Cray pot rant
Apologies in advance for the sook.
Have had my pots on a spot about 6mile off Hillary's for a while now, bagging out easy every pull.
Went to pull them today, upon approaching noticed a big boat pretty damn close to where my pots would be. No biggy, we all share the ocean. If I wasn't in an 18 footer in shit conditions I would have high tailed it there just incase something suss was going on. They didn't move until we got pretty close and were heading straight for them, then they were off in a flash.
Pulled the first pot right where they had been, nothing and no bait (heart breaking when we were expecting plenty haha) but we didn't jump to conclusions just yet. Pulled the second pot and though had thinned out from previous pulls, we still got 8.
Its pretty obvious that we scared them off before they got to the next pot. I cant believe how you can put in all the hard work finding a spot out in the middle of nowhere so you don't get robbed and some rich b&$@ard probably on the way home from his awesome weekend at rotto in his 40 foot boat decides hel cap it off with a few free Crays.
Does this happen often?
It was heart breaking enough pulling them up from 33m by hand empty, but knowing you'd been robbed was a kick in the nuts (he probably had a which too haha)
Anyway thanks for the vent, I feel better now, or maybe that's the beer.
Cheers gray
axey45
Posts: 1758
Date Joined: 26/11/13
FARK ME. a holes not only do
FARK ME. a holes not only do they have to swomp ya but rob ya aswell bozuka at the ready!
meglodon
Posts: 5981
Date Joined: 17/06/10
I know how you feel
I have had the same (well very near) experience. We went out very early 0600 to our pots and as we approached the pots the ocean was covered with a big oil slick, the type you get when you bring your pots to the surface and you are using mullet for bait. To me it was obvious that our pots had been pulled this was confirmed by all the pots being barren where as we had been getting 6-8 each pull now nothing. I really don't have an answer on how to stop it happening, but I think you have to be a real low life to rob other peoples pots. I do know what I'll do if I catch some one actually pulling my pots and I'm quite prepared to pay the price for my actions with a smile and the satisfaction of knowing that the scum bags will never ever think of pot raiding again.
axey45
Posts: 1758
Date Joined: 26/11/13
Yeah like ramm them then ask
Yeah like ramm them then ask questions later, its gettin that way it shits me to tears!
Gray
Posts: 140
Date Joined: 10/02/11
Haha yeah ram em, a chip in
Haha yeah ram em, a chip in my gel coat would only add to the character, would be devastating for him in his beauty
tangles
Posts: 1367
Date Joined: 17/12/06
photos
get photos of their boat mate. if not bluff them and tell them that you have photos of them pulling the pot and fisheries will be informed and see what happens! or get on ch 80 and inform all the boats out on the water of the vessel that pulled your pot and give them all their boat name and or description! that should sort them out when they get back to the wharf! especially that fisheries monitor the channels!
axey45
Posts: 1758
Date Joined: 26/11/13
Make shaw any escapees are
Make shaw any escapees are Run over before they get to shore, no witnesses then!
axey45
Posts: 1758
Date Joined: 26/11/13
OHH im hungrey n the mrs
OHH im hungrey n the mrs better go n cook the harli then. ron
Michael Yoni
Posts: 603
Date Joined: 02/01/11
Big assumption really.
Big assumption really.
What if it was someone else and by co-incidence they were there.
When going your pots and suspecting that I would have "drifted" and pretend to be fishing in the area and if you saw them pull up a pot which you suspected was yours then hi-tail to them and catch them red handed. At 33 metres how long would it take roughly to pull a pot up. A minute or two. So as they started to pull it up you start to motor towards them whilst videoing them.
So they were close to your pots (floats) but not near enough to pull one up. In a 40 footer they would need a grappling hook surely (or gaff ??) to get to the rope.
Like Tangles said, photo them or video them in the act.
Gray
Posts: 140
Date Joined: 10/02/11
Fair pointI just assumed it
Fair point
I just assumed it was them cause one pot was empty and the other wasn't. If I was gonna pull some ones pots I'd pull both, especially if the first one had some in it.
You should never assume but I tell ya they would be very high on my suspect list.
Hell maybe only one pot had crays in it even though they were both on the edge of the same Bomby and have been getting results.
