BCF crab pot ropes

[Robsie]

Hi all,

Around 4 months ago i bought 4 crab pots from BCF - it was a deal where you got the pots, ropes, floats and bait pins. Not a bad deal for $100 given everytime you throw a pot over the side its 50/50 whether it will be there when you return.

Anyway, pots were used for the first time about 4 months ago, then again last month. After the first use they were hosed down, ropses hosed etc. We put the pots out in tin can bay and checked them after an hour, only to see one of our floats drifting. Pulled it in and it looked like a propeller cut the way it had been frayed and torn (or even teh work of a crab given the rope probably had some tuna oil on it). However, the next day, checked the pots again to find one of the ropes on another pot had, overnight, frayed and the pot was attached literally by a thread. Not sure how this happened given the ropes were basically new and it was out of current.

Anyway - moral of the story is although the yellow BCF pot ropes look new and strong, unless you want to lose your pots i'd use the ropes for something else and buy some better quality ones for your pots.

Cheers

[NArmstrong]

Only use telecom rope. That thin stuff does nothing but cut ur hands! Check out the weekend markets and u can usually pick up some cheap ropes. I bought 4 x 15m thick rope for $5. That's enough for 8 pots

[JohnWard]

Yep yep telecom rope is the way to go. My mate works for Telstra and gets massive rollers of the stuff that somehow go missing when the crabbing heats up.

[Pero]

And Robsie , if you go into a BCF store and tell them what happened, the reply is- "No one else has ever come in with the same problem! " Exactly the same with their cast nets.

[T-REX]

Yep yep telecom rope is the way to go. My mate works for Telstra and gets massive rollers of the stuff that somehow go missing when the crabbing heats up.

Telstra hauling line is what it used to be and had a high breaking strain but will rot if left in the sun or kept wet. If your mate has a horsey nickname I will just say high to the old fella.

[TheRealAndy]

The BCF rope is rot. The shit hardly hangs onto a knot. Even silver rope is better. To stop boat props chopping it up, get some lead weights onto the rope so the rope does not float.

I have spliced ropes in different lengths. The rope on the pot is 2 meters with an eye splice at the float end (both ends actually). I have eye spliced ropes in 2m lengths so its easy to add length in deeper water. Given I only chase muddies, its pretty rare I need more than 4m of rope. The float also has an eye splice. I posted some pics here a few years back: http://www.ausfish.com.au/vforum/showthread.php?142475-Lost-crabpots-part-2-ropework (note, I have gone from 4m to 2m ropes since that post, I still have the 6m shots for sandies, but its pretty rare that I use them).

[tunaticer]

I use pig skin gloves and 200lb braid these days......nobody lifts pots anymore since using that stuff.
Pots don't drift off either and the floats are always on the surface.

[Robsie]

Hi Tunaticer - im assuming with the paper like cuts i get from 5kg braid that 200lb braids cuts the hell out of someone's hands which is why you use it?

To say i was disappointed with BCF's ropes would be an understatement, particualry given they had been used once. Thanks for ths posts guys i will get my hands on some telecom rope. Planning on another visit up to Inskip this weekend

[tunaticer]

It sure stops the share farmers Robsie.......how many guys carry pigskin gloves fishing?

[TheRealAndy]

We carried a dillie into the creek the other night. Not sure where we picked it up. Untangled it at the ramp and its now sitting on the shore. Pretty common event for me when sailing northern moreton bay at night. More often than not, I pick them up leaving cabbage tree creek.

I think we need to push for a new law. If your pot gets tangled up in a centreboard, rudder or prop , the owner of the boat gets to keep it.

Sink your rope folks, its not hard to do and it saves a lot of grief for other users of the waterways.

[Pero]

Yeah sinking your ropes is good, but not in shallow water. Twice I've been motoring along and had the unpleasant experience of my motor cutting out instantly and being catapulted to the front of the boat. And you guessed it.Telecom rope with a pot on the end of it!

[NArmstrong]

What size weight and how far along the float do you attach it? Assuming only about 2m from the float?

[BGG]

I use 2 pieces of sheet lead wrapped around the rope. 1 metre and 2 metres from the float. Seems to work.

[Dignity]

It doesn't take much lead at all but saves a lot of cut ropes. Also means the share farmers need to get right up to the float so they don't have an excuse that it got picked up by your centerboard, rudder or prop :)

Pero, if there is a weight on the rope anywhere from a metre or more below the float you wouldn't be picking them up unless you have an enormous draft as generally the rope hangs vertically below the float then angles it's way back to the pot. Ideally a second weight will reduce this angle even more. Weighting the rope has secondary benefit of reducing the possibility of the pot floating away with a roraring tide as the drag is more against the bottom instead of the pot being lifted off the bootom, if you get my drift (pun intended).

[Dignity]

I did forget to add that there are some idiots putting pots in the channel at Bells Creek lately, I think one of them must have 20 metres of rope attached as at low tide the float is well and truly away from the channel.

[Pero]

It doesn't take much lead at all but saves a lot of cut ropes. Also means the share farmers need to get right up to the float so they don't have an excuse that it got picked up by your centerboard, rudder or prop :)

Pero, if there is a weight on the rope anywhere from a metre or more below the float you wouldn't be picking them up unless you have an enormous draft as generally the rope hangs vertically below the float then angles it's way back to the pot. Ideally a second weight will reduce this angle even more. Weighting the rope has secondary benefit of reducing the possibility of the pot floating away with a roraring tide as the drag is more against the bottom instead of the pot being lifted off the bootom, if you get my drift (pun intended).

Yeah, I think the problem was it was dead low tide, and That part of the river only holds a metre at best, at dead low.