crabbing 24112009
Got 7 beauties this afternoon. Largest 18cm across the carapace. Took the old man and the snorkelling gear, set our pots and since it was so hot we went for a dive. I got a large female one and lost a flipper in the process. Couldnt find the flipper even with dads help. We tested the other one and it had slightly negative buoyancy and I think it just went down into the weeds and hid itself. So if anyone finds a Mocean greeny/grey and black flipper around woodman pt let me know. Anyway on the way back to the boat (50mt) with one flipper I cleaned up another 4 decent size blues. Only a few of our crabs came from pots but we had them too far out to begin with.
Was a magic calm afternoon with awesome visability, At one point in 6 mts I could see a crab in the weed on the bottom. 7 great crabs for dinner after twighlight sailing tomorrow, Im Stoked!
Faulkner Family
Posts: 17983
Date Joined: 11/03/08
sounds like a great day was
sounds like a great day was had. too bad about the flipper , at least you got a feed of swimmers
RUSS and SANDY. A family that fishes together stays together
Goodz
Posts: 2332
Date Joined: 20/07/09
Sounds great, I'm heaps keen
Sounds great, I'm heaps keen to get out for a swim after some crabs... just gotta wait till I get the new snorkling gear that's wrapped up for christmas! Can you just head out from the shore or is it better to get out in a boat?
till
Posts: 9358
Date Joined: 21/02/08
Goodz, I usually dive the
Goodz, I usually dive the spit in the river, or wanbro sound for them, no need to take a boat.
Scaly Man Fish
Posts: 212
Date Joined: 30/12/08
Hey Till
How are you legally allowed to catchem when diving, is it hands only with gloves or can you scoop them up with a net ??
Cheers
coley
till
Posts: 9358
Date Joined: 21/02/08
Its probably harder to get
Its probably harder to get them in a net underwater than by hand. Just wear a pair of gloves and you're ok. You hear about people wearing welding gloves, bugger that just wear dive gloves. Its not like they're mudcrabs, it just stings, its not going to take your finger off.
scottnofish
Posts: 1617
Date Joined: 28/08/07
i have been holding
a big blue when a mate decided he would poke it and it grabed his thumb and cut him to to bone on both sides so they wont take your fingers off but they will make a mess of it
till
Posts: 9358
Date Joined: 21/02/08
Through a glove?
Sure, but not through a glove.
Matt T
Posts: 875
Date Joined: 19/11/07
I rekon
I rekon I might go the right hand welding glove this year.
till
Posts: 9358
Date Joined: 21/02/08
Too clunky, i just wear
Too clunky, i just wear kevlar/neoprene ones or the amara palm ones. Might cop a few bruises, but thats just incentive to refine your technique.
talking horse
Posts: 183
Date Joined: 08/07/08
Im with you Till, Man up
Im with you Till, Man up Matt!
LOL!
HuggyB
Posts: 2515
Date Joined: 03/08/08
go bare handed
it's a cheap thrill, and puts the game back on an even playing field......
The Terrorist - coming to a fishing spot near you.........
till
Posts: 9358
Date Joined: 21/02/08
My brother saw someone using
My brother saw someone using one of those claws you get in show bags, now that would be even-stevens.
danno
Posts: 1676
Date Joined: 12/07/09
good stuff mate. is it easy
good stuff mate.
is it easy do catch them by hand?
cheers danno
HuggyB
Posts: 2515
Date Joined: 03/08/08
its simple as
snorkel around, when you see it put your hand out (left), let the crab bite it, then sweep it up with your other hand - into the catch bag and move on.
