Catching Occys in Reef

After advice about any techniques/tools that people use for pulling occys out of their holes in the reef? 

I have always just used a cheap aluminium gidgee which for the most part does the trick, but I am sick of breaking the flimsy things! 

I typically try and lever them out with the gidgee so not sure I want to try this with a fibreglass gidgee.... Thiking something more along the lines of a hook fixed to the end of a pole to pull them out. 


Browndog's picture

Posts: 582

Date Joined: 10/04/12

Little Johnny

Thu, 2024-05-09 15:46

 Pretty sure Little Johnny uses his teeth...

Seriously, I doubt anyone catches more Occy's than him, send him a PM and I'm sure he will let you know what works.

 

Cheers,

BD.

little johnny's picture

Posts: 5357

Date Joined: 04/12/11

Use small

Thu, 2024-05-09 16:22

Stainless gaff. And Gidgee . Try hit them in between eyes ( gidgee) kills them instantly .( they loose suction on legs) if you miss put gaff behind them pull them out. Does the trick most times. If there is no chance of getting it leave it look for easyier one.

tcarroll's picture

Posts: 265

Date Joined: 17/12/13

 I'll give that a crack! I

Fri, 2024-05-10 07:37

 I'll give that a crack! I still like the idea of gidgee to try and pin it with a gaff or small hook to then try and pull it out  

Posts: 184

Date Joined: 13/05/16

occy

Fri, 2024-05-17 10:54

 A squeegee bottle full of chlorine squirt it at them close up and it knocks them out. I have seen footage of yanks using that method to get those big Pacific occy's out of holes.It seems to work quickly just puts them to sleep. when i worked at the BP refinery at kwinana the cooling water intake used to pump chlorine at the start of the intake and any fish or crabs that were suck in got put to sleep. On night shifts crabs where on the smoko menu. 

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Filletmaster

Da pirate's picture

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Date Joined: 03/05/15

lol ..

Sat, 2024-05-18 19:44

Squirting a highly toxic chemical ?? 
great idea !!! Make sure you only 

take 10 ... cheers pirate . 

Posts: 2080

Date Joined: 16/05/09

 Don't let Don Punch know

Sun, 2024-05-19 07:24

 Don't let Don Punch know about this method, he will ban pool chlorine.....

Posts: 184

Date Joined: 13/05/16

chlorine?

Mon, 2024-05-20 21:14

 Toxic?? if it was so bad people wouldn't put in their swiming pools then plunge in for a dip and get it in their eyes ears and noses. 

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Filletmaster

Posts: 184

Date Joined: 13/05/16

highly toxic.

Mon, 2024-05-20 21:07

 Nar only if you drink it.  Have you ever thought of whats coming out of the exhaust on your outboard motor? gas going straight into the water from your exhaust. And that would be a hell of a lot more toxic than a small amount of chlorine. Add it up how many boats are going out on any one day, thousands. There are in excess of 84000 registered boats on the west coast on a good day there would be hundreds going off rockingham area alone. thats a lot of exhaust gas going into the water. most places call it pollution. And i also add to it.

 

Yer and i know its now 15.

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Filletmaster

little johnny's picture

Posts: 5357

Date Joined: 04/12/11

Be good way in

Sun, 2024-05-19 10:16

Getting fine. Wouldn’t want to eat them or use them for bait yuck.

Posts: 962

Date Joined: 26/03/17

 Have heard of people using

Sun, 2024-05-19 12:25

 Have heard of people using this technique. Would hate to think of what it would do to the reef....

tcarroll's picture

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Date Joined: 17/12/13

 Yep, think I will stick to

Mon, 2024-05-20 09:19

 Yep, think I will stick to the gidgee and leave the yanks to the chlorine method 

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Date Joined: 03/08/19

Chemicals bad for the ecosystem and prohibited

Mon, 2024-05-20 11:08

 Yes ,agree. Gidgee the go.  The chlorine method would likely kill everything else in the occy hole. Just looked up the Fisheries Act and is specifically says "noxious substances not to be used for fishing". Seriously big fine etc.