Crayfish season 2016/17
Submitted by merdel12 on Mon, 2016-10-10 06:24
So its getting to that time of the year when facebook and fishwrecked become swamped with pictures and questions about crays. considering the success of last year's thread I thought we'd get another one going. It was my first time last year potting and I learnt alot from other members on this site which really helped me out. So who's going out again this year? Diving? Potting? I've already upgraded and got myself a nice winch and tipper after the struggles of last season, so hopefully it pays off!
scotto
Posts: 2470
Date Joined: 21/04/08
diving
will be nudging the jumbos again this year, although with the water temp as cold, and visibility as shit as what it is, I doubt I'll be getting in the water until mid/late November.
petermac
Posts: 2946
Date Joined: 03/03/10
hey scotto
are you free diving or on air woudnt mind a free dive but i would be lucky to get 7/8 meters these days
scotto
Posts: 2470
Date Joined: 21/04/08
A bit of both pdiddymac
but my shallowest ground is at least 12-14m
sea-kem
Posts: 14853
Date Joined: 30/11/09
Yeah I won't be dropping
Yeah I won't be dropping till late mid November too. Got heaps of stinky bait to get em going. Can't wait to taste the first succulent boiled cray.
Love the West!
Paj man
Posts: 359
Date Joined: 16/09/12
Back from site for 4 days every 2 weeks
Going to have a few dives end Oct - mid Nov then put the pots out and hopefully catch a coupe of weekends of whites running. Only difference is this year I have to pot SOR rather than Hillaries last year.
aka Nick
merdel12
Posts: 306
Date Joined: 19/07/12
Be prepared to go alot
Be prepared to go alot further offshore if your heading out from Freo!
Paj man
Posts: 359
Date Joined: 16/09/12
Roger that
Probably going to start around Stragglers at first and if no luck then push back to ffb
aka Nick
little johnny
Posts: 5329
Date Joined: 04/12/11
Heaps around in close
Atm. Going to be big run I would think. To cold for me atm. Be waiting for temp to increase:):) getting soft
dodgy
Posts: 4563
Date Joined: 01/02/10
Might get back in the water
Might get back in the water for a couple of early season dives then sit it out till the season picks up steam a bit.
Does anyone know where the love of god goes, when the waves turn the minutes to hours?
Anyfishwilldo (not verified)
Posts: 23
Date Joined: 01/01/70
I'll be potting out from
I'll be potting out from mandurah/rockingham this year. Hopefully teaming up with another person. Will be using freshly caught mullet for crab/cray bait this year to keep the cost down.
birky
Posts: 34
Date Joined: 27/03/11
Going to commit to cray 2016/2017 season
Thanks for starting the thread. After a few years of talking about it, this year I'm going to commit to a cray season. Installed a winch and tipper 2 years ago and never really used it. I'm looking forward to getting some good info and posting some myself.
sea-kem
Posts: 14853
Date Joined: 30/11/09
What area are you fishing
Love the West!
randall df223
Posts: 6454
Date Joined: 08/08/11
Yep. I am back in this
Yep. I am back in this year. Teaming up with Eric (from this forum) and a couple of fi fo young guys. Will be working 6 pots out of Ocean Reef.
Installed a pot tipper a few weeks back. Next year will be a winch !
Fish! HARD!
merdel12
Posts: 306
Date Joined: 19/07/12
Hey Randall I got the exact
Hey Randall I got the exact same Tipper I think from beewise? Did you reinforce the side gun wale where the rod holders go into the boat? I threw a pot on mine the other day and although solid there was a bit of flex. Just wondering how it'd go out in the rough stuff with the boat Jerking around
randall df223
Posts: 6454
Date Joined: 08/08/11
No i havent. Mine is pretty
No i havent. Mine is pretty solid and a tight fit into the holders. My thoughts are there will always be someone attending to or watching the pot while it is on the tipper.
Fish! HARD!
Bryce Day
Posts: 812
Date Joined: 01/06/15
I'm in, rain hail or shine.
I'm in, rain hail or shine.
birky
Posts: 34
Date Joined: 27/03/11
Hi sea-kem
Fishing out of Freo/Woodies. Happy to venture to Rockingham if required. My cousin has been fishing for crays around Rotto for years and has it pretty well nailed. It's a bit of a mission getting info out of him though.
sea-kem
Posts: 14853
Date Joined: 30/11/09
Ha ha always the way,
Ha ha always the way, welcome to the site by the way. Post some pics if you get into them.
Love the West!
tiimmbo
Posts: 694
Date Joined: 16/08/09
I plan loading up some tanks
I plan loading up some tanks and chasing them first chance I get.
Vinesh87
Posts: 2751
Date Joined: 02/04/11
Yep see ya out there!