The Terrorist - coming to a fishing spot near you.........
till
Posts: 9358
Date Joined: 21/02/08
For sure, I usually grab
For sure, I usually grab them right in front with my offhand, then swap the grip to the rear where they can't bite you, or to poke the claws back between your thumb and forefinger when you grab them by the front. Much easier to do than explain.
danno
Posts: 1676
Date Joined: 12/07/09
oh yer could u lure them
oh yer could u lure them with say a herring or sumthing then grab them?
cheers danno
till
Posts: 9358
Date Joined: 21/02/08
You could, you would
You could, you would probably die of boredom though.
carnarvonite
Posts: 8657
Date Joined: 24/07/07
Wire
Used to use a bit of stiff fencing wire bent like a sheeps crook with only about 1/2 inch gap on the opening to hook on to one of the claws.
wadetolley
Posts: 2258
Date Joined: 27/06/08
Maybe
Maybe try using a pair of those stainless gloves the butchers wear...safe as houses!
sarcasm0
Posts: 1396
Date Joined: 25/06/09
harden up!
I was using leather riggers gloves, I have used dive gloves, gardening gloves and bare handed. Its no thing but a chicken wing, Normally the "fakie" wave one hand for their attention and use the other to grab hold from a safe hold. You still get nipped regardless, and the pressure can be intense, but its short lived and you often get to eat the bastards. If you really want to catch em, the riggers glove is about the right thickness and resiliance often you can just let them grab your glove and theyre goners.
Im aiming to head out again this weekend for a snorkel or early next week after work(4pm onwards) if anyone is keen depending on weather.
sarcasm0
Posts: 1396
Date Joined: 25/06/09
good eating too! Anyone else dive with a beard?
had the crabs for dinner tonight with a home grown spinach and rainbow silverbeet, avacodo, tomatoe, grilled capsicum, parsnip, bacon and orange salad crusty bread. Booyah!
On a side note, I am having heaps of trouble getting a face mask seal with a beard. Has anyone else got this problem? Any solutions, or do I have to see my chin for the first time in 2 years?!
till
Posts: 9358
Date Joined: 21/02/08
Huggy told me a biut of
Huggy told me a bit of vaseline on the upper lip works wonders, not sure if it was for the same issue though.
Parsnip? I wouldn't eat that sh1t even if my mum was watching =)
Goodz
Posts: 2332
Date Joined: 20/07/09
yeh I've also heard the
yeh I've also heard the vaseline works but I'm yet to test it out.. I usually just put up with the water seeping in... haha..
I just went out to buy a new mask for christmas though and found that certain masks seal way better with the beard than others... the ones with less of a fat seal under the nose seemed great so I got one.. it's wrapped up and can't use it till christmas but I think it'll be great.. prob try some vaseline with it just to be sure.
thinking of heading down for a snorlke on sat morning too so might see you around! :)
sarcasm0
Posts: 1396
Date Joined: 25/06/09
what time are you heading out?
I might be keen for a morning dive. Im up at 5:40 anyway damn bodyclock not recognising its a weekend
Goodz
Posts: 2332
Date Joined: 20/07/09
The plan is 6amish....
The plan is 6amish.... depending on the nights events (how much is drunk). Gonna go with my brother and maybe a friend... so if you see a couple of guys splashing around come say hi :) My name is Ben.
sixinchrhino
Posts: 30
Date Joined: 13/04/09
Im probably wrong
But isnt crabbing banned in cockburn sound till 15th december?? I thought the area around woodman point was part of cockburn sound.
sarcasm0
Posts: 1396
Date Joined: 25/06/09
north of woodman pt
from the tip of woodman pt, in an imaginary line to the northern side of carnac is the boundary, anywhere north of it is fair game.
wicked game
Posts: 249
Date Joined: 13/11/08
ive done this type of
ive done this type of crabbing a few times before and its great fun. but i have trouble spotting the crabs if there buried. my dad says u just look for there eyes poking out of the sand but i cant tell the differance so any pointers would be appreciated
jono.s
Posts: 440
Date Joined: 27/07/09
how far out do you have to
how far out do you have to go out when snorkeling for them like at woodmans point ?
Goodz
Posts: 2332
Date Joined: 20/07/09
I would think the furtherer
I would think the furtherer the better.. i went out maybe 100m on sat and it's pretty shallow (though it was low tide), you could stand easyily. We got 3 crabs though but it was few and far between.