Either way I haven't named the boat, I have vented and feel better, and I hope he's enjoying them whoever he is and whichever boat he was in, he obviously wanted them more than me.
meglodon
Posts: 5981
Date Joined: 17/06/10
Your post is logical and sound Michael
But it just gets you (me) so wound up and angry at people who do this stuff. I have reported to Fisheries an incident some years back that I witnessed and was basically told being the only witness to the activity was not good enough to charge the person involved as eye witness accounts especially if there is only one just isn't good enough to go to court on. A very frustrating situation.
squidder
Posts: 457
Date Joined: 03/09/10
Cable grease
on the ropes about 3m from the pot and once that's on the offenders hull there is some serious work needed to remove.
But on saying that, we suspected our pots were being looked at so we changed our inspection times from arvo to mid-morning.
We sat up in the hills with bino's and inspected a couple in a boat pulling our pots. We watched in awe but came up with a plan.
Casually we met at the ramp and found it to be a couple of OLD codgers who came straight out and admitted what they were doing, bit taken aback at first but we made the suggestion that they share the crays or we go to the fisheries.
Well guess what, we walked away with our share and they agreed to pull their pots and bugger off.
Mind you the old barstards had probably pulled a few others pots as well.
crasny1
Posts: 7003
Date Joined: 16/10/08
In your case
I would have taken the crays, AND still reported them to fisheries.
The nomads (not all) at Point sampson are well known to "trade" Mudcrabs for other food, basically raping the crabs in what is an illegal activity. Was reported to fisheries and they acted. Didnt hear off that happening again after that.
"I would like to die on Mars. Just not on impact!!" _ Elon Musk
squidder
Posts: 457
Date Joined: 03/09/10
The Grey brigade
were in the Muddy trade in Darwin big time thanks to a particular breed of buyers.
Then it went to shit, fines galore and most were from QLD.
And we did mention the incident to the appropriate people.
Subaquatic
Posts: 514
Date Joined: 23/04/11
Too kind. I dont care how
Too kind. I dont care how old, or disadvantaged you are. Touch my pots, and Ill break your arm, no questions asked.
crasny1
Posts: 7003
Date Joined: 16/10/08
By the way
Does anyone know the size of fine for pulling others pots. I think its a pretty diplorable low life act.
"I would like to die on Mars. Just not on impact!!" _ Elon Musk
axey45
Posts: 1758
Date Joined: 26/11/13
Off with there hands, im not
Off with there hands, im not sure but obviously not enough.
squidder
Posts: 457
Date Joined: 03/09/10
Infringements
for pulling other peoples pots can be as little as $100 to $200 then up to $5000 depending on the circumstances.
Don't know about "Off with the hands" but maybe "Off with the trailer."
carnarvonite
Posts: 8673
Date Joined: 24/07/07
Two Rocks pot puller
There was a chap who had a habit of pulling others pots off Two Rocks years back. Someone watched him pull his pots through binoculars from up on the hill then went down and set fire to his car.
Another boater pulled up alongside the pot puller and let him know that he had been spotted and what was burning in the car park, two weeks later he had sold his Yanchep house and long gone, never to be seen there again.
axey45
Posts: 1758
Date Joined: 26/11/13
Bit harsh but it worked, he
Bit harsh but it worked, he wont do it ere again lol.
tangles
Posts: 1367
Date Joined: 17/12/06
hoon style
possibly a hoon style impounding of your boat and trailor. im sure if you had your boat confiscated for a period and a 3 strikes rule by fisheries it could stop this pathetic act! the thought of losing your boat for a period or even worse if its not your boat and the owner finds out might holt them!
The best time to check your pots either way is at the crack of dawn as we do up here then if some idiot pulls them after they are empty anyway! I wouldn't like to be a pot puller up here and get caught that's for sure.
axey45
Posts: 1758
Date Joined: 26/11/13
Only jokin bout off with
Only jokin bout off with hands, that sounds like a good idea take there boat all fishing gear too.
meglodon
Posts: 5981
Date Joined: 17/06/10
All to often the oldies think the law doesn't apply to them
I have witnessed a couple of oldies (70 - 80 +) taking excessive numbers of fish from the Mandurah cut. On each occasion when I have fronted them the excuse has been the same "come on mate I'm only taking a few extra for my fellow age homes mates". Not bloody good enough, we are all going to get old some day and having someone share their catch is a nice gesture, but. You are not being a good mate if you take 2 - 3 dozen that's right dozen extra, it's not all right.
It is my belief that we have an obligation to our future generations that there will be enough stocks of fish to ensure they can enjoy the same pleasure of fishing and eating fresh fish that we do.
As for lifting other people pots and plundering the catch, don't let me catch you doing it or Fisheries are going to be informed straight after I have explained to you in a very clear manner why you should not do it.