I have been starting to think about them I didn't realise that the full moon in November was so early I usually feel that the whites are cranking in the pots on the full moon, not so sure this year. 

 Spent yesterday arvo building another pot, just got to hunt up some ballast to put in it and another one I finished last week, then its sit and wait till after the next full moon

Been years since I gave pots a bash so be interesting to see if  I have forgotten how to catch the buggers

Have forgot . I just started getting mine ready . Buying 1 box of macky and box of heads . That’s it .Taking them out just before December . Otherwise waste bait . Do a few dives prior to check on white/red ratio. With pros getting low prices all year could be good run.

 Got $20kg of roughy heads from Shore catch and got some floats of them aswell. It's gonna be a bumper year! Crays in 8 m of Mindarie last new moon. Cray guys soaking out of freo and Mandurah there already pulling!

 i got some metal for ballast 

SOR  free

go, bring it on 

go, bring it on 

The last few years have been sooo good I've pretty much been spoilt and am a little crayed out you could say lol (a genetically modified half waygu/cray fish would be good) - will only put my pots out a few days during the run for a few chrissy crays and that's it for me.
What a great fishery we have on our doorstep.
Hopefully we get the demersals sorted out with a plan forward that runs with my similar sentiment with the crays.

 Checked out a likely ledge last Sunday, too far for me to reach with my loop, but under there was the biggest cray I've ever seen.  Thought it was a species of crab I didn't know about at first, as all I could see were his legs.  Fkn huge.

Went out and bought a much longer loop yesterday, so hopefully if I come across any more I won't have any excuse.

Not too many others kicking around in the shallows, so hopefully they come in soon from the deep.

Going to check out some more ground this weekend.

 My son works at one of the co-ops and has been told the work is cranking right up in the next week or two. Which is what they've been saying for the last 3 or 4 weeks!

 I'm getting too soft as well, still too cold for me at the moment. 

A look this weekend prior to going on family sick leave. If everyone hates loosing pots do 1 thing . Put a small crab float cork 4 meters down ( splice tie Knott doesn’t matter) put 3 to 4 links of big gauge chain on rope ( slides down)Then do floats as normal . No shit hit float anyway you like Any speed .your hull pushes away float and rope ( keeps them away from props and rope cutters on pro boats ) if by any chance is does happen ( very dought full. You can always see small cork ( chain slides of ) little cork floats . Makes for safer boating also . If someone hits your weighted lead ropes and smashes floats of . Bye bye pot . Seen many brand new pots on bottom over years ( can’t touch them) or retrieve them . Small cork ( not classed as float) . Must be big linked chain so it slides off . Saves loosing pots and any stuffing up gear boxes .

 I see pots with cut ropes when diving all the time. Am sure some pots gets knicked, moved etc but there are heaps that just get cut off.

And you are not allowed to salvage them.. Dave willow I know rules states 20 meters or more must be waited but in shallow waters doesn’t hurt either . Also try not use polystyrene floats they get hit by boat they explode in peices.. if your pot goes missing doing this method. Good chance someone borrowed it ..every year always here about ropes to long ect ect . Still can have your bit longer ropes for swell /wind waves ect.how painfull can it be when your trying to get to your pot somedays due to ropes bombarding 1 area. Stops it and it works well. Anyway food for thought

 Looks like I'll be missing out on the crays this year  we've had major beach erosion at our neck of the woods and half our access road has been washed into the sea. Gin Gin shire are taking the retreat approach and won't help, we've pointed out that we can't repair it ourselves as it's crown land and it's their responsibility. We also pointed out there's a safety issue that in if someone is hurt by a cave in etc it's on them. 

We just got a couldn't give a rat's response, they even said their operators won't take a front end loader onto the beach WTF! The beach is wide this time of year.

I'm of the opinion of a fix ourselves  and plead guilty later approach. 

What the shire of Gin Gin seems to forget is that there's 180 rate payers in the park generating around 250K of rates per year, we don't even get a rubbish collection. 

Apologies for the rant but it's frustrating as this is usualy an exciting time of the year for us getting ready for the white run. 

 That sucks Andy will you fish from lanclin through Xmas? 

 When you wake up up there and see a flat ocean, that would just tease you. 

Full moon 24th November. Full moon 24 December.

