Crayfish Season 2015/16
Submitted by frog.hicks on Fri, 2015-10-02 10:50
Hi All,
Thought I would start a thread for the 2015/16 crayfish season, I have searched the forum for information on using cray pots but thought I would start thread about where you will be getting your crays this year, when you will start dropping your pots and what depths you will be hunting in. This year will be my first year at having a crack dropping the pots, I have all ways gone diving for my crays all have done well off the scarborough reefs in about 14 metres of water. This year due to living further north I will be setting the pots out from Mindarie in about 10-15 metres of water see how we go we will have 4 pots so it will be a bit trial and error trying to find them. What is everybody elses plans to catch crays this year?
carnarvonite
Posts: 8673
Date Joined: 24/07/07
Launching pots
Mate on his first day out of Two Rocks and not familiar with the winch launched one straight off the tipper and over the other side of the boat, picked up the rope and floats and tossed them over the side. Ken, the skipper, told him to bait it next time before circling round to pick it up again.
My worst effort was when pulling shark line up north, a small float we used to warn us that one of the anchors [70cm of railway line weighing approx 25kg] had gone missing, with winch drum cranked up the anchor came flying off the roller, snapped the shark clip holding it to the mainline and went sailing 30 metres in the drink on the other side of the boat. Just lucky the bloke pulling the traces off wasn't in the road when it came through.
Madmerv
Posts: 672
Date Joined: 24/01/15
Lol
What i would give for a winch.. My arms are not what they used to be..
By the time i have the pot at the boat i'm almost to fu---d to pull it in let alone launch it anywhere..
Sometimes when the water is quiet, you can hear the fish laughing at you !
randall df223
Posts: 6454
Date Joined: 08/08/11
Few OSH issues there....
Few OSH issues there....
Fish! HARD!
tangles
Posts: 1367
Date Joined: 17/12/06
reminising
just reminising on times gone past when used to work on the tub with ralph!
I dont thinkit landed up there ralph but took out the spotty n nearly took garth out b4 it exploded on deck!
Hey at least we got the crays outa the pot!! Ahh fun times ralph!
ranmar850
Posts: 2702
Date Joined: 12/08/12
OH&S?
What? Single person handling of an object well in excess of 30kg on a constantly shifting unstable surface, in bare feet, while using a fast turning object with no machine guarding? What's the problem
tangles
Posts: 1367
Date Joined: 17/12/06
lmao
yep!!! What problem! Even better if your wearing thongs!!!!!
carnarvonite
Posts: 8673
Date Joined: 24/07/07
Chasing and biting
Not just pots and crays you have to worry about, what about those lovely brown eels that drop through the bottom of the pots and have a habit of biting your toes.
While shark fishing, the bloke taking doing the clips taking the traces off the mainline would just pull a shark of up to 2 metres straight on deck then slide it across to whoever was cleaning them, still flapping and trying to bite what was in range, seen a few good ones where a bull shark was like a rabid dog chasing the decky round the deck while everyone else is cracking up
randall df223
Posts: 6454
Date Joined: 08/08/11
Just one good sized female
Just one good sized female today but she was heavily tarred so back she went...
Fish! HARD!
Dale
Posts: 7930
Date Joined: 13/09/05
I'm surprised anyone went out this morning, it was blowing it's arse off with a fairly stiff offshore breeze down Rocky way.
"Just because you are a Character, Doesn't mean you have Character."
Mr Wolf
randall df223
Posts: 6454
Date Joined: 08/08/11
We went out at 10 from ocean
We went out at 10 from ocean reef and it was ok to start with but the seabreeze was well and truly in by the time we were coming back in. It was just ok for my young bloke to free dive on a pot stuck in 7m to find the rope is well and truly wrapped around the reef. Will need a dive with scuba when my other deckies arent so hung over.
