cray fishing advice

Hey guys,

this is my first real crack at cray fishing and want to make sure I'm getting it right so any advice would be welcome, and thankyou in advance!

Firstly my boating mate and I have currently got 2 plastic pots, and 2 full size timber (jarrah frame with pine slats and 2 bait baskets, steel bases).

The timber pots have an extra 5kg of weight on top of the steel base. would this be substantial?

The plastic have somewhere in the range of 15-20kg in them. Enough?

I kept my snapper heads to use as bait but wondering if they are not "smelly" enough? maybe tuna heads instead?

Lastly I have been placing the pots mostly on 5 fathom in 7-12 meters and using a bathiscope to set them right next to big bombies/ledges but on the sand. It looks good but have got nothing at all so far so looking to seasoned peoples advice to better my chances.......or is it a little early in the season, bad moon ect....

Thanks guys,

Sparrow

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Posts: 103

Date Joined: 10/01/07

All sounds good to me

Mon, 2015-11-02 16:49

But yes I would try a couple of Tuna heads in the bait basket.
For me its way too early at the moment unless you want to just put the time in. They will be coming in their thousands when they start to walk.
Just research what happened last year and about what time.
The word is its going to be awesome.

Posts: 6454

Date Joined: 08/08/11

 Try orange roughy heads and

Mon, 2015-11-02 18:10

 Try orange roughy heads and blue mackerel as an alternative to tima heads.  Its been a bit slow for us we like to think because of the full moon last week.  Got six on the weekend so hopefully things picking up a bit now.  Out again in the morning to have another look.

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Scotte's picture

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Date Joined: 07/12/06

 The bait  and all  your gear

Mon, 2015-11-02 19:05

 The bait  and all  your gear  is fine.

Wait  another month and it will  happen!

I dont  bother untill there is bulk  crays (december).

Keep  an eye on what the pros are doing .

sea-kem's picture

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Date Joined: 30/11/09

 

Tue, 2015-11-03 20:16

 

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Posts: 211

Date Joined: 02/01/12

 Wouldn't get too hung up

Mon, 2015-11-02 23:19

 Wouldn't get too hung up about what bait you use, if they're about they will find their way in. I've never bought bait just used the heads of what ever we catch baldys snapper etc in the baskets tie in Jewy heads with light rope or cable tie through the eyes

carnarvonite's picture

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Date Joined: 24/07/07

Fresh frozen is best

Tue, 2015-11-03 06:12

Fresh bait that has been frozen is best, not stuff that has been thawed and left in the pot for days. Fresh unfrozen bait still has blood in it and therefore is attractive to wobbies

sparrow's picture

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Date Joined: 04/02/13

Thanks for all the input

Tue, 2015-11-03 13:16

Thanks for all the input guys. Will probably tweek the bait a little and just persist.

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 We only saw two in four pots

Tue, 2015-11-03 16:29

 We only saw two in four pots this morning plus remains of a shell that an occy left behind.  One of the two had tar spot and went back.

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sparrow's picture

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Date Joined: 04/02/13

Randall, I would be happy to

Tue, 2015-11-03 18:38

Randall,
I would be happy to see a head at the moment to know I'm on the right ground.
What sort of ground should I be looking for to place the pots on?

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Plenty of guys potting that

Tue, 2015-11-03 18:44

Plenty of guys potting that are going a few days without seeing a cray. If you are seeing a few I would be sticking to that.

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Does anyone know where the love of god goes, when the waves turn the minutes to hours?

sparrow's picture

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Date Joined: 04/02/13

Dodgy, that's why I'm asking.

Tue, 2015-11-03 18:50

Dodgy, that's why I'm asking. I'm yet to see any signs of a cray and I thought where my pots are looked like good ground but maybe not

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I've seen a fair few around

Tue, 2015-11-03 19:02

I've seen a fair few around the 8-10m mark while diving. Found a ledge holding massive numbers and relocated the pots there. next morning.... not even a cacka. Known ground.

Look for the usual caves and ledges on the sounder and you will find the odd cray until they start moving properly.

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Does anyone know where the love of god goes, when the waves turn the minutes to hours?

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Date Joined: 08/08/11

 We're fishing out of ocean

Tue, 2015-11-03 19:14

 We're fishing out of ocean reef and our pots have been in 10 m.  This morning we moved a couple out to 17m.  Look for the outer edge of any reef and try to get your pot as close to the edge as possible but on the sand.  If you can get out on a clear day late morning when the sun is overhead youll find it easier to do visually rather than relying on your sounder in the early morning light.  Make sure its a rocky bottom and not just weedy sand.  The stronger echos on the sounder will show that its rock.

 

Plenty of oily bait.  And make sure your pots are heavy enough and the rope is long enough so they dont "walk" in any swell. But ropes arent too long they risk being run over.

 

Perhaps leave them a few days.

 

And all this is what I've been told because this is my first real crack at it, but my deckies are experienced.

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Westy74's picture

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Date Joined: 23/11/13

 Agree with Randall.  Also

Tue, 2015-11-03 19:43

 Agree with Randall.  Also turn the sounder to manual and increase the range to just over double the actual depth. This will allow you to see a second echo when you go over reef and will  make it easier to distinguish the reef from the sand. 

Scotte's picture

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 Same every year.2weeks-

Tue, 2015-11-03 20:41

 Same every year.2weeks- 1month boys and youll get your bag in a single pot!

Notorious's picture

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Date Joined: 23/02/12

 When burleying up Buff Bream

Tue, 2015-11-03 20:50

 When burleying up Buff Bream - Ive seen crays munching on it. I honestly dont think crays are that picky between baits and think fresh is best or smething thats not rotten and smelly. If there arent crays in your pots maybe they dont like your pot (plastic?), not enough weight or more than likely they're just not around. 

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Jackalchub's picture

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 Agree totally, they aren't

Tue, 2015-11-03 21:07

 Agree totally, they aren't fussy.. It's just too early and they are a bit vulnerable. It will be like hitting a light switch for the potters. Be patient 

sparrow's picture

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Date Joined: 04/02/13

cheers guys!

Wed, 2015-11-04 19:03

cheers guys!

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