Swan River Prawning at Night (bicton)

 hey guys havent been prawning since last august around bicton area .  Anyone recently been prawning up that way ? Was wondering if there are more prawns around this time of year or more in winter etc. Just was trying to see if its worth a trip out threre .  Cheers for the info  .


Wen's picture

Posts: 49

Date Joined: 21/10/10

was there 3 weeks ago

Wed, 2013-02-20 10:49

if you chasing king prawns they've gone quiet... went out and only managed 4... will have to wait till the weather cools...

this was diving at bicton baths...

more crabs than prawns..

soupster51's picture

Posts: 2724

Date Joined: 29/11/06

Prawns

Wed, 2013-02-20 11:58

The first solid rains, normally around the start of winter, will see the prawn numbers increase massively. A good flush of fresh water brings them closer to the sea.

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Date Joined: 25/10/12

 I have been doing a fair bit

Wed, 2013-02-20 17:56

 I have been doing a fair bit of diving recently in the river about once a week, I only started diving there since nov last year so I haven't experienced the winter run but it's a lot quieter now than nov especially at bicton baths. Last Friday night we went to our new spot and I got my pb it's not heaps but I got 1.3kgs of kings very good size aswell. I found they are quite shallow between 3-7m. If I knew how to put up picture I would haha

Soupy how does the baths actually fish during winter? Are the kings everywhere? Also I just worked out I know you from somewhere.

 

Ayden

soupster51's picture

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Date Joined: 29/11/06

Winter

Wed, 2013-02-20 19:19

Ayden. 1.3kgs is a good bag any time of the year. But in winter you'll get more than that on average, sometimes they are just not about. In winter I've had nights where I've put the net over three prawns at once; other nights when I've struggled to get a kilo.

Not sure where/if you know me from but happy to catch up for a dive, when my gear turns up from Pohnpei......

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The best reason for doing what's right today is tomorrow.

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Date Joined: 13/11/12

 thanks that will save me a

Thu, 2013-02-21 07:24

 thanks that will save me a trip up there for a bit  . So during thr summer months are you better off heading up the river more away from the ocean as much? And then as it gets colder head back towards the ocean more?  Ive only dove around bicton and the coombs so any reccomendstions to go in summer for them? 

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Date Joined: 25/10/12

 I know the coombe was

Thu, 2013-02-21 07:59

 I know the coombe was holding more prawns than the baths mate. I wouldn't know any other more upstream spots to try out sorry mate. I have also tried the rocky dive trail there's some monster prawns down there but not in massive numbers, just watch the stingers.

 

Soupy you were the old CPO on Anzac when I was on  Arunta as the VLS AB. Only met a few times but yeah a dive once you get you gear sounds good, I'm hanging out for winter now haha

 

Ayden

 

 

soupster51's picture

Posts: 2724

Date Joined: 29/11/06

Same area

Thu, 2013-02-21 08:26

I'd stay around Coombes/Bicton. Reasonably safe areas to dive and the prawns are there all year round, you just have to work harder than planned some times.

Ayden. Looking forward to a dive for sure.

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The best reason for doing what's right today is tomorrow.

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Date Joined: 13/11/12

 also might be a dumb

Thu, 2013-02-21 12:00

 also might be a dumb question but can you dive for prawn during the day or has to be at night? Would it be dark during the daytime at 16 meters or so down there? I feel like the water being so silty it would be ssme during the day as night?

soupster51's picture

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Date Joined: 29/11/06

Night time

Thu, 2013-02-21 14:27

No such thing as dumb question, well there is but that isn't one of them. To be honest I haven't tried diving for them during the day but I would expect that they would be all buried in the mud. It is still very bright at 50m let alone 16m during the day. Plus I use the torch to track the little red beady eyes during the night. Sometimes that is all you will see.

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The best reason for doing what's right today is tomorrow.

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do you guys every see many

Sat, 2013-04-13 21:30

do you guys every see many stingrays out deep when going for king prawns ?

 

i used to go scuba diving at peppermint grove in the past for prawns at night, but only saw prawns, crabs and the odd flounder

 

i go snorkelling in the river at times, and in the past years i've seen quite a few stingrays in the river in the shallows

Posts: 34

Date Joined: 13/11/12

havent sern any

Sun, 2013-04-14 12:41

 i just go at bicton and i havent seen any . Just a couple of flattys and small fish  prawns and blue swimmers  but havent seen any stingrays yet . Ima go later this week and ill let ya know if there are any around