More Mongrels up the Pine way.

[clutter]

A mate set 8 pots up Hays Inlet on Saturday evening only to arrive Sunday to find 5 had been stolen and the remaining 3 had been "checked" for him. The five that went were the round collapsable (doesn't look right) type, a bit easier to conseal I guess. They didn't just float away as the cut ropes and floates were in the mangroves nearby.
Whats a person got to do to get a feed for his family around here?

Clutter

[MICHAELG]

Clutter
I dont suggest people try this, but we felt better after it
do what a mate & I did once when our pots kept getting checked by some body else, lately down the pin way. during the day, we set up the sting and put some cylum(spelt) lites in the pots. Then we found a nice hide away and waited for nite.
sure enough along came a canoe and it is amazing how bright those lites are at nite. subsquently the canoe hit something and got a reasonable hole. did not seem to have a problem since

[punter]

About a week ago I was down at the Logan River and I caught a bloke lifting one of my pots in broad daylight when I was only a hundred meters away.

When I went over to abuse him his excuse was he thought it was his and dropped it back in the water and took off flat out.

Considering my flotes have my name on it in big wrighting I found it hard to beleive him. But unfortunitly I think the only way to protect your pots is to sit their with them or sink them without a float.

[clutter]

I've heard that if you catch them in the act and get it on film or video you can have them prosecuted for stealing. I'd like to see the Fisheries Dept. do a big sting on a weekend. Just focus on pot theives and raiders. They could set pots around the place and watch from a distance. At the rate it has been happening I don't think it would take long to get someone. I also believe the Fisheries Dept. are severely undermanned and underfunded. I wish I could say that I have been inspected every time I go out but I haven't been looked at for years.

Cheers, Clutter.

[spinna]

Well guys its not only up your way. It happens down here as well . But i will say 1 thing and that is that the N.S.W fisheries are on to that sort off thing in a big way all you have to do down here is go see them and tell them whats going on and they will do somthing about it . You get a better feeling if they have to pay a big fine . Than if you catch them your self

cheers spinna ;)

[craigie]

What Can I say ??? ???

"THIEVING PARASITIC FILTH " >:( >:(

Well done MICHAELG ;D ;D How did the Canoe get a hole in it ??? Anything to do with lead & Gun-powder ;) ;)

Maybe we need to organize ourelves into 'Crabbing Groups' before going out on the water. We can take turns at watching over the pots, cars etc, or even get a group of us together and perform a major sting !!
S&%T, I'm starting to sound like a VIGILANTE :-X ::)

Just had a story told to me about a guy catching 3 blokes checking his pots down Jacob's Well way. He took them on and smashed one of them out with an Oar - Go You Good Thing ;D

Cheers
Craig.

[imported_admin]

I heard that the fisheries set up a sting up north a while ago due to increased complaints about theft of crabs and pots.

From what I was told they put a few crabs in some pots that had a micro chip inserted into them, similar to the micro chips they put in animals to track them. These chips can not be detected from just looking at the crab but once they wave a scanner over it they can read the chip and get the serial number. They simply then sit back and wait for people to come in and scan all the crabs. If any have one of their chips in them they then take action.

Maybe Fisheries down here can do a similar thing to crabs and pots.

[MICHAELG]

Hi Craig

Nothing to flash, just the axe handle we had with us to shoo the mossies away fell on it.As I said earlier, it is not for everbody
But we were getting desperate.
You suggest a great idea about keeping a watch on each others pots. the only problem maybe some people may not like sharing their spot X locations. If it means my pots are safe so be it.
I will have to find out about that story at Jacobs Well, I know a few people there

[craigie]

It's all true about the NQ Crab sting. QB&FP nailed a few of our light fingered brothers. Look out you scum in the South East, Big Brother gona getcha bad real soon :) :)

Well done again MICHAELG, great to hear us good guy's are having a win !!

I honestly think this Crabing group Idea has got some merit. We would have to take it in turns to 'visit' each persons fav location. You could have a couple of guys watching over the vehicles, while a couple others were out on the water watching pots. If the groups were bigger enough then you could even take turns going home !!! We could all be connected by mobile phones if trouble broke out in any particular area.
Chat Board members and associates only so if you thiev crabs from fellow players it will be splashed all over the Boards ;D ;D

What do you other Crabbers think ?
Is it a bad Idea and I should forget it ?

Cheers
Craigie.

[bugman]

Craigie,

I have this number of a guy who can help with your problem mate ;)

Some people get fixated with alcohol, drugs, the next door neighbour's wife. I myself have this thing for Kylie Minogue :o. it's the little shorts!

