Spanner crabs Sunshine Coast

Hey guys I have recently bought some spanner crab dillies and tried my luck at getting some, unfortunately I have been unable to get any as of yet apart from torn nets and missing bait. I’m not sure if I’m just in the wrong area or doing it wrong? Any help or nudge in the right direction would be much appreciated. I currently head out from caloundra throw the bar or out of mooloolaba common fishing grounds are out to close reefs off Caloundra, 12mile the artificial reefs on the wild banks, cape Moreton, gneerings, murphies and occasionally the banks.
Thanks in advance of any help it will be much appreciated.
Cheers Brenden

It has been a while since I have had a boat, when I did have one, I can recall seeing spanner fisherman out towards the Banks.

At a guess, I would suggest the torn nets and missing baits is a result of the increase of sharks in the area.

Yeah mate shark activity is through the roof! I hooked 4 yesterday, they took live baits and pillies off the bottom, they also took the floating pillies for mackerel. Other boats around us were also hooking sharks, we were about 3kms from our dillies...

Not only sharks but turtles also like feeding on spanner crabs. Charter operator I use to go with before dollars got tight. Had placed their traps for about 6 hours only to pick their traps up with nets torn, some spanner crabs shell missing, other times just legs. They no longer put their traps out for that amount of time. Mostly 2 or 3 hours to minimise damage to their traps as well as increase in spanner crabs for their customers.

Yeah mate all advice I have gotten says 30-40mins and check to minimize risk of turtles. Sharks I guess can’t be helped...

When I have done some "tourist" Spanner crabbing, I just used to leave them about 10-15mins tops and always got a few, and I had/have no secret spots, just went out and dropped them.

Cheers mate will try the quick drops approach to find the crabs 👌

Try a bit deeper to avoid the turtles....

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Originally Posted by tunaticer

Try a bit deeper to avoid the turtles....

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Silly question, what do you call deeper? 50 - 60 metres?

Have a chat to a pro spanner crabber, he/she would assist with that info as to depth. Not all pros are bastards.

Noelm,

I tried to send you a pm but your inbox is full , you need to clear some of your inbox to receive messages.

Cheers,
Bondy

OK, I didn't think I had many.

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Originally Posted by bondy99

Have a chat to a pro spanner crabber, he/she would assist with that info as to depth. Not all pros are bastards.

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Hey Bondy, id love you but I don’t know any, that’s why I’m asking on here.

cheers brenno

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Originally Posted by brenno360

Hey Bondy, id love you but I don’t know any, that’s why I’m asking on here.

cheers brenno

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haha I’d love to! But I don’t know any pros.