Finding new cray ground - Mindarie/Two Rocks
hey fellas - i was hoping I could get some feedback from some northern suburb divers (mindarie/two rocks) - Paul G especially if ya around:)
With the cray season approaching we thought we would spend the next couple of weeks doing some dives looking for new cray ground. We have some good shallow ground, though no deeper cray ground - by deeper I mean the three mile and beyond.
In the past we have found some ok ledges along the back of the three mile though my problem with the three mile is that because it's one big reef it seems that the crays can spread out amongst the reef and it's hard to find crays nesting up. What we are hoping to discover are some lumps just out behind the three mile that when on the move the crays have no choice than to all congregate on that one single lump - creating that perfect nest of crays:)
I've been along the back of the three mile quite a few times with the sounder though it appears that once it drops off it pretty much goes to sand. Can anyone tell me if such single lumps exist off the back of the three mile? I'm not looking for co-ordinates though would like to know if other divers have found such ground and if so roughly how far behind the three mile and what sort of depths?
cheers
Wayne
sunshine
Posts: 2557
Date Joined: 03/03/09
Plenty but wind the sounder back
Lock for low (less than a metre high) limestone ledges rather than lumps and if you wind the sounder gain back you can even see the holes under-neath - we target the flat reef in 23-25 when they move out and regularly see though seldom take jumbos
wayneleech
Posts: 362
Date Joined: 27/06/08
cheers sunshine - will give
cheers sunshine - will give that a shot tommorow:)
Paul G
Posts: 5215
Date Joined: 12/12/07
I Have not found any lumps
I Have not found any lumps out off the edge but when the crays ( whites) are running the back edge loads up.Also the back of the first bank . But I find more crays inside the bank .Small lumps and weed banks will give large amounts of crays .I will get you up for a dive when the season starts and show you some ground.the white crays move from day to day and where you get them one day there will be nothing the next.I keep intouch with the cray guys and they give me the nod as to where they are.
Active Gyp-Rok solutions ,Residential and commercial ceilings and walls
wayneleech
Posts: 362
Date Joined: 27/06/08
cheers Paul - i'll take you
cheers Paul - i'll take you up on that! Would be good to see what type of ground you target.
When you say you find more crays "inside the bank" - do you mean you inside the three mile (eg, between the first mile and three mile) or do you mean inbetween the first mile and the beach?
We did two dives today - one on the back of the three mile and the other on an area between the first and three mile. The second dive showed some promising ground though the first dive was very similar to other three mile dives -eg, great caves and scenery though not ideal ground for crays.
The visibility was awesome though... probably the best I've seen it!