Quick Dive Sunday morning...5 - 8m....all reds, good size and plenty of them. Very slow moving...easy pickings for us divers atm

Itching for a dive. Top feed

put mine in last sunday.pulled yesterday first time, 3 reds, good sized, no tarspots. in about 8m of water. 1 pot had all three the other donuts.

 Pulled ours for the first time on Saturday after a 3 day soak - donuts from 4. OR. 

2 more reds yesterday. still no whites. seocnd pot donuts.

 I got bitten by the bug, bought a tipper, winch and 2 pots last weekend.  Now I've just got to install them and sort out how to do it!

Finding time to work on the boat is tricky.

 A lot safer than diving mate i hope you catch plenty & stay safe.

yeah seem to be a few bronzies around. both times i pulled my pots, hav had decent size bronzies following them up.

 7 Keepers today (out of 6) 3 returned - 2 undersize and 1 very big lady in berry. Others mostly reasonable size - all red

 Forgot. 1 huge bloody wobby. Made getting the pot up a lot more difficult. Fell out on the deck when we removed the gate. Well done uncle on some pretty swift wobby throwing to get it out of the boat 

Wobbigong shark is delicious, way better tasting then a dirty old cockroach (AKA crayfish, AKA Rock Lobster). This is a major problem, some only fish for some sort of recognition, they throw away the good eating stuff and take home some crap that's overated`

interestingly enough i had a port jackson in one of my pots the other day. cute sharks.

 1 keeper, 1 kacka and an occied shell from 6 today. 

 Gday all 

A mate of mine gave me some home made timber tray pots be for he passed away ( skin Cancer , Slip slop slap everyone PLEASE ) with ali sercurty mesh on the bottom , whats peoples thoughts on the ali base material .

was thinking of changing it out to timber or steel orv leave as ????

 Thanks all 

yes it is the cheap door stuff and hopefully it wont scare them off 

 Will keep that in mind and see if my mate is watching down on me

Cheers brody

1 jelly . Weeks away. Not pots

 Sweet FA from 6 today... reckon 10 days or so and it'll be on. 

nothing in mine yesterday. 3 big bronzies hanging aorund the boat tho. as soon as the old bait hit the wter they were there.. pretty cool to see, but a bit concerning.

My mate came round with some pretty old and shonky looking pots yesterday, so we rigged them up along with my new ones.

It would have been pretty funny to watch us, we really had no idea what we were doing, first pot (mine) dropped fine and we motored over to a different spot.  Second pot (mates) was really heavy, in 27m, we heaved it over the side and fed out the rope.  It was really dropping quickly.  "How much rope is on there?"  "Should be fine, I think it's over 30m"  We watched the line go tight and drag the float along the surface for a bit, before *ploomp!* down went the float.  It was probably about half a metre underwater, you could see it when close, but no way you'd see it if you didn't know it was there.

After that I had a bit of a scratch around to find some spare rope, then we had to try to catch the bloody float again.  That wasn't easy.  We ended up lassooing it with the spare rope and a boat hook, and had to drag the pot up a bit to get to the float.  Did I mention this pot was really heavy?  Anyway we ended up getting it sorted out and down it went again.

I think I should video our first attempts to actually pull the pots next week, again I've never done this before.  I've got a new tipper, and set up my winch to be controlled wirelessly (no way I'd have big thick welding cables snaking around the deck, I know that's how others do it but I have a healthy respect for that sort of current when petrol fumes and salt water are involved).  No doubt mistakes will be made, and I'm pretty sure we won't have any crays.  But anyway you've got to start somewhere, right?

Work good. You will do well

 Just put my pots in yesterday off Mindarie.  Anyone catching around there yet?

 Bit of a sad story I was potting out of Bunbury when this boat went flying by about 400 metres away then all of a sudden it stopped and turned around.His mate had thrown a pot out while they were howling along and it had pulled him in.By the time he got back it was all over.I have been out with a lot of people over the years and if they do the whole going flat out in to the sea breeze and we get shaken about and wet I never go again.I used to troll a chrome at about 8 knots 100metres of the beach and would still get to the ramp just as the speed freaks were leaving.Caught some good tailor on the way back as well

 Dropped pots on Saturday OR. Could hardly drop a pot without it landing on a shark.  Never seen so many...