Fish! HARD!
fishin mad
Posts: 70
Date Joined: 03/05/13
Checked pots today for one
Checked pots today for one size male.Will be checking them on tuesday next.Got the pots in about 15m back of garden island.
D_d_001
Posts: 1522
Date Joined: 09/03/13
yeah we went out today and
yeah we went out today and had a few keepers in the pots couple of huge reds and one lonely white.
hezzy
Posts: 1521
Date Joined: 27/11/09
finally got a free morning
finally got a free morning with good weather
so pots went in pre soaked and baited up to the max
hezzy
OFW 11
evil flourishes when good men do nothing
Paul_86
Posts: 1449
Date Joined: 27/03/09
I spoke to a bloke the other
I spoke to a bloke the other day who told me that after this full moon the crays will start to bury themselves and shed their shells, so there's not much point dropping pots during that period, until they are hard enough to start walking out deep.
Does sound right to the guys in the know or was it just someone's opinion on what may or may not happen?
sphere
Posts: 101
Date Joined: 07/01/15
Cray shells
from what I've seen diving there is a mix of crays in some locations in terms of shell colour and hardness, but also their reaction to the creatures in black suits.
Personally I think it depends where your putting your effort into as to what exactly the crays are doing or will do. Depending upon schedule and who I can go out with or go with ill go anywhere from Geraldton to Margaret river. Generally though I'll fish from Ledge pt to Mandurah. Within the latter zone I reckon the crays run slightly differently and pending time of year is where I'll head to preferably
Taildragger
Posts: 1
Date Joined: 24/10/15
Type of Pots
There are several types of pots out in the market .
What are the better pots to use ?
I notice that many comments have been made about pots that move on the ocean floor generally dont catch .
Some help in this area would be greatly appreciated .
randall df223
Posts: 6454
Date Joined: 08/08/11
The phots on the previous
The phots on the previous page of this thread are my pots that hezzy (a member on this forum) has made for me. Check them out. Good quality and well weighted.
Fish! HARD!
Westy74
Posts: 225
Date Joined: 23/11/13
wood pots. Jarrah frames and
wood pots. Jarrah frames and pine batons, double bait basket and steel base. Get an anode put on to help prevent rust and bolt or tie a railway play on to the base to keep it weighted down.
BA73
Posts: 2
Date Joined: 21/10/15
First time cray season for me, so would be grateful for some adv
ice please.
I have bought some pretty good quality pots (metal base, jarrah frame, pine batons, 2 bait boxes, reasonably heavy ballast - 30kg).
the ropes I purchased are about 28 metres, so from what I have read, way too long chasing the whites but could come in handy as the season goes on. I have looped surplus rope (about 10 m) and cable tied (x 3) about 1 m from the floats. Has anyone used this method - from what I have read, don't want surplus rope around...
thanks
Ashen
Posts: 1042
Date Joined: 22/03/13
All this talk of crayfish
All this talk of crayfish lately has gotten me really curious!
What are "Reds" and "whites"??
And, what does it mean when they "walk"?? I'm thinking to myself "of course they walk, they bloody have legs!" LOL!!
A fish in the hand is worth 10 in the water!
meglodon
Posts: 5981
Date Joined: 17/06/10
Surplus rope
The way you have described is the same way that I and most of the people I fish with use to keep the surplus rope from getting in the way when fishing in shallow water.
Good luck with your craying this seas BA73
BA73
Posts: 2
Date Joined: 21/10/15
Thanks meglodon.
Thanks meglodon.
carnarvonite
Posts: 8673
Date Joined: 24/07/07
Sheepshank and whites and red crays
Haven't you heard about the sheepshank knot, its a way to shorten ropes.
With crayfish, the whites are freshly moulted crays, once finished changing shells they migrate out to deep water, reds are usually the ones that miss the migration and remain in the shallower -under 100 fathoms- depths
Ashen
Posts: 1042
Date Joined: 22/03/13
Thanks for the explanation,
Thanks for the explanation, mate! So I guess Whites will be the favoured catch, especially after they've moulted, they're bigger!