Yep see ya out there!
ace rimmer
Posts: 187
Date Joined: 19/08/13
diving out of Mindarie
willbe diving out of Mindarie again, my usual dive buddy has shifted down to Bunbury so any other divers that want to team up send me a PM cheers Ace
Jonstruct
Posts: 13
Date Joined: 08/03/11
Will be my first go of it
Will be my first go of it this year potting out of hillarys, gonna drop them in on Sunday. I've heard the season starts off a bit slow but hoping to get the technique down before they start running.
Swompa
Posts: 3783
Date Joined: 14/10/12
Anyone ever had luck at
Anyone ever had luck at Minden Reef? I know it is like leaving a $50 note on the pavement in Hay St but considering the structure, I have wondered about setting an almost dead, not worth stealing pot there.
Dale
Posts: 7930
Date Joined: 13/09/05
I used to swim out and dive on Minden when I was a kid. Used to always be crays there. The general consensus was they were under size crays tossed over board by the dodgy cray fisherman when they would hear on the radio that fisheries were at the wharf in the fishing boat harbour.
"Just because you are a Character, Doesn't mean you have Character."
Mr Wolf
Ben85
Posts: 442
Date Joined: 20/11/11
myself and brother will be
myself and brother will be hitting ocean reef pretty hard with the pots from mid November. Once the run dies down after 3-4 weeks and water warms up a bit we'll start diving again. Still a bit gun shy though after recent events in Mindarie where we did most of our diving.
D_DOUSH
Posts: 497
Date Joined: 23/12/07
Best advice I can give you
Best advice I can give you is use quality bait. Blue macks and orange roughy heads are the winning combination. Use the roughy as a holding bait and half a blue Mack. All the oil is in the roughy bones so leave them in there. We use half a blue Mack per pot and this gets changed every pull regarding if it's been eaten or not. New roughy head goes on about every 4 days.
merdel12
Posts: 306
Date Joined: 19/07/12
Also don't use freshly
Also don't use freshly caught fish in your pots....because I found out it attracts these guys :(
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sea-kem
Posts: 14853
Date Joined: 30/11/09
Pretty good feed there
Pretty good feed there
Love the West!
Jackfrost80
Posts: 8048
Date Joined: 07/05/12
Yeah I agree. Rather that
Yeah I agree. Rather that than an esky full of cockroaches
Officially off the Pies bandwagon
scano
Posts: 1246
Date Joined: 31/05/07
Bloody hell
thats a lot of wobby's!
they can be a wright pain in the bum to get out of the pot at times also!
birky
Posts: 34
Date Joined: 27/03/11
Best place to get cray bait
Hi All, could some of you please give me an idea about the best place to buy good quality cray bait. Cheers
randall df223
Posts: 6454
Date Joined: 08/08/11
North of river - shorecatch
North of river - shorecatch in wangara (site sponsor)
Fish! HARD!
merdel12
Posts: 306
Date Joined: 19/07/12
Complete angler in nedlands
Complete angler in nedlands has a special on tuna heads this week only. $15 per 5kg carton, that's 5 bucks off
birky
Posts: 34
Date Joined: 27/03/11
Cray bait
Thanks randall, i will check them out
Jackfrost80
Posts: 8048
Date Joined: 07/05/12
Was having a chat to Mick C
Was having a chat to Mick C today and sounds like he's planning on going all out to supply bait this cray season from Shorevatch.
Officially off the Pies bandwagon
sea-kem
Posts: 14853
Date Joined: 30/11/09
Wise move, from what I'm
Wise move, from what I'm hearing everyman and his dog will be out there come the whites
Love the West!
no fish
Posts: 8
Date Joined: 09/12/14
pulled pots
yes it is the start. you just need to watch out for pot pullers the scum of the earth. I have had pots at killys for years and never had no pot pullers.then some dicks started pulling pots in the last two years
randall df223
Posts: 6454
Date Joined: 08/08/11
Knowing most thieves are
Knowing most thieves are opportunistic lazy pricks, i went with full size steel based jarrah / pine slats with an extra ballast plate and my id engraved into the frame (see pic above - thanks hezzy). My deckies complain every fucking time they have to pull the bastards by hand up from 20 metres!
If a thieving pot puller does actually lift my pot off the bottom, he is confronted with my id staring back at him when they get it to the surface.
Might not save the crays, but might just save my pots from going walkabout.
Fish! HARD!
Jackfrost80
Posts: 8048
Date Joined: 07/05/12
If they were that upset
If they were that upset they'd buy you a winch
Officially off the Pies bandwagon
frog4364
Posts: 11
Date Joined: 17/08/10
Craypots..
Wood...Plastic...Metal...Foldup...Pine...Jarrah...Cheapest place to buy...????
randall df223
Posts: 6454
Date Joined: 08/08/11
If you want pots that will
If you want pots that will catch crays, go steel base jarrah frame pine slats. Pros use that style for a reason.