3 to 4 days away. I’ve heard heap of potters seeing big bronzes hanging around while pulling pots . 2 to 6 at a time . There not dumb the big buggers. 12 days away my books

 Dropped on saturday. Just arrived to my spots and had 2 cruising around 

You while swimming. It’s the whites I don’t want to see. Big bronzys come in have a look and normally go .

 Pulled the pots today, tallies were:

Pot 1 (mine) No lobster, bait still there.

Pot 2 (mine) No lobster, bait still there.

Pot 3 (mates) No lobster, bait container lid dislodged and bait gone.

Pot 4 (mates) No lobster, bait container chewed up and bait gone.

I was using tuna heads only, he was using fish wings and other bits of fish frames.  I supect a small wobbegong or perhaps some leatherjacket?

All pots were dropped on the sand, about 10-15 metres away from a long 7m high rocky ridge where I've caught plenty of dhuie and pinkies when in season.  Perhaps this early in the season I should drop them on top of the ridge?

The new winch (Muir) and tipper both worked really well.  The Muir winch is really fast, perhaps even too fast.  It didn't seem to have any problem with knots in the rope, it just powered through them.  I wouldn't want to get my finger stuck in it.

Also had some fun when I accidentally hit the breaker for the auxilliary power and didn't realise what had happened.  No GPS, no radio, had to drive home blind.  Oh well at least now I know I can find the channel leading markers without the GPS!  I'm going to paint that breaker indicator bright yellow so that it will be obvious if tripped.

 First white today in a pot, about 5-6 days away.

What area ( north)?

About 8 days away then. Cheers

 Turns out that the whites don't run until the end of December down here (Margaret river).

I think I'll move all my pots to on top of the reef instead of next to it.

 OR yesterday, not for us.

Co-op told my son yesterday morning at work that he'd have 2 days next week. In the afternoon they said scratch that - 5 or 6 days a week from Monday onwards so they're expecting it to happen.

Amount of kilos caught north way yesterday. Would think more today. Hot weather will bring them on

 Then

 2 whites today out from woodies. 

 I spot on about the Bronzies I have had fish taken off my float down at Hamline Bay but never have ay been a real concern but the Whites, a totally different animal, if they are just looking to see what is going on noy too Phucn bad but it is the one who has been swmming out of the divers underwater vission ,that will swim in at 20plus for a bump or worst taste test that is what scares me and as I put my tank on in the water then have to take it off in the water that is the danger zone & yes I think a Shark sheil will deter one that is that in for a look but not one that has statred its attack patern after all has any one run flat out in a footy game then been able to stop before hitting the opponent.I think that the diving fraturnity should ask for the Police service to reconsider the carrying of bank sticks Not to hunt sharks or anything just to be able to protect themselves or their dive buddies .True story,Two mates one ex Marine commndo diving in South Australia foe scallopes sone years back ,they kitted up dropped over ,started down the anchore line ,saw a GW comeing up ,both turned for the surface/boat ,one pulled himself over the side tearing a shoulder muscle  also gota bad cut ? the other tried to come over the stern,tried to pll himself up but was unable too he thought the shark had his leg.then after both in boat he realised his fin strape was caught between his boot & the outboard skeg.Both were still shaking that night one used to known as Ice cold .a couple of weeks later a married women was after scallopes same place when she was taken.

  6 size from 8 total OR. All in one pot. 

Only 4 to 8 meters . Once again 50/50 ratio reds and whites. Seen heaps of shells. Warmer weather will bring them on . Took pots out today hoping we’d/ thurs they will start to go. Some whites today hard shelled. 2 jelly’s

 Donuts from 6 pots, Mindarie.   Glad we didn't drop early this year.

 Nothing from 4 pots down in Margaret River today.

Bear in mind that I don't know what I'm doing, but even so it's a bit frustrating going through all the rituals but seeing no result.

Know what there doing many got donuts. Some got 1 hard white . Just not ready yet .glad I only put mine out today

 Another week till they're full on. I only usually drop pots aroun d this time of year. End November, and whites early December.

 I had a swim on my 'always something' spot yesterday and there was nothing. Not even a hint of a feeler.

Back of GI is quite the minefield at the tic though