Sea-kem, wheres my 5kg White? Haha
A fish in the hand is worth 10 in the water!
sea-kem
Posts: 15026
Date Joined: 30/11/09
Ha ha when I get him I'll
Ha ha when I get him I'll send you a pic of him on my dinner plate ;)
Love the West!
ranmar850
Posts: 2702
Date Joined: 12/08/12
Whites are easily the best eating
perhaps as they have been fasting, sitting in the sand, no iodine buildup from eating seaweed. Anyway, that was our interpretation. And a 5kg white wouldn't be a white, it would be a fresh-shelled deepwater coralie.
emem
Posts: 14
Date Joined: 25/10/15
Float Colours
Always on the outlook for Craypot Floats when heading out ot check our pots. Just the other day out from Mandurah, almost ran over a double float set, painted either dark grey or dark green. Very hard to see in the conditions and perhaps a good time to raise awareness of the need to have easily visible float colours.
Cheers
meglodon
Posts: 5981
Date Joined: 17/06/10
You can add ropes to that
Some people still have very long ropes on their pots, when you have pots in 5 - 10 metres of water you don't need to have 20 metres of rope hanging across the water IMO.
You can use cable ties or "a sheeps shank knot" if you know how to tie one to shorten the ropes and greatly reduce the risks of having your rope caught up in some ones prop or cut off.
randall df223
Posts: 6454
Date Joined: 08/08/11
I have wite tired a #2
I have wite tired a #2 snapper lead about 2m below my floats (an adaptation of BJ's idea) which keeps tge rope down and away from props.
Fish! HARD!
randall df223
Posts: 6454
Date Joined: 08/08/11
Got four this morning. All
Got four this morning. All keepers.
In the past i have used blue manner crab legs as bait for baldies. Do they like crays legs as well? Just thinking if its worth saving the legs that get thrown off in the handling process?
Fish! HARD!
frog.hicks
Posts: 89
Date Joined: 11/02/14
Good stuff Randall starting
Good stuff Randall starting to pay off.
I've got 0 from two pulls but was during the bloody super moon.
Back onsite now so hoping for some sucess when I'm home on the 5th.
Anybody have any ideas when the whites will start to walk?
randall df223
Posts: 6454
Date Joined: 08/08/11
My deckie thinks all ours
My deckie thinks all ours this morning are whites. Im not so convinced. One or two maybe.
Fish! HARD!
kirky79
Posts: 1354
Date Joined: 13/01/12
Nah
There Reds Randall. You'll know when you've got a White. One has obviously moulted more recently though.
randall df223
Posts: 6454
Date Joined: 08/08/11
Fish! HARD!
randall df223
Posts: 6454
Date Joined: 08/08/11
What about the one on the
What about the one on the left, caught 24 hours later (today), same area:
Fish! HARD!
Notorious
Posts: 914
Date Joined: 23/02/12
Went out for a splash today
Went out for a splash today - both my usual bag out spots had very few crays. Bizzare.
Got a couple jumbos tho.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/174055815943047/?fref=nf
Notorious
Posts: 914
Date Joined: 23/02/12
(No subject)
https://www.facebook.com/groups/174055815943047/?fref=nf
axey45
Posts: 1758
Date Joined: 26/11/13
Nice
Nice
Ashen
Posts: 1042
Date Joined: 22/03/13
Tasty tasty tasty cray!!!
Tasty tasty tasty cray!!! Notorious, lately you must've forgotten how normal meat taste like? I'll swap you those 2 crays for some rib eye steak!! Haha
A fish in the hand is worth 10 in the water!
Notorious
Posts: 914
Date Joined: 23/02/12
I've done well each time I've
I've done well each time I've gone out, theres a few out there! Though I dont really eat much red meat - fish, crays and chicken instead ;)
https://www.facebook.com/groups/174055815943047/?fref=nf
big john
Posts: 8758
Date Joined: 20/07/06
Today
Dropped our pots in today, lets hope this season is as good as the last.
