Personally, being steady and not touching them with the loop before getting them is much more important than speed. I tend to take a long time to loop them, but I have seen some guys work really fast but they have been at it a lot longer than me. You can go beside, above or below them but don't touch them or they will scatter even deeper.

Another point is overweight yourself and get really heavy on the bottom to steady yourself. If they are packed in deep, I stick a finger in the sand and flick a bit up about 8 inches in front of them. They normally wander out for a look. If you want them to back up blow some bubbles at them.

Some people also take the spring out of the loop to make it a bit easier. I haven't tried that yet. Lastly get a bag you "stuff" them into, rather than a spring loaded opening one.

Rule 1 - never try and come from the side of the cray - their peripheral vision is amazing and no matter which side you come from they will back away in the opposite direction.

Close the loop, dump all air in the BC so you are stable on the bottom (as much as surge will allow) and pass the closed loop DIRECTLY over the top of the cray between its feelers ensuring you dont touch them, open the loop behind the cray and simply wafggle your fingers to deliberately cause it to retreat - straight into the loop

If they are too far back use your closed loop as a prod to gentle try and move them to a more accessible location (or better still work with your buddy as a team in such situations (one stationary open loop the other hearding them towards the snare.

In verticle crevaces it can be difficult - play it be ear...........also watch for the crays hanging upside down on roof of ledges - they are easy to loop with the directly betwen the feelers approach

Above all relax ........take your time, better to loop a few selected crays than rush around spooking heaps and getting none.

If work pressures permit and the weather looks good drop me a pm as there is usually room on the boat and the best way to learn is to watch and then try the techniques and work as a team - when proficient then go off and leap frog your buddy along the reef !  

I tend to go for the ones in the lower ledges, at least half the skill is simply knowing which ones to go for and which ones are just a waste of air.

Hold out as long as you can for new steel tanks, pretty sure the next shipment of tanks due into dive imports in mt hawthorn will be at a better change rate than the current one.

Consider not even getting a BCD and get a backplate and wing. Its quite cheap, gives you better trim and is modular in case you get into more techie diving later. 

I can see straight off the bat some simple errors I made.  Till: I dont have a bcd anyway and I was slightly positivly buoyant, not enough to make it impossible but difficult, so more weight required for the next dive.  Also Putting the loop between the feelers, I was definately trying to slide it along their side to get behind them.

 My ali tank is quite large (15cu feet I think) and I had forgotten that they are positively buoyant when empty.  I noticed it about 1/2 into the dive, my backplate would ride up and when I stuck my head into a hole from a horizontal position and then I had the primary clunking me in the back of the head/neck.

 Also I forgot my torch which would have made seeing into some of the darker holes easier.  Plenty of rust in my technique and prep, but its good to be back having a crack again!

...have noticed some places sell them in different lengths. It's been my experience that it's better to have a short one (haha, no jokes please)...you will find that a great many crays you come across usually have a rock or some other obstruction directly across from them and a longer loop will simply not fit in to give you the best angle.

Yeah never really been game to buy the longer loop myself.

That siad, done a couple dives recently, one at Hillarys, one at Rotto, would the longer loop would pwn on a few ledges!

Agreed above with the stability wedge yourself in so the surge does not give you to much grief. 

It's been a while but I used to make the loop as small as possible, slide it under them, and have had them just walk over the top of it. then once behind them open the loop and bring it toward you over their tail.

The other thing I've used is the dull hook under the bottom of the belly and skull drag them out.

cheers

as said let all the air out of your bc and lay on the bottom,it doesn't matter witch way you come in on them we come from where ever is the easyest and quickest,feed the loop in behind and open it up ,now the loop doesn't have to be right over the tail as soon as you can get a shot pull the loop don't just let it snap on its own,this way you keep the pressure on all the time,you only need a little bit of tail in the loop and it will hold .dad and I took weeks to get the hang of it thinking the loop would hold them by itself , the crays just kept getting out ,sometimes it is easier to just put your hand under the ledge and grab them ,time and practice. Good luck

