more ballast weight will help keep it on the bottom.

 Cheers bodie, yeah I've got full size jarrah pots with steel bases and one weight plate in them, do you reckon adding another weight plate would make much of a difference?

 are you using a winch? If you are then put another plate in.pots 

 Nah no winch, I've thought about getting one but I'm potting out of a 16ft ali and don't like the idea of trying to winch up a stuck pot with that size boat, can just imagine something breaking or the boat going over! 

It's hard work without one but manage, could probably get away with one more weight if its gonna stop snagged pots after every decent swell

Shift the pots out on the weed away from the reef same as the pros do when working shallow water.

shouldnt need anymore weight if they are steel based pots, heavy enough. Must be a prick to pull up by hand!

paul
if there full size slattys
are your pots ex pro ones or home built jobs ? as this might help ease your problems if their not ex pro ones

do you have the fish plates at the bridle end or the back end ? as they are best at the bridle /front of the pot ,

then check out the batten size &how well spaced apart they are , too thick/wide a batten and too close together in swelly/dirty conditions will help the pot fill up or creat a sail effect on the bottom , so check them out if their well spaced and about 12-15 mm wide max

lastly as carnarvonite pointed out , when you see a big swell coming ,bait em up thick , and move them out into deeper water , needs only be to 8-10 metres , , try to set them in small holes among the weed and sand edges with shallow reef around , so they can have an edge to push up to but not go under if that makes sense ,

if they have steel bases [made from 5mm steel angle and steel rod usually about 14-16 , 8-10 mm bars across the bottom ] and one good fish plate that is enough in a pro size pot ,

try to set away from the gnarly stuff in any bigger swell coming the crays will still pot for you on lower ledges

hezzy

paul

if your able to be flexible with your boat launches/pot checking , when you see the swell is going to rise in the next day or so then the day or two beforehand ,you can set inside gnarly lumps or lines of reef ,

by this I mean drop your pot on the inside , or beach side of a reef line , snuggle them up against the reef in the sand as close to the reef edge as you dare,
just make sure you will be able to get to them safely after the swell drops a little bit , don't go in to pull them if its cracking over the reef , & remember the wind will push your ropes/floats onto/over the reef in an easterly, so be mindfull of this when you set and retrieve ,
this way they will handle almost any blow , even in winter , &crays will pot if you have good bait in them

if your going to make a habit of setting in heavy reefy ground, gnarly stuff that rises a few metres with ledges etc , then put a small; float about 2-3 metres above the bridle , just a 10cm float on 5mm rope spliced onto the main cray line , this will keep your bridle rope pulling upwards to the surface, helps keep your rope away from gnarly bits of reef to tangle around , specially when Theres a lot of heavy weed loose in the water with big swells and strong currents working on the reef

hezzy

 Cheers Hezzy.

Yeah I usually set in and around fairly rough shallow terrain, so ill give that float trick a go, also gonna try the insides when the swell picks up. This year I've been at the mersy of a full time job with early starts so it's afternoons and weekend trips unfortunately, but if another swell decides to come in I should be able to plan enough in advance to allow for it. 

Thanks for your tips mate, much appreciated!

one other thing ,
over the years iv found I get just as many crays away from the bigger reef line and gnarly edges as we do on it , but we don't get as many hassles setting away from it on smaller edges and ledges , &if a pot does get stuck , usually I will then have a 360 degree reef line free area to use to try and pull/work the pot free ,

there is a big temptation to set in the heavy surf /reef edges for lots of guys, it doesnt always pay off , in terms of catches and stuck /lost gear,
it also can be a killer if something goes wrong like a rope around your prop, your tied onto a pot trying to yank it free or you mistime a set of waves,,,, I know of guys who have drowned like this , and had lucky escapes so for anyone reading this thread remember a cray pot aint worth risking your life for ,
it will still be there when the swell drops usually , the crays don't escape that easily either , so pick your weather wisely when your going , wind ,swell & tide all make a difference

hezzy