Crabs - Again

Well, we went down and got another 20 crabs per boat yesterday. There were some really good sized ones amongst them and a heap of just undersize that were pretty frustrating. Reports were that the size had gone up quite a bit over the past few weeks. Will certainly say that the amount of meat in them had risen as well as a lot of the ones early in the season were nearly empty and just shell.

There were so many boats out on the water yesterday that the undersize crabs must be feeding up plentifully! Worst thing was the wind dropped out by about 8.30 and it turned into the most magic fishing day. Oh well, can't have it all! The boys have gone out chasing tailor and some sambo's today, here's hoping they get into a few and take a few happy snaps.

____________________________________________________________________________

Site Admin - Just ask if you need assistance


Big Frank's picture

Posts: 115

Date Joined: 07/02/06

Finding Crabs

Tue, 2006-02-14 18:58

I hear people say that the best place to find crabs is at a "drop off". Whereabouts in relation to the drop - off do I drop the pots - the deepest point? I am going to try the channel at the Dawesville Cut - is it best to drop in the deepest part of the channel as long as I don't interfere with boat traffic?

Any suggestions appreciated.

Frank

Posts: 485

Date Joined: 04/02/06

Tide in Cut

Tue, 2006-02-14 22:56

I would doubt you could keep the crab nets on the bottom in any sort of tide in the cut itself.

Other day when I was there, the tide was ripping IN at I guess 8 or 9 knots - the wind was blowing east (out) at about 25 knots...

I was going to anchor up a while - but before I got the anchor down - I noticed we weren't moving (relative to the land either side), so we didn't anchor, just sat there stationary against wind and tide in the same spot for about 2 hours - dead stationary...almost in a squall..spooky indeed.

Couldn't get a bait on the bottom in 6 meters with a snapper lead - the damn current was to strong - your crab nets wold get washed away tootsweet IMHO.

Far better to set em out in the estuary IMHO.

Follow the channel into the estuary to the end of the channel markers and before you reach the east cardinal marker, - head due east...find a spot and run em out...

Thats what I would do anyway!

Theres a big scientific platform (with clear water marker on top) out in the middle of the estuary. Anywhere within a mile of that will do!

Good luck!

Adam Gallash's picture

Posts: 15607

Date Joined: 29/11/05

Crabs

Wed, 2006-02-15 08:32

Hey Frank, Welcome to the site.

As Flywest has said, don't bother with the cut. Try out in the estuary where the water is between 1meter and 2meters. If you are down there for sunrise or sunset it is best to not even bother with the nets and go scouping for them along the shallow sandy banks. Its much more fun and will get you a feed a lot faster. If your in the middle of the day look for the water that is a bit deeper and keep an eye on what the other boats are doing. Generally if the other boats start moving from an area they've got enough or the crabs aren't moving around much.

Hope that helps,
Adam

____________________________________________________________________________

Site Admin - Just ask if you need assistance

Big Frank's picture

Posts: 115

Date Joined: 07/02/06

Crabs

Wed, 2006-02-15 12:55

Thanks for you comments lads. As you say the cut was no good so I pottered around in the estuary for a couple of hours for 3 crabs - after bait and petrol, thats about $27 per crab.

Back at the boatramp, the locals (or those in the know), were coming back with their bag limits with the helpful advice that they caught them "somewhere out there". I'll keep having a crack.

Cheers

Frank

Posts: 485

Date Joined: 04/02/06

Frank

Wed, 2006-02-15 16:43

Maybe it's your "method" that needs some work...you should get more than 3 keepers!

Something I did find, is that the small crabs get to your net first, and if you leave the nets alone long enough - the big boys come along and chase the smaller fella's off.

The trick seems to be to avoid pulling em every 15 minutes or so, such that the big boys get a chance to settle in for a feed after having chased out the tiddlers.

Using this method we'd get 5 or 6 good size outta 10 nets every hour...

In between hourly pulls, maybe go troll a lure around the estuary for an hour catching a few tailor, that way you won't be tempted to pull em too soon!

Hope this helps.

Cheers!

Posts: 416

Date Joined: 25/07/05

Crabs

Wed, 2006-02-15 20:09

Hi guys

we have caught heaps of crabs over the past couple of months, size's have got bigger, lots of small ones about as well, went crabbing yesterday and landed 19 big crabs, full of meat as well.

Image, Robert my son holding up a crab that was 135m from point to point, would like to see some bigger ones.

[img_assist|fid=14715|thumb=1|alt=Robs crab]

and my daugther jazz, crab was caught a few weeks ago, jazz was also in the Hotbite mag.
[img_assist|fid=14718|thumb=1|alt=Jazz's crab]

last lot of crabs from the Peel inlet at Mandruah

[img_assist|fid=14721|thumb=1|alt=26 crabs]

TT ( karl )

Big Frank's picture

Posts: 115

Date Joined: 07/02/06

Crabs

Wed, 2006-02-15 20:36

Thanks Guys - I'll try leaving the nets longer. I basically drop the 10 nets and then return to the first one and start pulling (so to speak). I certainly pull them more often than you suggest Flywest so will give your method a go.

The 3 I caught tasted magnificent but didn't quite fill the void. TT, your kids have a couple of big ones there - I'll post images if I can better them although doubtful at this stage.

Cheers

Frank