Low Life Scum

[Whiley_Whiting]

Spent the weekend up Hervey Bay way and decided to place a few pots in the Susan river on Saturday and collect them Sunday morning.... set the pots Saturday lunch time, went for a fish over off the ledges on fraser (caught a few cod, sweetlip and moses perch) and headed home. Decided to check the pots before taking the boat out of the water. All was fine at this stage and caught 3 females which were subsequently released and reset the pots.

Sunday morning - go and check the pots bright and early. First pot was not in the same location as I left it and though it could have been the tide, however nothing in it. Second pot, around the same location no crabs and low and behold the bait (stored in gutter guard mesh, zipped tied onto the pot) was gone - very strange. Third pot, same story, so then starting to get a little frustrated... picked up the forth pot to discover that the theiving pricks were too lazy to even close the pot back up [smiley=angry.gif]

Makes it very annoying when you go to the trouble of setting the pots and coming back the next day to discover some scum bag has reaped the benefits of your hard work...

[uripper]

Was having similar experiences plus an increasing frequency of pots being stolen, so a few years ago I'd switched to open 2 ring lift dillies and have found a spectacular increase in catch rates compared to any other type of conventional pot. They need to be worked and shifted every hour or two so you can't go away and leave them for too long. Suggest you buy a few and try them with your conventional pots - you'll be pleasantly surprised. ;)

[tshort]

Yep, it can just make it all too hard to go crabbing and fishing. I think you have to do one at a time. read all reports previously about siking pots etc. then someones just joing to snag them while lure fishing. Know one bloke who reckons any sunken pots he catches on his lure are his, same as fish. These people that steal pots how many must they have at home or do they get stolen again.

[Spaniard_King]

Sinking pots is the way to go..just a tip a length of rope with a weight is also handy..saves them shifting..a GPS helps too :o
Garry

[uripper]

Whiley_Whiting
Sorry cant PM you back as the system says I've got to have at least 10 posts - weird.
Anyway a 2 ring dilly (or lift rings) is simply a #bottom ring meshed with heavy fish net then a larger outer ring meshed to bottom ring with ropes attached so than when raised the larger outer ring forms a circular wall joined to the floor of the bottom ring - the top is open. Imagine the end of a cylinder that has a 1 metre diameter end and a 30cm side wall. The trick is to raise the dilly vertically so crabs dont spill out - use a sliding float ball with a small weight at other end of retrieve line so that the sliding float will sit directly over the dilly- works a treat. #Its usually limited to water over 2.0m but will tell you in less than 30 mins if there are any crabs in that area - they simply walk onto the bottom over the collapsed upper ring - no holes /chutes to find like a conventional pot. Also found its better to approach quietly when retrieving the dilly rather roar over the top & scare the crabs off the bait that sits in the middle of the bottom ring. Having said that one of my favourite spots is a water ski area - guess they get used to the traffic. Hope this makes sense - will try to attach a photo - otherwise call Crab&Gear @ Redcliffe 3284 2088
Good Luck - Ripper

[uripper]

try that photo again

[uripper]

in lifting /retreival position

[uripper]

most pros say that any bait will do but fish frames /heads & roo bones (poor ole skippy) :'( seem most popular

[DaveSue_Fishos_Two]

I really feel for you as we have all lost pots or had them raided. Sinking them is a good idea, but it takes time to locate them. Sometimes, I have found that by placing fish hooks at varying intervals along the rope also stops them. :-X They usually only try to pull one pot. ;D

Cheers
Dave

[Spaniard_King]

I really feel for you as we have all lost pots or had them raided. Sinking them is a good idea, but it takes time to locate them. Sometimes, I have found that by placing fish hooks at varying intervals along the rope also stops them. :-X They usually only try to pull one pot. ;D

Cheers
Dave

ooohhh nasty, I like it tho ;)

Garry

[Blackened]

G'day
Great idea with the fish hooks, what else can we do to pevent thieving of pots? I've just had a good one stolen out from pt. halloran at victoria point. Anmes were on it like always and the mongrels dont even let u know they took it. How about some kind of gps tracking system fot he pots? that'd be nice. When technology allows stuff lke this to get really really cheap, maybe they can make it apart of the structure of the pot? Shure would make for some interesting confrontations if u were to track them down.

