How do you catch Moreton Bay Bugs

[Bundy_Burp]

I was hoping this topic might have a few more answers than it does but I suppsoe that catching bugs will have to remain a mystery for the time being.

[Got_the_Fever]

I was hoping for the same Bundy, but the information I recieved recently does give me some hope that not to long into the future bug hunters may have a lot more info. I have a lot of patience when it comes to the good things, they are always worth waiting for.

Kel

[Zzzzzzz]

I thought they caught in tray like pots?

[Marlin_Mike]

1.6miles east of green used to be a big bug ground. But as a by catch of prawn trawling. we used to fill a garbage bin in 3 or 4 shots last hour or so of dark first hour or so of light. specifically trawled for them off green.

Mike

[snapperm8]

well the winning designer might become pretty rich but i think the bugs will become very scarce and then after awhile they'll stick a ban on it so y bother with the project in the first place?

[PumpyChowdown]

Mega-old bump!

Any news or info on how to catch bugs in the last few years?

[justjack]

they are a shellfish eater eating muscles and other bivalves, we feed them at the DPI aquaculture research centre pipis they love them they have little claws shaped like spades that they stick into the pipie to cut the ligament muscle that holds the two shells together, ive done a little bit of testing to see a prefered trap and ive found a modified red claw opera house trap best, squish the holes till there an oval shape and instead of a sloping upwards entrance tie it flat to the bottom they dont like heading upwards, but of coarse this was never wild testing only in massive holding tanks and yes they also like cuttle fish and prawns but most of all bivalves

[sleepygreg]

I would be very careful about using opera house traps in saltwater....thought I read somewhere they were for freshwater impoundment use and western flowing rivers only....i could be wrong so I will stand corrected. I dont use them so I havent bothered following it up. (though I may be tempted to try them on redclaw if I ever get the opportunity...they used to work brilliantly on the Yabbies in my dams).

Greg

[TheRealAndy]

I would be very careful about using opera house traps in saltwater....thought I read somewhere they were for freshwater impoundment use and western flowing rivers only....i could be wrong so I will stand corrected. I dont use them so I havent bothered following it up. (though I may be tempted to try them on redclaw if I ever get the opportunity...they used to work brilliantly on the Yabbies in my dams).

Greg

The reg says in tidal waters:

A recreational fisher must not use a canister trap, funnel trap
or a round trap

A recreational fisher may use a crab pot, collapsible trap, dilly
or inverted dilly (each of which is an item of crab apparatus)
only if the fisher uses the crab apparatus for taking a crab

[Horse]

I wonder if its worth having a go for them? The normally only feed at night so Pots would have to be in for a while. They are a close relative of other Slipper Lobsters and they are commercially fished in pots. The most common pot is a "Fathoms Plus Pot" http://www.fathomsplus.com/
The same species Thenus Orientalis is apparently trapped around India so could be worth a try. They eat bivalves and any otherfish or squid they can get their little claws on

[hooknose]

good info horse, pretty basic pot by the looks of them !!

[Horse]

good info horse, pretty basic pot by the looks of them !!

I think the trick is in the plastic entrances. I had an old pot made from plastic mesh that would outdo any other by at least 2:1. The entrances were shallow, wide and pretty flat. I migt try some gutterguard and see if I can adapt a conventional pot.

[tunaticer]

Anyone had success yet with the bugs?

[fishychrissy]

I caught one in a castnet once, but pretty small...and about 1700kms North of the Bay!

[Moonlighter]

We used to get a few out from Manly many many years ago, using the old-style lift-pots.

Then with the advent of the witches hat pots, we didnt get them any more.

Now that the witches hats are banned, and the lift pots are back as an option, you would be a chance again, i think, if you use that style of crab pot. But need to be crabbing at night time.