If you go plastic make sure you weight them properly. They have a yendency to "walk" and / or roll.
Fish! HARD!
Bryce Day
Posts: 812
Date Joined: 01/06/15
Who sells the cheapest blue
Who sells the cheapest blue macks in the south west?
merdel12
Posts: 306
Date Joined: 19/07/12
How south are we talking
How south are we talking
Bryce Day
Posts: 812
Date Joined: 01/06/15
Albany to bunbury, found a
Albany to bunbury, found a place in Perth, 10kg for $30.00. Best I've seen.
JacksonL
Posts: 108
Date Joined: 24/06/14
Where is that?
Where is that?
JacksonL
Posts: 108
Date Joined: 24/06/14
Where is that?
Where is that?
merdel12
Posts: 306
Date Joined: 19/07/12
Pretty sure he's talking
Pretty sure he's talking about the bait box in Malaga? Search tuna heads on perth gumtree and you'll see everything they sell
Bryce Day
Posts: 812
Date Joined: 01/06/15
Yep that's the one in
Yep that's the one in Malaga
JacksonL
Posts: 108
Date Joined: 24/06/14
Cheers
cheers
uncle
Posts: 9349
Date Joined: 10/02/07
Commonsense
We can freeze just the tails from today
all aggressive fish love bigjohnsjigs
Bryce Day
Posts: 812
Date Joined: 01/06/15
Blowing 25 knots, I take back
Blowing 25 knots, I take back what I said before about the rain, hail or shine bit. My shed sounds heaps better
bradz
Posts: 693
Date Joined: 29/10/07
Just tails
Hi Uncle
Where did you see that? Can you provide a link?
I did then the best that I knew how. When I knew better, I did better.
bradz
Posts: 693
Date Joined: 29/10/07
Just checked
Hi Uncle
I just checked with Fisheries Head Office and they said you must store them whole unless being prepared for immediate consumption.
Where did you hear that you could store just the tails?
I did then the best that I knew how. When I knew better, I did better.
bradz
Posts: 693
Date Joined: 29/10/07
Awesome
Well bugger me. The lady from fisheries just called me back. Media statement just released confirming what Uncle said. You can store just the tails.
I did then the best that I knew how. When I knew better, I did better.
hezzy
Posts: 1519
Date Joined: 27/11/09
lol yeh not cray pot setting
lol yeh not cray pot setting weather today down south bryce
working in the shed is a much better plan
hezzy
OFW 11
evil flourishes when good men do nothing
uncle
Posts: 9349
Date Joined: 10/02/07
Trust me
Now I can do it legally, ice cream container 4 tails frozen in sea water and thats it.
all aggressive fish love bigjohnsjigs
bradz
Posts: 693
Date Joined: 29/10/07
Doubt
Should never have doubted you.
I need to ask, why freeze them in sea water?
I did then the best that I knew how. When I knew better, I did better.
little johnny
Posts: 5329
Date Joined: 04/12/11
Uncle spot on
Stops freezer burn . Last for well over 12 months . Taste as fresh as the day they where caught. Put frozen block in pot when in thaws out boil as normal. Legal now easy storage
sparrow
Posts: 119
Date Joined: 04/02/13
That sounds like a good way
That sounds like a good way to do it. Another way if freezer space is an issue i use a foam tray and put 3 on it then vac seal it up. No freezer burn and compact. Just make aure spiky underside is on the tray.
Hand over fist!
Bryce Day
Posts: 812
Date Joined: 01/06/15
Well after a dismal day at
Well after a dismal day at the Manjimup rifle range (shit shooting on my behalf) I bashed out and set the pots. Full moon so not liking my chances but I set them on the hard caves and swell is up a bit and the water is dirty. Fingers crossed
merdel12
Posts: 306
Date Joined: 19/07/12
Let us know how you go
Let us know how you go
Mitch88
Posts: 181
Date Joined: 23/09/14
C'mon Bryce away at work
C'mon Bryce away at work eagerly awaiting crays pics, floatel is waiting for you.
Bryce Day
Posts: 812
Date Joined: 01/06/15
Maybe if the Crays were
Maybe if the Crays were in500m I'd have a better chance. Got nothing. But I have employed the services of the bunbury tug boat master/x cray fisherman/porn star. Moved the pots a bit shallower and a little harder ground. Can't wait to sss you either Mitch.
birky
Posts: 34
Date Joined: 27/03/11
5 fathom report
I dropped 4 pots in out from woodies on Sunday in 12meters in a hole on top of 5 fathom bank. Pulled them today got a fat zero. Moved them to edge of bank will let y'all know how we go.
little johnny
Posts: 5329
Date Joined: 04/12/11
To deep
Crays shoreline atm.
birky
Posts: 34
Date Joined: 27/03/11
Thx little johnny
Thanks mate, will move in closer if we pull low numbers and let y'all know
sea-kem
Posts: 14853
Date Joined: 30/11/09
Mine go in around 5-7m max
Mine go in around 5-7m max for most the season Birky. We get the whites then the resident reds, but I think you might have to follow them a bit metro.