You on the other hand seem to have this thing for mesh, steel and rotten fish frames. Don't get me wrong here - I'm not saying that there's anything wrong with your fetish - it's just that it's - well - a little bit out of the ordinary. Maybe we should explore your childhood. ;D

Having said that I'd be interested in sharing your desire with you on a night or two. I've got 6 pots under the house that go in the water once a year and could do a with a good saltwater rinse.

You name the date and time and I'll bring the warm clothes, rid, mobile phone and axe handle for the wayward types.

Bugman

[MICHAELG]

Craig & Bugman

You can count me in too, for a group therapy session.
I have never tried the Pine river

michael

[craigie]

Bugman, your messing with my mind, your convincing me that I'm some sort of a Mutant Crab Thingy Freak ??? It could be something from my childhood, all the other kids in the street would receive footballs and Cricket Sets for Christmas while all I wanted was a roll of 'Chicken Wire' and a pair of Plyers ;). On my eighth Birthday I got half a dozen torn 'Dillies' and a roll of 6mm nylon twine, I was so happy :D :D
It has been so hard to put those difficult times behind me but I'm trying. ;D ;D
On a serious note, Kylie Minogue does it for me too :o :o, she just gets sexier with age and those softdrink commercials she does are just awesome.

Michael and Brett, how about we do this Crab thing soon while there is still a bit of fresh around. How about this Friday or Saturday night ?

Cheers
Craig

[bugman]

Yeah I'm up for it ASAP but I'm out Friday night - Leanne has some plans for me for Valentines.

How long do you go out for. How about Thursday night - with a quick sleep before work?

If not Sat night is more than likely fine.

Brett

[mackmauler]

Ive been eating crabs this week 8) since this forum is fishing based I don't say much about that, 2 nights ago I camped in the boat with the insects down the pin, got 6 keeper bucks not a rattler among them ;D All caught in home made pots, they weigh 8 kilos each and I havn't had one stolen in 3 years, tides were a bit small, made getting around the banks in the dark a little slow.

Cheers

[craigie]

How about Saturday night ?

We could head out just on dark and go right through till the mid morning high tide on Sunday (about 10.00am). Naturally this is only a suggestion. The ammount of time we stay out there is flexible.

Not sure which location to hit at this stage ? I scored some nice Muddies around the mouth of the Brisbane river last weekend, but as the fresh clears up the Crabs may move back up the river and creeks ? We can try here again if you like ?
Michael and Mackmauler, where do you guy's suggest ?
I had a few reports from the north side including the Pine River and Nundah Creek which yielded poor results.
From what I hear the Logan River gets a flogging so it may not be worth the effort ?

Any other locations worth a mention ?

Cheers
Craig.

[Big_Kev]

I am with you on the Kylie minogue thing there Brett .
Pitty I can't make it as I have been itching to go crabbing as well .
Cheers Kev

[mackmauler]

I only crab mid week nights, and I go around the feeders of the pimpama, find that area pretty well deserted mid week, I work the tides in the hard to get to spots with sand barred entrances, seems to work for me, don't lose pots, I think you just have to get to know an area, Ive been crabbing the same area for 10 years, Id be lost anywhere else.

[MICHAELG]

Hi guys

I am committed for next couple of weekends. I usually crab Jacobs well & the pin. I try for a evening dropping tide so it makes it a bit harder to reach my pots in the middle of the nite, which gives me some time for a little lie down. Being in a quin dart(3.75) I need a bank close to fro my swag. cobby passage/ duck creek(both fish well at nite-bonus) are perfect places to do this.
I will see if I can change some things and get back to you

[rick k]

Its one thing to do something, quite another to write about it, and when the 'something' is assault, the consequences probably mean more then a feed of crabs and some pots.

It is good to blow off steam, but don't think that what you write here is necessarily anonymous, or read only by friends.

If you all turn up, and someone is assaulted, don't think that only the assaulter may be the one having a conversation with the cops.

I agree that an obvious group of interested observers may deter some of the sharefarmers, but then again, the only one I have seen was pretty brazen.

I reckon the way to go is to lobby Fisheries direct; the squeaky wheel gets the oil, and its good enforcement publicity for them, if only we convince the bean counters in that department that the publicity 'bang' will repay the overtime buck.

Anyone suggest who in Fisheries we should e-mail with reasonably precise details of problems?

If you are going to sink your pots where I troll my flathead lures, I may catch them.

Of the few pots I catch and retrieve with the trusty tackle back, most are obviously baited and in use.

Some aren't, and of these, most seem to have less than a metre of rope attached, and have been in the drink for ages. Surely they can't all have been run over? What's the go here?

Sunken operational pots go back in the drink, funnels with the current. Apparently abandoned pots go up the bank, as close to just above high tide as I can manage.

