Botany Bay Crab Trap

[Tom Tom]

Hi Guys .... I'm going to put a trap in at Botany Bay, any suggestion where would be the best spot for Blue Swimmers?

[Penguin]

I saw some in Yarra bay, but a couple of the indigenous locals were

swiming out to them and attempting to steal crabs out of them, when I told them to

leave the traps alone, I had a young fella all of about 10yrs old

tell me where to go, and if I dont he will cut my neck, he then drew his index finger

across his throat.

So I picked up my witches hats and gave him and his mates a bow wave with my boat

that the Manly jet cat would be proud of. Im still not sure whether I should still be

laughing or have the shits with these little as____es

penguin

[Davemmm]

I'm going to put a trap in at Botany Bay

One crab pot may not be enough. Get yourself the limit of five.

I haven't set any this year but if you run five in a row over a decent distance and move them around a bit you will find where and at what depth the crabs are. I would go to places like Towra, the sticks near Kurnell, the edge of the channel opposite St George sailing club and outside St george motor boat club. except for the motor boat club, which is all deepish, start with your first trap in about six foot and set the rest out to deeper water.

If you keep doing that you will know where they are by the time they are really fired up in a month or so.

Dave

[Tom Tom]

One crab pot may not be enough. Get yourself the limit of five.

I haven't set any this year but if you run five in a row over a decent distance and move them around a bit you will find where and at what depth the crabs are. I would go to places like Towra, the sticks near Kurnell, the edge of the channel opposite St George sailing club and outside St george motor boat club. except for the motor boat club, which is all deepish, start with your first trap in about six foot and set the rest out to deeper water.

If you keep doing that you will know where they are by the time they are really fired up in a month or so.

Dave

Thank you for the locations and how to position the trap.

I thought the legal limit for Square crabs traps was one?

I placed the trap near Kernel and didn't cath anything, bait used a old trvalley and pichards.

Note

You wouldn't belive it but there was know one on that side of the bay and suddenly a boat comes up and achors no more that 2m from the trap. I just couldn't belive it and I told them so and had to remove it from the water and place it in another location.

[Davemmm]

Tom tom you are right only one trap is allowed using the square mesh ones.

Its cheaper and easier to go to witches hats you are allowed five of them and this means you will be more productive.

Dave

[TheDiko]

Tom tom you are right only one trap is allowed using the square mesh ones.

Its cheaper and easier to go to witches hats you are allowed five of them and this means you will be more productive.

Dave

We set ours up before we head offshore during the summer and pick them up on the way in.

We will set 10 or 14, depending on whether there is 2 or 3 people on the boat.

The best way I've found to set the traps with 10 or more being the number, 5 in one spot and the rest in the other.

Try single line formation of the pots aswell as a square pattern, with 5 crab traps I reckon you should cover a 100m stretch or 50 square metres.

IFS

[Davemmm]

These are the ones.

You can only have one per person.

They may be easier to get the crabs out but where is the fun in that.

Dave

[GregL]

They may be easier to get the crabs out but where is the fun in that.

Dave

Crabs are always hard to get out, well so I'm told!

[TheDiko]

Crabs are always hard to get out, well so I'm told!

Crabs can be a real challenge to get out of the witches hat nets.

You have to untangle the buggers aswell as watch out for their big claws.

I can tell you that the Blue Swimmers may not be as strong as Muddies, but they have plenty of sharp spikes on them and you sure know about it when they grab onto you

IFS

[casper]

Tom Tom,

For bait I normally use mullet frames after filleting for bait. If you are going to leave the pots for an extended time the crabs will normally take all your bait and take off to the next feed.

I use a piece of fly screen mesh and stich it up like a pocket and fill with bait - seal it with a piece of line and attached to the trap - the crabs are still attracted to the bait but can't pull it apart and take off with it.

Usually have most success around Towra and up towards the sticks.

Casper

Plus to get them out you need to shave first then apply a cream!

Edited October 23, 2007 by casper

[Nolongeramember]

To make it easy to get them out of the net I like to spike them first so they dont keep moving around.

[Lasty]

I normally put my witches hats off the beach between the Cooks River breakwall and the Novotel on the way out and get them on the way back in. We normally do OK.

[Kiwi Dan]

Gday all

DAM IM GLAD RAIDERS BACK ONLINE!!

Anyway, does anyone know any locations i could set traps going from Tunks? Ive got a couple and want to get into the habbit of setting them before heading outside or mucking around in middle harbor.

cheers