Love the West!
KingToby
Posts: 49
Date Joined: 26/10/15
I know its early days
Any reports out of Rockingham yet?
Untill you have the courage to loose sight of land You will never know the terror of been forever lost at sea.
KingToby
Posts: 49
Date Joined: 26/10/15
I'm With Litte johnny
Had them on the bank this time last year . same result as you, definitely bring them in a bit
Untill you have the courage to loose sight of land You will never know the terror of been forever lost at sea.
randall df223
Posts: 6454
Date Joined: 08/08/11
Ours are in 7 - 9 metres off
Ours are in 7 - 9 metres off ocean reef. Went in sunday. First pull tomorrow morning. Using blue macs. Will report tomorrow.
Fish! HARD!
Bryce Day
Posts: 812
Date Joined: 01/06/15
they are still out deep!!!!!
they are still out deep!!!!!
randall df223
Posts: 6454
Date Joined: 08/08/11
First check after three
First check after three nights. Only pulled 4 pots for 30+ crays. 24 kept (3 licences)
Fish! HARD!
hezzy
Posts: 1519
Date Joined: 27/11/09
nice work randall !!! worth
nice work randall !!!
worth the early trip out with that lot
keep going like that and you wont need to chase the whites lol
hezzy
OFW 11
evil flourishes when good men do nothing
merdel12
Posts: 306
Date Joined: 19/07/12
Hey Randall nice catch. This
Hey Randall nice catch. This early on are your pots right on the reef or are you placing them on sand next to Reef?
uncle
Posts: 9349
Date Joined: 10/02/07
Yep well done
Randall and crew
all aggressive fish love bigjohnsjigs
crasny1
Posts: 6986
Date Joined: 16/10/08
Hey Randall
That's a better start than the Dockers had this season!!!!!
"I would like to die on Mars. Just not on impact!!" _ Elon Musk
bradz
Posts: 693
Date Joined: 29/10/07
Good work
I saw you coming back in on Sunday at the ramp and thought you were keen to be getting in this early, particularly with the full moon.
What do they say about the early bird and the worm.
Were you on the reef or in the sand?
I did then the best that I knew how. When I knew better, I did better.
little johnny
Posts: 5329
Date Joined: 04/12/11
Exellent start
Heaps tucked in close. Dive yesterday . I wonder if the whites will go early??
randall df223
Posts: 6454
Date Joined: 08/08/11
The pots are meant to be on
The pots are meant to be on the sand right next to the reef.
Fish! HARD!
Sandgroper-WA
Posts: 125
Date Joined: 27/02/11
Went diving on Tuesday and
Bryce Day
Posts: 812
Date Joined: 01/06/15
No setose yet, late walk!
No setose yet, late walk! Fish hard country if you want to! Don't worry about losing gear!
randall df223
Posts: 6454
Date Joined: 08/08/11
Setose the hairy ones or the
Setose the hairy ones or the tar spot? We threw a few hairy ones back yesterday, but didnt see a tar spot.
Fish! HARD!
scottnofish
Posts: 1617
Date Joined: 28/08/07
Nice work
How was the new tipper .just put one on myself but yet to try it
randall df223
Posts: 6454
Date Joined: 08/08/11
Only used it to set the pots.
Only used it to set the pots. Had a carby start flooding while we wer out there so the boat has been at the mechanics. Used Eric's boat to pull the pots on wednesday. (He has a tipper and a winch!)
It is certainly a nice working platform.
Fish! HARD!
Swompa
Posts: 3783
Date Joined: 14/10/12
First dive of the season.
First dive of the season. Ended with 8 on one tank. Heaps around under 5m off Rockingham.
merdel12
Posts: 306
Date Joined: 19/07/12
Going for a dive off garden
Going for a dive off garden island tomorrow. Will see how we go
little johnny
Posts: 5329
Date Joined: 04/12/11
Same as Swompa
5 mins . 3.5 meters rocko . Big reds . Very very sluggish and slow targets underwater atm . And very cold .easy pickings.
Swompa
Posts: 3783
Date Joined: 14/10/12
Yep, noticed that some were
Yep, noticed that some were super sluggish and some were off as they soon the torch.
birky
Posts: 34
Date Joined: 27/03/11
Some success
Got 8 keepers yesterday in around 15-18m back of garden island. Same spot today, only 2 keepers. Thrown about 30 back undersize over the two days.
Sandgroper-WA
Posts: 125
Date Joined: 27/02/11
No swell today, so managed
No swell today, so managed our limit (16) in one dive. Out in 26m behind Garden Island.