Any advice for start of crayfishing season.?
Submitted by beeroclock on Fri, 2016-09-09 11:48
Gonna have my first serious go at crayfishing off Mindarie this coming season. Just wondering how you guys find the season tends to start - is it usually a bit slow during that period from from 15th Oct leading up to the "run" of the whites? Im presuming its better to place pots on and inside the three mile before the white run rather than place them on the "ocean" side of the 3 mile is that about right? cheers for any advice
randall df223
Posts: 6454
Date Joined: 08/08/11
Stay in shallow until the
Stay in shallow until the run starts. If you havent already got your pots, make sure they are:
Heavy;
Have your id number carved into the frame at each end;
Have hard thin rope that hurts like hell to pull up;
To deter the would be pullers
Fish! HARD!
Rob H
Posts: 5806
Date Joined: 18/01/12
Ive got some
Ive got some, dont get caught
After dealing with Brets case for the last couple of days, fuck knows what Fisheries will decide is illegal next...
Give a man a mask, and he'll show you his true face...
The older you get the more you realize that no one has a f++king clue what they're doing.
Everyone's just winging it.
Krusty
Posts: 714
Date Joined: 27/11/15
My fishing spots are so secret........... even the fish don't know where they are !!
barracuda
Posts: 218
Date Joined: 01/09/13
What's the go there
I completely agree there Rob, but what the story I am intrigued
Rob H
Posts: 5806
Date Joined: 18/01/12
I cant go into it to much,
I cant go into it to much, but suffice to say that my local MP spoke to the Ministers office and was given assurances which he relayed back to me yesterday.
These were immediately shown to be patently 100% wrong, not just a misunderstanding.
Whether it was incompetence, lack of knowledge or intentionally misleading I dont know but Im sure he now knows that there is more to this than meets the eye.
If I was an elected member, and made to look foolish in that manner, Id be pretty furious.
He is "making further enquiries".
I am finding it difficult at times to not get too shirty with these people who are supposedly "acting in our best interests" and "guardians of our resources", so it is 100 times worse for Bret.
But I am so so over being told that various things "are in our best interests but we're not telling you why"
Give a man a mask, and he'll show you his true face...
The older you get the more you realize that no one has a f++king clue what they're doing.
Everyone's just winging it.
craytail99
Posts: 76
Date Joined: 29/04/14
Spot Bloody On
Spot Bloody On
Bluedog
Posts: 251
Date Joined: 28/07/11
Wait until late november
Wait until late november when they run. Any earlier you'll be thinking this crayfishing is bullshit. But if you wait it will be the easiest fishing you've ever done
beeroclock
Posts: 741
Date Joined: 22/08/12
What triggers the run of the whites?
how do you know when it happens? ?moon ?water temp
randall df223
Posts: 6454
Date Joined: 08/08/11
See the fisheries website
See the fisheries website for good information.
Its a once in a lifetime migration after they shed their shell to a much lighter pink colour, hence their name. Then they move in large numbers out to deeper water generally after the full moon in november. Once in deep water the currents take them north or south before they came back in and take up residence on a new shallow reef where they live out their days.
Fish! HARD!
Bluedog
Posts: 251
Date Joined: 28/07/11
You'll know when it happens
You'll know when it happens when this site is full of full bag reports and the line at the ramp is ridiculous.
sea-kem
Posts: 15007
Date Joined: 30/11/09
Just get your pots in around
Just get your pots in around mid November Beeroclock
Love the West!
little johnny
Posts: 5360
Date Joined: 04/12/11
Wait 2 weeks
After divers doing well. Sea grass flowers ( masses of flowers and pods on surface) Crays move . Don't put pots in to early. Engrave main frame and 5 to 6 slats on pots with your id . Does help puts people stealing them. Good luck
Dale
Posts: 7930
Date Joined: 13/09/05
I'm still tossing up whether to give the crays a crack.
"Just because you are a Character, Doesn't mean you have Character."
Mr Wolf
out wide
Posts: 1535
Date Joined: 30/12/08
Or you could do what a every
Or you could do what a every third or forth boat out their does just pull someone else...don't worry it is highly unlikely you will see or be checked out by the fisheries. LOL
Madmerv
Posts: 672
Date Joined: 24/01/15
Crays before the run
Hey Mate
I see all the comments and i'm picking up a bit of a negative vibe there.
I think i have thrown a bit of a negative comment up last season also but seeing as this is the first serious go you are having i will give you some hope.
The start of the season is not a free for all with 25 crays per pot but it can be productive with a few crays per pot and you can generally get a feed on each pull. The first crays of the season taste sweet to. Starting early also gives you the experience of dropping pots in the right spots and getting them bang on target. Putting a pot too far from a reef, in the middle of the sand, early in the season gets you nothing. Putting them right up against the reef, on a flat area, near a ledge or overhang will get you a few.
Dropping inside 3 mile in shallow areas is not always best. It can be productive at certain times but like others have stated it gives the worms of society an easy pull and easy access. The further from a marina and the deeper it is the less chance of someone else pulling them. That said, if you drop them later in the day and get out there at the crack of dawn then that problem can be mitigated. (not eliminated)
If there are any pro's working from the marina then around the depth of the majority of their pots should be the spot to try. Not always possible as they might be working real deep.
There was a stack of really good posts last year so do some searching and some reading. Take a camera and photograph any boats in the area of your pots. Just because there is a boat near your pots does not mean they are the ones doing the wrong thing but if you see anybody pulling your pots "" sink their boat"".
Enjoy the first crays of the season.
Sometimes when the water is quiet, you can hear the fish laughing at you !