WA based manufacturer and supplier of premium leadhead jigs, fligs, bucktail jigs, 'bulletproof' soft plastic jig heads and XOS bullet jig heads.
Jigs available online in my web store!
frog.hicks
Posts: 89
Date Joined: 11/02/14
Good luck Big John, where
Good luck Big John, where are you fishing out of?
big john
Posts: 8758
Date Joined: 20/07/06
OR
Ocean Reef.
WA based manufacturer and supplier of premium leadhead jigs, fligs, bucktail jigs, 'bulletproof' soft plastic jig heads and XOS bullet jig heads.
Jigs available online in my web store!
Westy74
Posts: 225
Date Joined: 23/11/13
Got the big 0 from 4 pots
Got the big 0 from 4 pots this morning John off OR. Good luck. The big run is a couple of weeks off I reckon ...
randall df223
Posts: 6454
Date Joined: 08/08/11
We got 2 from four pots off
We got 2 from four pots off OR yesterday. Checking again in the morning.
Fish! HARD!
big john
Posts: 8758
Date Joined: 20/07/06
Yep
Might be quiet for a week or two, then hopefully all hell breaks loose.
WA based manufacturer and supplier of premium leadhead jigs, fligs, bucktail jigs, 'bulletproof' soft plastic jig heads and XOS bullet jig heads.
Jigs available online in my web store!
sea-kem
Posts: 15026
Date Joined: 30/11/09
Come on Randall, lift ya
Come on Randall, lift ya game.
Love the West!
randall df223
Posts: 6454
Date Joined: 08/08/11
Hey! We got six on the
Hey! We got six on the weekend ok.
Fish! HARD!
sea-kem
Posts: 15026
Date Joined: 30/11/09
As many goals as Freo on a
As many goals as Freo on a good day lol. Nah the best is yet to come mate and I'm on a mission to get mine out on time.
Love the West!
randall df223
Posts: 6454
Date Joined: 08/08/11
And as long as the boat next
And as long as the boat next to us only got five..... we win
Fish! HARD!
KingToby
Posts: 49
Date Joined: 26/10/15
Any luck
Has anyone had any luck out on the five fathom bank off Rockingham?
Had my pots out there for 4 days last week and only got 3 keepers.
Untill you have the courage to loose sight of land You will never know the terror of been forever lost at sea.
Notorious
Posts: 914
Date Joined: 23/02/12
Yes - loads of luck diving
Yes - loads of luck diving on the FFB for them - havent potted for them tho.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/174055815943047/?fref=nf
Bodie
Posts: 3758
Date Joined: 05/11/07
Pulled our 4 today off Ocean
Pulled our 4 today off Ocean reef (only 2 baited, other 2 soaking) and got our first cray, so atleast got a run on the board.
neither of them were pulled as they were both stuck on the reef, but came off. Can see why people get pots pulled tho, there are pots everywhere at the moment, litterally on top of eachother and so many boats are on the water at 5am (We were 6am) and people get easily dis-heartened if they get no crays, but just dont understand that the start of the season is always slow for potters. Give it 2 weeks.
uncle
Posts: 9490
Date Joined: 10/02/07
1 week
I reakon, ha ha pot city more to come yet
all aggressive fish love bigjohnsjigs
KingToby
Posts: 49
Date Joined: 26/10/15
Thanks Notorious
I might have to dust my dive gear off and get wet.
Thats if the missus dosn't blown a valve, (Shes shark paranoid and dosn't want me in the water)
I work away and only home every second week so i'll have to keep and ear out for when the whites start moving put the pots in then.
