy where professional crabbers we're coming into the creek laying pots, if they saw anyone else's pots they pull em up, take the crabs and cut the line off them, or if they liked them, they'd debadge and keep them... this got everyone furious as you can imagine, i wasn't around when police got involved but i haven't seen them in the creek since.

One of the local guys now lays his pots without line or float, just weights them and marks the spot by a tree on the bank... then the next day he comes past with a reef anchor and pulls them up, says he has never lost one since.

Another guy i know goes spearfishing in the same system and says he found a number of pots in deep water where they were dragged by heavy tides beyond the depth of there rope and the bouys ended up with a couple of meters of water over them.

[sagair]

Name and shame, Good on you mate.
Isn't there a big fine for
interfering with someone else crab pot or fishing equipment?
My mate and I were working at one of the northern Beaches recently and he left two pots in the creek where the grey nomads camping ground is located at the boat ramp. Next morning we returned and one pot was gone and the other pot had one small jenny and two undersized bucks in it with all their nippers removed. The old bloke that watched my mate put them in said he would keep an eye on them LOL for him. We passed him on the highway and my mate said "now I know why he asked me what time we would be there tomorrow"

[Lovey80]

The boat and occupants are well known at Tiger Mullet and Jacobs Well. If they have made a mistake or been misunderstood and have had their names blackened on a public forum I wonder how they will be feeling right now?

I don't think how they are feeling right now is an issue at all! Too many pots get stolen every year with very very few getting caught. They should think thier selves lucky being named and shamed was all that happened. To talk about defamation is a joke. They did it there are witnesses that saw them do it so any talk of defamation is plain silly.

Cheers

Chris

[tigermullet]

Silly? We'll have to agree to disagree. I think they would have a very strong case to claim damages.

[marty+jojo]

Cordless drills are cheap, and would stop scum like this going to far in there tenders. I would not have been as calm as you.
Tigermullet, you are kidding yourself.
Marty.

[wayne tuckett]

Wheres an axe????? lets put a hole in there boat and sink it!!!!!!!!!!!

[tigermullet]

Cordless drills are cheap, and would stop scum like this going to far in there tenders. I would not have been as calm as you.
Tigermullet, you are kidding yourself.
Marty.

I could very well be kidding myself Marty but I have been hanging out around Jacobs Well and the Pin for 33 years. I know most of the locals who raid pots (gossipy little place Jacobs Well) but have never heard this bloke's name associated with such activity.

Being lazy and having only two pots on board I rarely put mine out. When out I watch them because they'd lift even mine!

The last pot I saw being lifted (about three weeks ago) was raided by a pro - who isn't based at Jacobs Well. I don't know where he came from, so I don't know them all.

I am not saying that I totally disbelieve the report which started this thread but I am reluctant to jump to conclusions and am amazed by the reaction of wanting to break out drills and axes.

Theft is a crime punishable by the courts. It is not our right to take justice into our own hands and serve up a penalty not sanctioned by law. The penalty for theft can range from fines, confiscation of property, gaol time etc., but nowhere in the Criminal Code does it say the penalty for stealing a crab pot is to have your boat sunk by drill or by axe.

The matter should have been left to the police who are in a better position and better qualified to gather evidence of intent to deprive the owner of his property, convert it to his own use etc., etc.

Nor do I believe that we provide the younger generation with a responsible example by advocating rough justice.

[ashh]

what a crock of shit, I catch you stealing my crab pots and Ill break your nose, fair trade if you ask me

[BayBruiser]

The woman said they were going to call the phone number on the pot and let the people know they had found it.

Mistake............... I don't think so!

Named pots with phone numbers on them.

Hands off or else I say!!!

Great work to control your temper Epoc.


Cheers B.B

[Swindells]

Thanks for the heads up Epoc, don't worry about some posters, i've found that some peoples personas can change in forums and they become all righteous or argue for the sake of arguing, but this is still the real world and that guy tried to gank your pot, end of story.

Defamation...... Clap....clap....clap a stirring performance.

[Mossy247]

Tigermullet -

Consider this: They are straight up low life theives?

Seriously I would struggle dealing with that, another reason I don't crab with pots.

Why can't you accept these people might just be straight up low lives? Is it so difficult? I think that the response from the old couple was a crock of crap!

If he is in good enough shape to lift pots he is in good enough shape to wear the consequences. Quit making excuses for these rats.