[bugman]

Craigie,

I'm up for Saturday night. I've got a leave pass but may have to be back by around 8-9 in the morning sunday.

I'll leave the positioning up to you. Almost all my crabbing has been around the mouth of Logan. There's a particular drain that I target there that has proved pretty beneficial but you need a high tide and little dinghy to get in.

You're right about that area getting a flogging though.

Any other players or is it just me and the bearded Craig Monster.

Bugman

[sunrise]

I would be glad to give it go too, Craigie. I think a couple of vermin runing into a couple of guys our size on a dark night down the Pine river wouldnt be helpfull if they had a hand in a pot at the time
chers johno

[aquarius]

Johno Mate we have seen what you can do to the folding chairs...LOL ;D ;D
They better look out if you are on there case!!
Cheers Brent

[caveman]

all this talk of crabs must be making u guys itchy lol ;D ;D ;D ;)

[craigie]

Will try and arrange a Crabbing get together in the next couple of weeks (before the Freshie M&G).
I went and tried the Caboolture River over the weekend with a couple of friends. What a waste of time !!!
Between the 5 of us we had our 20 pots out for 12 hours. Total catch was 3 keeper Muddies and 1 keeper Sandy and 100 throwbacks !!!
Not going back there in a hurry.

A mate from work was crabbing in Tingalpa Creek over the weekend. while fishing near his pots a boat came right past him, pulled up and emptied his Crab pots before doing a runner. A couple of big Maori dudes full of piss were the culprits - unbelievable :o :o

Cheers
Craig.

[sunrise]

when to my fav. x ;) spot on Sat.night with 3 pots.out of 15 mudies
only ended up with 3 keepers
:) as for those folding chairs Brent I have a couple of new ones built esp.for calorie enhanced blocks or for (big fat bastards ;D ) :P

johno

[rick k]

And Craig, the rego # of the boat was? And what did fisheries say?

Rick K

[craigie]

Well done Johno, Your 3 Crabs was way better than our 3 Crabs ;D.
Mate, be carefull with those folding chairs, they'll throw you in the sand at the blink of an eye ;)

Hi Fishtime, I was just passing on a warning to Chatboard users. The guy's that had their pots robbed in Tingalpa Creek worked for Fisheries (not QB&FP) !!! and the thieves still got away. Not sure what was reported to the Boating and Fisheries Patrol in this case. All Incidents where I'm personally involved are reported 'Face to Face' to a Boating & Fisheries Patrol officer.
The Hotline number for reporting these illegal activities is 1800017116.

Cheers
Craig.

[imported_admin]

Have just got off the phone to Qld Boating & Fisheries Patrol.

Anyone that has had pots or crabs stolen needs to phone the following numbers and report it.

Crab Theft phone Fisheries Hotline - 1800 017 116

Crab Pot Theft phone Fisheries Hotline (above) & the Water Police - 3895 0333
Crab Pot Teft is a criminal matter and should be reported to the Water Police straight away.

The more people that ring in and report this info the more details they have on record. This gives them a databse of locations and events to work on so they can allocate the resourses to the places that need it the most.

If everyone that experiences Crab and/or Crab Pot theft gets on the Dog & Bone and calls these guys I can assure you that something regarding chipping crabs will happen.

It seems that there are still a lot of people out there that are not putting their name and address on the crab pot. This makes it too easy for the thief to simply cut the rope and throw the post in the boat. If there is no name on the pots Fisheries Officers can not prove who owns them and therefore can not prove that they are stolen.

Fisheries will be issuing infringement notices to people that do not have their pots and floats marked correctly, so make sure you know the rules - http://www.dpi.qld.gov.au/fishweb/11416.html#gear

BTW - A person was fined $375.00 a few weeks ago in the Pine for having 6 undersize mudcrabs in their possesion. So they are out there inforcing the rules, we just need to give them more information on what rules are being broken and where. The more help we can give them the more they can give us.

If anyone has any relevant questions they would like me to ask Fisheries about this matter please feel free to post them here and I will endevour to compile them and put them to them for an official reply.

[Ron_Collins]

Hi Steve

Good work. If it's ok with you, I'd like to use some of your information on the 4BC Talking Fishing Show. Comments would include a reference back to Ausfish, as usual. All the best for now, Ron Collins.

[imported_admin]

Ron

No problem, go for it. The more people that know to ring the better.

[rick k]

Thanks Craig and Steve,

I've got me big texta to write the numbers on my boat near the legal size, but the phone line is too short to get the computer downstairs.

I know, I'll back the trailer up, and write out the window.

Seriously, thanks for the info.

I wonder what the response time is for the water police for this kind of matter...............

Rick