Berried Crays - what would you do?
Submitted by 22Tango on Mon, 2013-11-18 19:22
Hi All, we're currently running a set of pots wide in 35m which unfortunately are producing some majestic berried females (all thrown back) and the remaining are back in say the 25's which are getting zip. Being my first cray season, if you were me would you bring all 6 pots in close awaiting the smaller whites to march (from what I can read only divers seem to be successful in close at present) and hopefully pick up a few resi's at the same time or take them all wide and wait for the female to release their eggs over the 3-4 week incubation period or keep them split hoping for some quality as well as quantity? I look forward to your feedback.
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Vinesh87
Posts: 2751
Date Joined: 02/04/11
I dunno we had a few spots in
I dunno we had a few spots in 25-30m last years that we were keeping 1/20 that were not buried haha. !! We just had to go to other places!
Belly88
Posts: 380
Date Joined: 08/02/12
Whites
Id bring em in the whites wont be far away. Very hard work out there this time of year thats why the pros dont bother till around march just way to many berried in most spots.. Thats not to say you wont get any but its heaps easyer in close for now.
Belly
hlokk
Posts: 4293
Date Joined: 04/04/08
Get a dive ticket and pick
Get a dive ticket and pick and choose the non-berried ones down there ;)
Notorious
Posts: 914
Date Joined: 23/02/12
or save $500 and grab a
or save $500 and grab a mask, snorkel and some fins and freedive for some
plenty in less than 5m
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Ryan Thipthorp (not verified)
Posts: 16
Date Joined: 01/01/70
Ground!
Tango - I'm in the same depth and previous predicament, just move your pots to small non descript ground ie 0.5m hard ground with flare & sand!
I'm getting cleaner crays (not bulk amount) but clean crays non the less...... soon the whites will walk ..... the commercial guys are doing the same as they are in the same area I'm at!!!
HTH!!
Notorious
Posts: 914
Date Joined: 23/02/12
I have it on good authority
I have it on good authority that the whites should be 2-3 weeks away
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soupster51
Posts: 2724
Date Joined: 29/11/06
Whites
I'd pot the 15-20m area. Dived last weekend and I reckon the whites will walk anytime now.
The best reason for doing what's right today is tomorrow.
22Tango
Posts: 74
Date Joined: 17/11/13
Thanks
Thanks for your valuable insights guys, I'd have to say, it's like a game of chess!
My profile picture was taken by my 3 year old son on my iPhone!!
barracuda
Posts: 235
Date Joined: 01/09/13
THanks also
Yeah I have my pots in close getting nothing last week and a half. very keen to go for a free dive, Notorious could you recommend anywhere in the Mandurah rockingham area good for an amateur. thanks man
Notorious
Posts: 914
Date Joined: 23/02/12
Hi BarracudaI have heard
Hi Barracuda
I have heard point peron and pengin island holds crays.
I caught a few last season at the sisters too, otherwise, shallow parts of the five fathom bank :)
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Dogmeat
Posts: 24
Date Joined: 16/07/13
Whites
One thing I picked up working a cray deck was that when the whites are moving, set your pots at reef extremities not in the holes/on top like you would for reds.
Hard to explain but say there is a straight reef edge and a discrete finger jutting out; set on the sand at the apex of the finger as the crays tend to skirt around the reef edges when they are truly walking in formation.
You will find when you hit using this approach, full pots are the norm. With only 4 pots, its really hard to keep track of them (surprising how much ground they can cover) but some years there seems to be pulses and you get a few goes at it.
Pro pots on the sand/broken ground in shallow water are also a good indication they are on the move. If you don't check you pots every day, set a little bit ahead of the line on some likely looking ground and you're better than averge chance of a nice full pot on the next trip out.
Dogmeat
Posts: 24
Date Joined: 16/07/13
Whites
One thing I picked up working a cray deck was that when the whites are moving, set your pots at reef extremities not in the holes/on top like you would for reds.
Hard to explain but say there is a straight reef edge and a discrete finger jutting out; set on the sand at the apex of the finger as the crays tend to skirt around the reef edges when they are truly walking in formation.
You will find when you hit using this approach, full pots are the norm. With only 4 pots, its really hard to keep track of them (surprising how much ground they can cover) but some years there seems to be pulses and you get a few goes at it.
Pro pots on the sand/broken ground in shallow water are also a good indication they are on the move. If you don't check you pots every day, set a little bit ahead of the line on some likely looking ground and you're better than averge chance of a nice full pot on the next trip out.
barracuda
Posts: 235
Date Joined: 01/09/13
ok thanks
thanks for your info great!
22Tango
Posts: 74
Date Joined: 17/11/13
Once Hatched
I've been doing some searching on the net but have come up short.
Can anyone tell me
1. Once the eggs hatch is the tar spot and setose hairs still in place?
2. How many times does a female lay eggs in a season?
Cheers and thanks
My profile picture was taken by my 3 year old son on my iPhone!!