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I have often thought the same thing. I generally spread my pots if in unfamiliar territory until I find a few, then once found bring the pots in around that spot.Originally Posted by back2boats
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I have a very hit and miss record when it comes to crabs, specifically sandcrabs. I know the general area that people put in pots in around here, but on a given day, and tide, how do you choose exactly how and where to drop them - how deep, for example, and is it different on a rising or falling tide? I usually just put 4 pots in a line, but should I run them at one depth, and run them from shallow to deep and hope at least one finds the crabs?
I have often thought the same thing. I generally spread my pots if in unfamiliar territory until I find a few, then once found bring the pots in around that spot.
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Maturity is not when we start speaking BIG things,it is when we start understanding small things
Pretty similar to what we do here, I have found really early in the morning (before daylight) they can be in very shallow water, so I set my traps along the deeper drop off, or along the edge of weed beds. I just set them a long way apart and check them, if the crabs are in one spot, move pots there.
I often go on shorter trips and don't get the opportunity to try the pots and move them near the one that's catching crabs unfortunately.
What depth is typical? I mean, when you say shallow, is that, maybe 2 metres? What's the max depth you get sandcrabs at?
They will be in inches of water, or metres deep, there is no hard and fast rule, to be successful you need to put the time in, just setting a couple of pots and leaving them for a bit before packing up to go home will be hit and miss, the chances of a good catch is slim, I got 24 good ones a couple of days ago, but I was on the water at daylight, and home at around 11, so about 5 hours in total, but, I also got some good fish while waiting. That said, a couple of weeks ago, three of us got our bag limit of 10 crabs each before 7AM so it's very much a keep at it thing.
Last edited by Noelm; 23-04-2019 at 07:11 PM. Reason: Added something
Follow Rosco........
One thing I have noticed is the crabs are active on the rising tide in water less than 3m deep, they quickly shut down on the run out.
As for location I think you need to muster whatever reports you can find and see where they are. Can be in one spot for two weeks then nothing the next day.
Several mates are really keen and place their pots about a km apart overnight then they move them to the area with some sign the next morning and begin to work them.
Jack.
OK, thanks everyone for the tips. I'll go and give it another try tomorrow probably
Depends where you are, time of season etc etc. The pros up in Hervey bay were sometimes working 30-40 metres (maybe more) and catching absolute monsters and I have scooped them in Mandurah in WA in water shallow enough to need the motor right up on shallow water tilt and any depth in between. A big part of crabbing is simply keeping track of where you caught them at what time of year on what tide. For short trips we have always preferred a run in with the pots being splashed before sun up - usually in somewhere between 3-5 metres and then adjust from there. I must admit though, I do nowhere near as much crabbing as I did prior to dillies being banned. The beauty of dillies was the quick bottom time. With 3 p.o.b, by the time we reached the end of our line it was far from uncommon to simply go back to the first one and go again.
B 2 B
I set my pots in 2-5m of water. Making tide high say 9-10 am. Set the pots well before daylight and spread out on weed beds preferably.
Crabs seem to run better in early September for a couple of weeks and then return late March or early April. That is in the Bribie area or so it seems to me.
Bait is a very important issue, I always use any fish frames, especially mullet or whiting, but not any frame from a dish which naturally eats crabs.
Bream frames seem to be hopeless or that is as I have found it.
Some body mentioned "Witches Nets" illegal now but that was the way to get crabs that is for sure. Even before that we used (double hoopers / rings) the top one floated,
Cane hoop, the bottom one was steel so sank to the bottom, the floater held the net up like a 44 gallon drum without a bottom and the crabs meshed in the fine net we used.
Very important to keep the mesh loose so string was fixed between the two hoops to allow for this.
Best used in non big current areas and trended all the time.
The big objection was the damage that could be done to unders and jennies. Many pots were lost and became ghost pots. Both comments very valid.
Still a few about, early morning, late afternoon, good bait and good luck.
Have fun Haji-Baba
We used a bottom ring covered in chicken wire with a 'wall' of netting to a top ring. No covering on the top ring. The whole lot sat flat on the bottom and the crabs simply walked to the bait. When you pulled the rope, the wall stood up and trapped the crabs. Was great for muddies and sandies back in the day. Worked them quickly like witches hats and got a feed in no time flat. Don't know if that's illegal or not nowadays. Haven't been crabbing since the ban.
Yes, I use mullet frames usually.
Just got back from crabbing, got my bag limit (10), all cooked, boat washed and having breakfast, I use the lift nets a bit, they are the 2 ring thing that you check every 10 minutes or so, and traps that I set overnight, we are allowed 2 traps and 4 nets, I used the lift nets today, bait I use is anything fresh, Blackfish are best, Snapper seem to be useless, but, anything else fresh is OK.
I didn't get out early, but managed 4 nice males. Where I went this time it was all shallow so I was fishing in 2.5 to 3 metres. Going deeper would get the pots run over by the big boats. I did move the pots after the first run, to the spot where I got an initial 2 crabs, but I think they were just randomly scattered throughout the area. Got one in a pot we had dropped back for about 2 minutes just before I decided to move them !!! He jumped in quick.
Yep, they get in quick if they are around.
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