Paj man
Posts: 360
Date Joined: 16/09/12
Good Post
Good post mate!
aka Nick
Bluedog
Posts: 251
Date Joined: 28/07/11
Also, if your pot is empty
Also, if your pot is empty then don't assume it's been pulled like everyone seems to. Empty pots do happen!
Notorious
Posts: 914
Date Joined: 23/02/12
Looking forward to the old -
Looking forward to the old - "he's near my pots and ripping them off" stories
Or the ones where divers rip off pots too
https://www.facebook.com/groups/174055815943047/?fref=nf
hezzy
Posts: 1521
Date Joined: 27/11/09
funny how all divers claim
funny how all divers claim 100% innocence , but they all seem to know about wooden caves
hezzy
OFW 11
evil flourishes when good men do nothing
dodgy
Posts: 4578
Date Joined: 01/02/10
Everyone knows about driving
Everyone knows about driving off without paying for fuel and bashing grannies for pension money too.
Does anyone know where the love of god goes, when the waves turn the minutes to hours?
MandurahMatt
Posts: 613
Date Joined: 18/09/13
Yea na easy pickings those
Yea na easy pickings those wooden caves
Bewdey Fellaz
C.P
Posts: 345
Date Joined: 04/01/12
Advice on cray fishing
Dont do it
You will be sick of eating crayfish after a couple of months
and you'll begin to wonder if your friends and family only like you because you give them crays
D_d_001
Posts: 1522
Date Joined: 09/03/13
hahaha that's so close it's
hahaha that's so close it's actually not funny but you forgot to mention that by the next season you will be dying to get out and do it all again!
sea-kem
Posts: 15007
Date Joined: 30/11/09
Lol yep. I gorge on fresh
Love the West!
D_d_001
Posts: 1522
Date Joined: 09/03/13
yep me too not just about the
yep me too not just about the eating. pull up the pots and hoping for the "tchk tcht tcht tcht" incredible how addictive that is .....
yep getting excited ;)
randall df223
Posts: 6454
Date Joined: 08/08/11
My buzz is eyeballing the
My buzz is eyeballing the antennas sticking out of the pot on the way up.
Fish! HARD!
sea-kem
Posts: 15007
Date Joined: 30/11/09
Oh yeah especially when they
Oh yeah especially when they are hanging out at every direction, you know you've got a pot full.
Love the West!
bradz
Posts: 693
Date Joined: 29/10/07
My buzz
My buzz is turning up where I left my pots to see them still there:)
Last year was my first season. Not a raging success, but good none the less. Im hanging out for November.
I did then the best that I knew how. When I knew better, I did better.
randall df223
Posts: 6454
Date Joined: 08/08/11
On the contrary, my deckies
On the contrary, my deckies rue that moment they realise my pots are still there. It means they have to pull the heavy fuckers up!
Fish! HARD!
Notorious
Posts: 914
Date Joined: 23/02/12
My buzz is seeing my fav
My buzz is seeing my fav reef caves filled with jumbos
https://www.facebook.com/groups/174055815943047/?fref=nf
Marineboy
Posts: 842
Date Joined: 14/03/14
Caves
im with you notorious, best advice I can give is get your dive ticket haha, no stolen pots, no 5am starts and handpick your crays !
My spots are so secret even the fish don't know about them !
Notorious
Posts: 914
Date Joined: 23/02/12
No need for a scuba ticket
No need for a scuba ticket to catch crays - a mask, snokel, flippers and a cray loop is all you need ;)
https://www.facebook.com/groups/174055815943047/?fref=nf
Marineboy
Posts: 842
Date Joined: 14/03/14
Ticket
nah ! I need a scuba ticket haha
My spots are so secret even the fish don't know about them !
jamey ford
Posts: 174
Date Joined: 25/05/11
Full moon nov 14 Dec 14 mine
Full moon nov 14 Dec 14 mine will be going in early November in case they go after the 14th which is a pretty fair chance I reckon
Far Quirk!
meglodon
Posts: 5981
Date Joined: 17/06/10
If you are diving for crays
It's in your own best interest to keep abreast of the court case soon to come up about catching crays and bringing them into the boat..
Dale
Posts: 7930
Date Joined: 13/09/05
Here's an interesting read for the crays
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-09-21/western-rock-lobster-stock-numbers-at-record-high-levels/7865910"Just because you are a Character, Doesn't mean you have Character."
Mr Wolf
randall df223
Posts: 6454
Date Joined: 08/08/11
Installed my new tipper
Installed my new tipper today. Should make life a bit easier this season. Next year it will be a new winch!
Fish! HARD!
quest
Posts: 248
Date Joined: 03/08/15
Looking good
Looking good there Randell, looking good! Did you make it yourself? I'm sure your deckie is happy with the new addition.
randall df223
Posts: 6454
Date Joined: 08/08/11
No. Purchased from fishwise
No. Purchased from fishwise in o'connor. Deckie will be much happier and hopefully stop his bitchin' when i get the winch!
Fish! HARD!
quest
Posts: 248
Date Joined: 03/08/15
Hahaha
Hahaha. Yeah you don't want to spoil them with to much bling at one time. I'm sure you'll never look back once you've installed a winch it's like having an extra person on the boat. Looks good.
hezzy
Posts: 1521
Date Joined: 27/11/09
he fairly complains hey
he fairly complains hey randall ?/ just because there heavy ?
tell him to tuffen up lol
hezzy
OFW 11
evil flourishes when good men do nothing
randall df223
Posts: 6454
Date Joined: 08/08/11
My pots are banned from
My pots are banned from anything deeper than 20 m until i get a winch!
Fish! HARD!