Untill you have the courage to loose sight of land You will never know the terror of been forever lost at sea.
azza1
Posts: 199
Date Joined: 30/04/11
0 crays from 2 pulls with 3
0 crays from 2 pulls with 3 pots behind garden island and 1 out at the ffb. Hopefully on the board soon.
Shepheard
Posts: 60
Date Joined: 07/02/15
Two size crays from 4 pots
Two size crays from 4 pots this morning,Weekends not looking good weather wise.
Ninety Mile
Posts: 193
Date Joined: 17/01/12
O/Reef Cray Pulling Partner available
I have 2 rigged pots, a good set of gloves and happy to pay for fuel/biat if anyone is chasing a parner for the morning cray pot runs from Ocean Reef. Not putting my boat through it this year due to selling it so if anyone who has a boat needs an experienced partner i'm reliable for early morning runs and weekends.
Cheers
Jarrod
Harro66
Posts: 1
Date Joined: 29/10/15
JarrodSounds good, I need all
Jarrod
Sounds good, I need all the help I can get .
Neil
randall df223
Posts: 6454
Date Joined: 08/08/11
Our first white this morning
Our first white this morning from ocean reef. And yeah, pots everywhere. Makes coming back in interesting. Almost straight into the sun at 6am. Just got my motor into neutral just in time as we went over someones excess 30m of rope on the surface..... no damage to rope or prop.
Fish! HARD!
kirky79
Posts: 1354
Date Joined: 13/01/12
Nice one Randall
Getting a few.
meglodon
Posts: 5981
Date Joined: 17/06/10
Is this the start of something big
Now for the 64 dollar question is this the leader of the white run Hmmm.
Marineboy
Posts: 845
Date Joined: 14/03/14
White
sorry guys I don't think that is a white, whites are white not pink.
My spots are so secret even the fish don't know about them !
uncle
Posts: 9490
Date Joined: 10/02/07
Yeah
Dont think it is either.wont be long ha ha you will know when you get a white
all aggressive fish love bigjohnsjigs
Hutch
Posts: 2221
Date Joined: 21/04/13
Ive always wondered what
Ive always wondered what fisheries would do, theoretically, if you didn't have the correct information on floats or incorrect pot dimensions, etc? Would they confiscate the pot or just empty the bait and chuck the empty pot back in?
Hopefully I'll get the chance to chuck some pots in the next couple weeks
meglodon
Posts: 5981
Date Joined: 17/06/10
Not a white you say
Bugger I was hoping it was the start of the run.
Now just a question just where are all these white crays going to come from if they aren't on the reefs at the moment.
randall df223
Posts: 6454
Date Joined: 08/08/11
I have a diffetent opinion
I have a diffetent opinion that it is a white and that opinion suits me
Fish! HARD!
uncle
Posts: 9490
Date Joined: 10/02/07
Ha ha randell
You will know when you get one.so will we!
all aggressive fish love bigjohnsjigs
out wide
Posts: 1535
Date Joined: 30/12/08
Hey Hutch this is more than
Hey Hutch this is more than likely what they will do...warn you to sort your gear out and then in a week or so they will be back and if you havent sorted it..goodbye pot
sea-kem
Posts: 15026
Date Joined: 30/11/09
Yep they don't fuck around.
Love the West!
Hutch
Posts: 2221
Date Joined: 21/04/13
Yep, that's what I thought
out wide
Posts: 1535
Date Joined: 30/12/08
I know this is true because
I know this is true because it happend to me LOL. and hello Andy have you have recovered from grand final day?.. Dont worry you will be alright soon mate..it takes time..
hezzy
Posts: 1521
Date Joined: 27/11/09
fisheries they used to use
fisheries they used to use water proof tags tied onto your pot or floats /rope years ago ,to warn advise you ... had one left on a stick pot back in the early 90s , with a short note to advise the escape gap was obstructed by the cane that had shifted once it was in the water and in use over many weeks towards the end of the winter season
not sure of they still do this ,back then I brought the pot home to make repairs
hezzy
OFW 11
evil flourishes when good men do nothing
randall df223
Posts: 6454
Date Joined: 08/08/11
Had this decided one of my
Had this decided one of my pots was a nice place to take up residence...