Tape a uk 40 the ones that take 4 aa bateries or what ever the number torch is to the loop shaft but have it so it dosent shine through the loop (it will spook them) rather behind it that way you dont need to hold a torch. be carefull when pulling the loop and keeping pressure on the loop as Jessie suggest's as if they are soft shells you can damage them and will die even if you let them go.
better to let the spring go then hold with hust enough pressure to hold but not damage.
Also be paitient wait till the cray has all its legs in the loop so your loop is between the first legs and the carapace.

if you cant catch a cray after all that just keep on trying.... :P

I dont attach a torch to the loop but have a fairly heavy one seperate that i can place in position on the ledge or ground shinning enough light into the area without dirrectly onto the cray so as to spook them...

its heavy enough to sit there without moving and once its set in place you dont have to worry about it scaring the crays untill you move to the next ledge and set it up again :)

I'm going to try a loop mounted snare soon.

I used to use one in my hand but its been a pain lately. The whites are so skittish you just don't have the time to muck around dropping and pointing another tourch

"I'm going to try a loop mounted snare soon."
I hope you mean a loop mounted Torch!

not a fan of torches wen hunting crays, i've always found them to scare them back out of reach. i find the better ledges wen chasing crays epsecially wen starting out are overhangs with a sand bottom. 90% of the time i loop my crays from the sides or guide them out with the loop into a waiting hand. I've found wen moving the loop to the rear of the cray they'll feel around with there feelers for your cray loop as it approches, i've found wen they start touching your loop if ur moving/sliding it back they'll spook, if wen they touch it u keep it motionless they'll just feel it up a bit and go off it as if its a rock or somethin,then start sliding back again. keep your loop retracted wen your moving it behind the cray and open once its positioned. and yea one trick is if its a sandy bottom slide the loop behind the cray by sliding it thru/under the sand then open the loop behind it, a great trick to use too for big sleeping flathead.

My first season i was useless and only bagged 2 crays all year, then as soon as the next season kicked off,i sat back and though about my approach and for some reason i just had it and have been slaying every year since

I had a UKQ40 mounted on my snare, but recently swapped it out for a Impact XL LED.  I prefer the LED and the crays didn't seem more perturbed by it as it is lower in lumens when compared to my main torch which I hunt with.  The beam on the main torch seems to make them back away.

I also use a springless loop and I must admit that at the start I had several get away from me as I did not hold the loop closed tight enough, but it's not an issue anymore.

Tip?  Be patient.  Easier said then done with your first few crays and when ever you see a big one. If you rush and miss that particular opportunity is gone!

I love my cray diving/snaring and once sussed out its very rewarding!

(1) Torch lights dont scare the crays, I use a UK Lightcannon in my hand and a Mini Q40 on my snare!

(2) If ya cannt see them you cant catch em so torch light is good!

(3) If they're backed up in a ledge or hole then normally that mean they're skittish & you aint gonna get em. The 1250mm or 1500mm snare can help but more hinder I've found!

(4) Most crays are in tight spots so the normal 1000mm ideal for most all situations!

(5) The MiniQ 40 cabled tied to my loop is awesome, the new LED ever whiter & longer lasting so better!

(6) I find going side onto the cray better and the "quicker" the better. They will startle at a slow presence i've found but after you have the loop quickly behind them and they realise whats going on you've got em!

(7) I loop quick, I let them walk into my loop with the aid of my torch light and or waving fingers but if that doesnt work then slip up the wire loop and get em....dont fuss around. If you wait too long they WILL shoot through you loop!

(8) Ali tanks on mid air will give ya duck bum (raise up) and pain in the arse when trying to stay level. Steelys the way to go for balance and more air!

(9) Dump air as mentioned and always look at their escape route after getting the loop behind, have your back up plan and use your torch as a road block so to speak!

(10) Relax and suss them out, the cray catch will then come easily!

Works for me, all the best!

PM you Sarcasm0. Might have the gear you need

Scott

Cheers Moylees Brother, Im just looking at funds before christmas. I will let you know if I can afford the gear.