Crab hook or freehand crabs while snorkelling?
Hi guys,
Just thought I'd pick your brains on this one. I'm heading down to Mandurah for a scoop sesh and was going to bring along the mask and snorkel in case the crabs were out a bit deeper. I'm pretty short, even for a girl, so once the water hits upper thighs, it becomes a bit of a hassle to wrangle the scoop net. So I thought floating along with a mask & snorkel might be handy, but I'm not sure how to catch the buggers without the scoop.
I'm not too sure on how to fashion a crab hook myself (or if I even have the tools for that), and if I freehand it, would a standard dive glove from somewhere like BCF be enough to give me enough protection from those claws?
I wouldn't be terribly deep, deep for me would be waist deep for the average height guy. I'd also just prefer to get away from the crowds scavenging through the super shallow areas.
Also, is it better to scoop at night or early morning? Me and the girls have been going around 6am and we've managed to get a feed, but it's always nicer to scoop without the crouwds so we were wondering if there were any benefits to having a go at night instead. I'm terrified of stepping on a stingray hiding in the weeds, but I don't actually know if that's a legit concern!
Sorry about all the questions, but me and the girls have decided we're a bit crap with fishing and are trying different things out. Would love to know how/where to catch prawns and get occy, but we're a little limited without a boat.
Fisher Kid
Posts: 358
Date Joined: 16/10/12
don't worry bout the rays, if
don't worry bout the rays, if you want gloves, try going to Bunning's and getting thick welders gloves. they work well, dive gloves will give you no where enough protections. if you want a hook just get a piece of metal rods, and bend it just on a bench into a hook shape, but a welding glove will be fine.
Fishing and catching are two different things. But i want to learn how to catch.
wadetolley
Posts: 2258
Date Joined: 27/06/08
I
I just use the end of the scoop net, cut the handle off. Use this method snorkelling down Mandurah and it works a treat!
bitten
Posts: 803
Date Joined: 07/04/10
Didn't read your whole post
Didn't read your whole post but blue manna don't hurt much so drink a cup of cement and harden uup hope this helps
love
me!!
Willy
Posts: 219
Date Joined: 10/04/08
Crabs
I have snorkelled for crabs for years with my kids, great fun.
Go to bunnings, and buy a set of thick welders gloves, preferably the blue ones as the inners in the green come out.
I snorkel in a 3/4 wetsuit and tow either a tub tied to a boogie board, or I have a weight belt and I attach a catch bag. I have a crab gauge on a 4 foot piece of string to measure before keeping the legal ones.
Another word of advice, if you see a crab, just grab it, the more you and the crab dance around, the less chance you have of getting it. Even with the welders gloves, there is a chance the big ones will inflict some pain. So was surprised to see the comments above. Snorkelling for crabs is NOT everyones cup of tea.
I used to start at 0500, but I find they are always there, more important for no wind.
Good luck
Swompa
Posts: 3786
Date Joined: 14/10/12
Welding gloves for sure.
Welding gloves for sure. Never used anything other than crab nets, and welding gloves whilst swimming.
dodgy
Posts: 4563
Date Joined: 01/02/10
Jeez. I just use normal thin
Jeez. I just use normal thin dive gloves. Or a pair of iron clads from the work ppe cabinet. Never had a decent nip yet. Surely welders gloves are a pain underwater.
Meet are just talking blueys, not muddies now.
Does anyone know where the love of god goes, when the waves turn the minutes to hours?
Swompa
Posts: 3786
Date Joined: 14/10/12
I used ironclads on Saturday
I used ironclads on Saturday and picked up some biggins. Welding gloves allow you to just grab and don't worry about a stray claw.
carnarvonite
Posts: 8627
Date Joined: 24/07/07
Fencing wire
Fashion a sheeps crook out of heavy gauge fencing wire to snare the crabs nippers and tow something like a baby's bath to store them in saving the trouble of heading back to shore.
As you approach them, they spread their arms to try to protect themselves and you use the crook to catch the arm below the elbow then just drop it in to the baby's bath.
Mars2atk
Posts: 28
Date Joined: 29/11/08
Cheers for all the advice!
Cheers for all the advice! I'll pop into Bunnings this afternoon and grab a pair of welders gloves and give the fencing wire hook a go tonight.
I had a run with with the claw end of a blue manna when I was a kid, still have the scar on my finger to show for it 10+ years later so I'm a bit wary. This'll be the first time out without my nephew & niece so we can head out a bit deeper for the bigger boys.
MandurahMatt
Posts: 613
Date Joined: 18/09/13
Sounds like hard work! Drop
Sounds like hard work! Drop nets work just fine I recon.
Bewdey Fellaz