What would you do tigermullet see some people standing near you car jammin stuff into the locks, approach them casually and ask if you can assist in the opening of that door cause they may need to steal the car to get to the hospital to visit their grandfather who suffered a head trauma from falling out of his tinny while crabbing the channel with his heart condition? hahaha your kiddin buddy :-*

[epoc]

Thanks for the positive comment guys. I thought I handled the whole situation pretty well. Name and shame is MUCH better than smashem and bolt which quite frankly is how I felt after confronting them and copping their abuse. Especially as it was in front of my kids. :(

They might be "nice" locals who have upset no one till they got caught in the act by me. As far as I'm concerned, I wouldn't p!ss on them if they were on fire, regardless of his supposed health. Karma is a bitch. Just ask Earl :D

[tigermullet]

Tigermullet -

Consider this: They are straight up low life theives?

Seriously I would struggle dealing with that, another reason I don't crab with pots.

Why can't you accept these people might just be straight up low lives? Is it so difficult? I think that the response from the old couple was a crock of crap!

If he is in good enough shape to lift pots he is in good enough shape to wear the consequences. Quit making excuses for these rats.

What would you do tigermullet see some people standing near you car jammin stuff into the locks, approach them casually and ask if you can assist in the opening of that door cause they may need to steal the car to get to the hospital to visit their grandfather who suffered a head trauma from falling out of his tinny while crabbing the channel with his heart condition? hahaha your kiddin buddy :-*

The last paragraph draws a very long bow Mossy, I'm not quite that naive or forgiving.

I will admit to feeling disappointed that the accusation was made because it dents my judgment that the owner's of the boat were honest and just interested in having a relaxing time on the water. Even though I know them only casually it didn't cross my mind that they could be involved in an incident such as this.

However, I am also keeping in mind that we have heard only one side of the story - damning though that story is.

I have also been disappointed by the instant leap to judgment and suggestions that retribution be taken in the form of drills, axes and/or setting their dinghy adrift.

An accusation or allegation is not proof of any sort and, in my opinion, should not have been made on a public forum together with such precise identification of their boat in the form of a coloured photograph, even though I can understand Epoc's feelings. (Difficult as that might be for some on this forum to believe)

Perhaps it's a storm in a teacup and no one will take it upon themselves to exact retribution by assault or damaging their property.

Please bear in mind that they are not the only couple to regularly use that boat. It is operated by others - friends or family members, I am not sure which.

[catfishkid]

I definitely wasn't mentioning sickness as an excuse for stealing but as a possibility for making a mistake, which I thought had been covered in the second sentence of the paragraph. That, in my opinion, is not ridiculous. What is very clear is how easy it is for misunderstandings or misinterpretations to creep into any communication.

If you have the time then please read again what was written. You might also take into account that I find stealing or interfering with someone else's property quite obnoxious and could never condone nor excuse such behaviour.

The boat and occupants are well known at Tiger Mullet and Jacobs Well. If they have made a mistake or been misunderstood and have had their names blackened on a public forum I wonder how they will be feeling right now?

Before you jump all over me, I can also understand Epoc's feelings - in his situation I might have done exactly the same thing.


They deserve to be named and shamed,dont tell me you dont condone their actions while you defend them to the hilt.
If I caught someone stealing from me I would defend my property with extreme prejudice.if you call that rough justice well thats life.
Young scum grows and becomes old scum in my opinion and age,sickness or any other condition does not pardon their actions.


Craig

[tigermullet]

They deserve to be named and shamed,dont tell me you dont condone their actions while you defend them to the hilt.
If I caught someone stealing from me I would defend my property with extreme prejudice.if you call that rough justice well thats life.
Young scum grows and becomes old scum in my opinion and age,sickness or any other condition does not pardon their actions.


Craig

You have either mis-read my remarks, taken them out of context or are being obtuse. Nowhere have I said that I condone theft. In fact, the opposite was stated.

Fortunately, I don't have to tell you anything nor do I care whether you misinterpret what has been written. Nor am I leaping to anyone's defence.

I just don't care that much to presume to tell anyone anything at all.

Everyone filters incoming information through their conscious and subconscious minds. It is easy to be misunderstood either by not expressing oneself clearly enough or by having the information pass through a filter clogged with prejudices of one sort or another.

This will be my last comment on the subject so, just to be very clear, I do not condone theft.