Crabpot ID. How's your own security??

[DaveSue_Fishos_Two]

As the muddies start showing their beautifully ugly faces and more and more of us are losing crabs or pots to bloody thieves, I have started thinking about my own security.
Why you might ask???..... well, if you follow the law you will have your name on the float and your address on the pot. The mongrels that thieve your crabs, or your pots, know what your name is and where you live. They also know you've got a boat. I'm a bit concerned about it. Sure you can sit on your pots while they're in, but not everyone does that. Am I perhaps a bit paranoid with this or do you think there is cause for geniune concern???

Cheers
Dave

[major-defect]

My brrother would tie 2 crab together with a half decent length of rope between them. Drop 1 pay out the rope till it's nearly gone drop the other make sure there isn't much slack as you don't want people hitting or seeing your rope.The rope is easy to retreive with a small reef anchor then pull one pot at a time in.As long as you remember exactly where you put them it works great[LOL have lost a few this way after a couple of drinks].With a GPS it would work a treat.

[Blackened]

G'day.
With a GPS and a small grapling hook, sinking them works a treat. I have to admit, i dont want to do it. But with the amount of pots stolen and raided over the years, i see this as the last resort.
Dave

[el_carpo]

I agree with you Real Nauti. Giving that much information out about yourself to a thief is never a good idea.

Over here, hunters were losing their tree stands to thieves. The thieves would then either use them or sell them. Out of frustration, some hunters were putting their information: name address, phone number etc. on their stands. I couldn't believe it. The top prize among many thieves to steal are firearms. There was even a gang that required its members to steal the service pistol of police officers to become members. One reason to never disclose an officer's occupation to strangers, by he way. By putting that information on their tree stands, they were advertising to the criminals exactly where to go. :( I would just stick to putting your name on it.

This issue of stolen crab pots seems to be quite a problem. There has to be a solution. I wonder if a registration program would help. Say, if everyone had to register their pots with a guard stationed near a boat launch. You would tell the guard how many pots you were placing and where, and your pot would have an I.D. number with your name on it. Then, when you wanted to collect your pots, you would check in with the guard. The guard would also check each boat returning to see if they had any pots in their possession. If so, they would have to prove ownership?

To really let the guard know what was going on, you could attach a transmitter to your pot (like they use for pet dogs). He would instantly know if your pot was being stolen then. If your pot was leaving the area you placed it and you didn't check in and tell him you were collecting it, he'd immediately know something was wrong and could take action and catch the rat.

I'm totally unfamiliar with the situation so maybe this would make no sense at all. It's just hard to read all the reports from you guys about your pots being stolen by those jerks. :-/

Good luck catching those mud crabs fellas. I hope no one ruins it for you.

[DNO40]

Dave,

I see where you are coming from. I have lost a couple of pots and yes it's a piss off. I use only my surname and boat rego on my floats and a PO Box on the Pots.

Countless inspections by the fishos and have not once said that they were marked poorly or wrong.

I really don't know how or what you can do to change the security of your pots. Thieves, unfortunately will always be around.


DNO

[DICER]

have an automatic pop up float - come within the vicinity, push a button and the radio controlled crab pots float to the surface. Easy!

[DNO40]

Dicer,

When you have them developed let me know and Dave and I can trial them for you.


DNO

[DICER]

Like trial them, and then take the master popup key, perhaps ?

I know your type - don't even think about it! My pots are also armed with missles.

Oh look at that, push the button and the crabs just float to the surface! ;)

[DaveSue_Fishos_Two]

The thieving of pots and crabs is one issue but it is the issue of security whilst abiding by the law that concerns me. I don't think sinking the pots and tying a weight to a rope, or pots together, and then picking them up with a grappling hook, is legal. I'm not sure on this though. Dean, marking the address as a PO number is a good idea.

There have been a lot of fishermen and women just on this site who have had their houses done over with fishing gear targetted and stolen, and boats stolen. Just makes me wonder if there is perhaps a link with the ID on the pots.

I used to love placing fishhooks in the rope, but then someone said to me that is not a good idea when you've got your name on the float and your address on the pot. Makes it easy for someone to know where to go to seek vengeance. I had not thought of that.

Anyway, thanks for your thoughts on this. I wonder how it would go if I put a PO box number on the pot when I don't have a PO box?? That wouldn't be legal either would it??

Cheers
Dave

[Hagar]

NSW Regs. allow you to have your boat rego only on dillies but a 'crab trap' must be so marked and have your name and address on the float . Go figure . I reckon the boat rego is the way to go - bugga telling everyone where you live . After all who's going to return your lost pot to you ? - yeah dream on . It's really only so fisheries can tell how many pots you are using after all so why not just approve boat rego in QLD as well ?

[BladeRunner]

You tell me where they are and I will supply the security. . Chub.

When it comes to grabs Dave there is all ways concern. I have been using cable ties at least if they are not a pro, one would tend to cut the tie to get at the crabs. Then I can’t blame the pros.
No offence taken. No references made to professional crabbers either.

BladeRunner

[DaveSue_Fishos_Two]

I have been getting some good crabs from the Fitzroy lately Bernie! I only run 4 pots, and against my better judgement we have been leaving them in over night. 2 of them have been raided with the doors left open, and yes I use cable ties. I was thinking of putting a sign over the door of each pot. Something like this:

"This pot is under 24hr SatVid and you are being photographed at 6 frames per second. See you in court."

I don't know whether that would work or whether the cheeky buggers would see my bluff!!

I would love to sit up the creek all night and catch the buggers, but then what would I do? What could I do? I can't ram them or physically touch them or their boat in anyway. I could try yelling out BOOO!!! and they would probably just tell me to F***K OFF!!

I'll keep thinking

Dave