Dave

[ol_bob]

yep fishing hooks works great, if only i could get my rotty to hold his breath for long enough that would certainly livin things up...........

[bidkev]

Don't you need a pros licence to sink pots? I thought it was illeggal for ameteurs to not have a float?

kev

[DaveSue_Fishos_Two]

I know that you can have them tied up to a structure ie: tree branch etc, without the need for a float. So long as your id is on the pot. I'm not sure about the law with sinking them though.

Cheers
Dave

[HAMMER740]

I wonder if putting a rat trap in the pot would work. Ol Bobs idea with the rotty would be good.
It would be great if an idea was available like the dye bombs they put in suitcases, so we all know who the pricks are. [smiley=whip.gif]

[thomas34]

my worst trip,stayed at our beach house working the pots every arvo for 3 nights, week before xmas,the third night all 12 pots gooonnneeeee
PRICKS!!!!! About the hook idea though knowing my luck i would forget and the misses or myself would end up in hospital getting a hook removed.or who ever hooked themselves would be that pissed they would take not only the crab but the pot as well,think sinking them is the go see ya.

[Flounder]

I wonder if anyone's ever caught someone raiding their pots? If I did I'd run 'em down in my boat! That's why it's important to have a fast motor.. ;D

[333000]

I have always put zip ties (quite a few) around the openings of my cheap pots ... it seems to have been enough to deter the thiefs as I havent pulled one up yet with the zip ties cut...?

[Rainbowrunner]

Sinking pots is illegal,
the pots I have found while trolling or flicking SP have never had names on them so I have kept them, some have even had nice crabs in them. I do suppose the right thing to do was take them to the police station and say I found them :o ;D ;D ;D
I suppose if I was into crabbing I would sink them because the loss rate of trollers/Sp fishos picking them up would obviously be less than theft by the looks of it.

[Rainbowrunner]

As for the hooks in the rope, that is Violent and sadistic and makes you worse than the person stealing the crabs/pot. YOU should be locked up #>:( #:(
Im sure there are far more intelligent ways to deter theives.

[fishingnottake]

As for the hooks in the rope, that is Violent and sadistic and makes you worse than the person stealing the crabs/pot. YOU should be locked up #>:( #:(
Im sure there are far more intelligent ways to deter theives.

yeah but they frown upon the four .243 rounds below the watermark to :P as for violent and sadistic, there's two points to consider on that, one that if they don;t try and raid your pots they're never going to know about it, and in my experiance, if you use the breakway hook method of rigging it at most they get two hooks in their handand when then they drop the pot, as for taking the pots home, if you pulled one up and it had a tag with name etc on it, would you throw it back?
ash

[Rainbowrunner]

as for taking the pots home, if you pulled one up and it had a tag with name etc on it, would you throw it back?
ash

I would either throw it up on the bank, hang it in a tree or assume it lost(ie broken rope, lost float etc.) and inform the owner if he wants it back he can pick it up. How many people are going to illegally sink a pot and put a name on it? Would you leave your name at the scene of a crime?

[Rainbowrunner]

Just wait for the person whos pot I accidentally run over in the middle of a channel and while undoing the rope from around my prop I get a hook or two in my hand >:( with a name on the pot I am sure they would get a visit from someone and maybe even a court appearance.

[fishingnottake]

i still don't get why everyone says it;s illegal to sink pots, the only requirements you need are one that the bot if attached to something be it a tree, a float, or a weight, and that it has your details on it.
" to 4 crab pots or dillies (or a combination of pots and dillies) may be used per person. When fishing for mud crabs and blue swimmer crabs a person in possession of the apparatus must be at least 15 years old. Crab pots and dillies must be marked by an identifying tag bearing the surname and address of the owner. When not fixed to something they must have attached a light coloured surface float, not less than 15cm in any dimension, with the name of the owner clearly inscribed on it. Regulated crabs must be removed and returned to the water immediately."
As for the hook in the hand thing, the hooks are generally closer to the bottom of the rope to give the maximum amount of weight on the rope so you'd need to be doing some serious "untangling" to get them, and sinking them solves that problem, less rope in the water and nowhere near your motor.
ash