Lake Illawarra crabs

[mowie1]

Decided to put out some crab pots while running in new motor. All fresh bait, water temp 18deg, usual spot soak for hour. Pulled pots 0. Tried another 2 spots 0. Thought I would have to do nudie run around boat ramp(Berkeley ramp). Last spot 1 crab no run. Talking to another bloke and his wife they got nothing. Pros were netting down at Tallawarra 3 boats.

[noelm]

The crabs are a bit quiet at the moment, I am still getting a few, but all the rain and cold water has seen them harder to find. Best place recently is behind the houses around Windang towards Primbee, I got a decent few near the big pole channel marker, right on the edge of the shallow sand/weed flats.

[Fab1]

How’s the water ramp/water traffic during week at the moment guys?At least you had a crack mate.

[noelm]

Ramps are OK, water is pretty brown, but flushing out pretty well, fishing is slow, but there's a few around, crabbing should pick up soon too.

[Fab1]

2 hours ago, noelm said:

Ramps are OK, water is pretty brown, but flushing out pretty well, fishing is slow, but there's a few around, crabbing should pick up soon too.

Cheers mate

[Pickles]

Maybe the water needs to warm up a bit - nudie run might raise a few eyebrows and not sure it will turn the crabs on? 😂

[noelm]

Because Lake Illawarra is so shallow, the water is pretty warm in lots of locations, crabs can be caught all year, but, they do thin out during the colder months (of course) but a decent feed can be had with a bit of work (like all fishing) My personal "observation" is during the high tide, crabs are right up on the shallow flats, as the tide drops, they tend to wander around the drop off area, then at low tide, they are in the deep sections, that is not hard and fast, just my thoughts after decades of crabbing in the lake. The tide in the Lake itself is not that dramatic in flow (except in the channel) and a falling tide, very early in the morning will see you get plenty during summer, but, like everything, you need to put in the effort, just turning up mid morning with a couple of traps and old bait will see you get a few, but an early morning and fresh bait (I find Whiting and Blackfish frames the best) will see you "upgrading" to bigger crabs .

[bessell1955]

Great advice Noelm.

[mowie1]

Thanks have been crabbing a few years now in the lake. The numbers seem to get less and less each year. May be they should bring in a no take law for all female crabs to include those without eggs. Females with eggs already in laws regulations. These are our breeding stock. Females only breed once or twice in there lives. With the increasing pressure on stocks this could not hurt. Usually get out early and when I get back to ramp could sell parking spot for $5 especially on weekends. 

[noelm]

I think the crabbing has got better in the last 10 years or so, even though there is a lot more people crabbing, the reduction in allowable trap/net numbers, plus the bag limit being less might help too, getting a bag limit is pretty easy after Christmas, and keeping only big ones is easy. I think they should increase the size limit, a just legal carb is not worth keeping, (in my opinion) unless you are desperate for a feed.

edit......a no take of females is probably a good idea, I rarely keep them anyway, now and then I might keep a big one.

Edited October 23, 2022 by noelm

[Fab1]

6 hours ago, noelm said:

Because Lake Illawarra is so shallow, the water is pretty warm in lots of locations, crabs can be caught all year, but, they do thin out during the colder months (of course) but a decent feed can be had with a bit of work (like all fishing) My personal "observation" is during the high tide, crabs are right up on the shallow flats, as the tide drops, they tend to wander around the drop off area, then at low tide, they are in the deep sections, that is not hard and fast, just my thoughts after decades of crabbing in the lake. The tide in the Lake itself is not that dramatic in flow (except in the channel) and a falling tide, very early in the morning will see you get plenty during summer, but, like everything, you need to put in the effort, just turning up mid morning with a couple of traps and old bait will see you get a few, but an early morning and fresh bait (I find Whiting and Blackfish frames the best) will see you "upgrading" to bigger crabs .

You sound like the @Yowieof Windang Lake mate.Have it all worked out.Good stuff.I’d love to hear both of your stories from back in the day.

When I was 7yrs old in 1909……..😂😂.

Windang fish and crabs are safe when I’m there fishing mate.I can see the crabs sitting on the porch now drinking a cuppa and eating scones saying to each other…..look at that hopeless guy,there’s no way in hell he’s catching anything.😂😂

  All in good fun mate.

[noelm]

Hardly an expert, but, when it comes to crabbing I think I do pretty well! Fishing is another story, I do OK, but most of my lake fishing is just a few minutes with a bag of Prawns or Worms while waiting for another "run" along the crab nets, this type of fishing is very "tourist" but most times I snag a Flathead or two and maybe a Whiting, plus 500 undersized Bream. The only serious lake fishing I do is Flathead lure fishing (from the shore, walking) or Whiting fishing with Worms or Nippers during the summer.

[Crabstar]

On 10/23/2022 at 7:43 AM, noelm said:

Because Lake Illawarra is so shallow, the water is pretty warm in lots of locations, crabs can be caught all year, but, they do thin out during the colder months (of course) but a decent feed can be had with a bit of work (like all fishing) My personal "observation" is during the high tide, crabs are right up on the shallow flats, as the tide drops, they tend to wander around the drop off area, then at low tide, they are in the deep sections, that is not hard and fast, just my thoughts after decades of crabbing in the lake. The tide in the Lake itself is not that dramatic in flow (except in the channel) and a falling tide, very early in the morning will see you get plenty during summer, but, like everything, you need to put in the effort, just turning up mid morning with a couple of traps and old bait will see you get a few, but an early morning and fresh bait (I find Whiting and Blackfish frames the best) will see you "upgrading" to bigger crabs .

Couldn’t agree more, when I’m out on the lake the traps are in usually 4am, ready for first pull up 5am, then every hour after. 10am I’m done for the day.