Fish! HARD!
Notorious
Posts: 914
Date Joined: 23/02/12
Wobbegong - cray indicator
Wobbegong - cray indicator species, always see them together on the same ground. Also heard Wobby's hang with crays to catch the Ocky's that like to eat crays.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/174055815943047/?fref=nf
Shepheard
Posts: 60
Date Joined: 07/02/15
what about the port
what about the port jackson's,got 4 this morning.
randall df223
Posts: 6454
Date Joined: 08/08/11
Nice to see familiar faces
Nice to see familiar faces at OR ramp this morning BJ and Uncle.
Fish! HARD!
big john
Posts: 8758
Date Joined: 20/07/06
Rush
In a bit of a rush, sorry I didn't get a chance to say hi.
WA based manufacturer and supplier of premium leadhead jigs, fligs, bucktail jigs, 'bulletproof' soft plastic jig heads and XOS bullet jig heads.
Jigs available online in my web store!
randall df223
Posts: 6454
Date Joined: 08/08/11
So was i some of us have to
So was i
some of us have to work!
Fish! HARD!
Paul_86
Posts: 1449
Date Joined: 27/03/09
How did you fellas go this
How did you fellas go this morning? Any luck?
randall df223
Posts: 6454
Date Joined: 08/08/11
Donut for us. Uncle and BJ
Donut for us. Uncle and BJ got three i think
Fish! HARD!
Paul_86
Posts: 1449
Date Joined: 27/03/09
Spewen, you heading out
Spewen, you heading out Saturday morning? I'll be down there about 5:30am, I might go chase some whitting after checking the pots
randall df223
Posts: 6454
Date Joined: 08/08/11
I think its sunday for us
I think its sunday for us due to availability of deckies (and licence holders). If i go saturday, ill only be pulling my two pots.
Fish! HARD!
Paul_86
Posts: 1449
Date Joined: 27/03/09
Fair enough mate. good luck
Fair enough mate. good luck for Sunday!
big john
Posts: 8758
Date Joined: 20/07/06
Saturday
Saturday pull, Sunday pull and stuck pot retrieval.
WA based manufacturer and supplier of premium leadhead jigs, fligs, bucktail jigs, 'bulletproof' soft plastic jig heads and XOS bullet jig heads.
Jigs available online in my web store!
Paul_86
Posts: 1449
Date Joined: 27/03/09
Might see you down there,
Might see you down there, I'll keep an eye out for you. I'll be in a white 480 quintrex coast runner and a blue dual cab hilux.
big john
Posts: 8758
Date Joined: 20/07/06
.
WA based manufacturer and supplier of premium leadhead jigs, fligs, bucktail jigs, 'bulletproof' soft plastic jig heads and XOS bullet jig heads.
Jigs available online in my web store!
randall df223
Posts: 6454
Date Joined: 08/08/11
What time sunday are you
What time sunday are you unsticking your pot? We are hoping to unstick one as well?
Fish! HARD!
big john
Posts: 8758
Date Joined: 20/07/06
Gentlemens launching
Both days, just after 7am. The Fishwrecker who retrieved my anchor has offered his service, I'm going to sit on the boat for a while whilst he does a cray dive afterwards.
WA based manufacturer and supplier of premium leadhead jigs, fligs, bucktail jigs, 'bulletproof' soft plastic jig heads and XOS bullet jig heads.
Jigs available online in my web store!
Kal
Posts: 160
Date Joined: 30/04/07
Any one getting any crays
Any one getting any crays behind Garden Island, my pots have been out there for a few weeks now ,with nothing to show for it ,last time moved them out further to the five fathom .thinking of pulling them out and moving them to hillarys area. If I get nothing today.