My preference - Pine with Jarrah frame. Redneck as opposed to finger neck. Double bait basket. Heaps of weight and plenty of rope (dog bone any excess).
Im having a go this season and have been lent plastic cray pots. Any tips that are unique to plastic would be appreciated. Stainless straps for weight is one. Appreciate any ideas.
A mate and I were running 2 x jarrah frame, pine slats, double bait basket, steel base with heaps of weight and plenty of rope that bought of a pro for top dollar
2 x full jarrah single bait baskets (home made) with plenty weight and rope aswel. All dropped in roughly same area and even swapped positioning with each other to test what worked best and full jarrah single bait baskets continually pulled more Crays. That was my experience. Will be running the same this year. Be interesting to see if we get same results
use plenty of weight in any pot you use ...at the bridle end is best to stop them lifting and walking on every wave swell that constantly tugs at your gear on the surface
jarrah frame with pine battens is the best all rounder for most recs .. the jarrah frame will last better for worms and the pine is easy to repair or replace at sea if you need to ...jarrah battens even green tend to split unless there pre soaked , whearas pine is easy to saw, break and nail out on the water
use enough rope to keep the floats up on any swell , but run about 10 metres slack on the surface , no matter what depth you fish as a general rule of thumb , any more and tie it up shorter
from the brible rope up about 3-4 metres I recommend blokes put a small sinlge float tied into the main line ... make it about 30-50cm long , so it will run around your winch easy enough ...this little float will keep your main line directly vertical all the time ....lots of pots get lost , stuck , snagged around bombies just by the rope movement as the wind direction shifts or heavy weed /kelp wraps around it ...this little bit of a float will just about stop that dead most times ime as your main line will then run vertical for the first 4 metres then hang at the angle to the surface with your floats attached ..this leave a nice clear arc around the pot that your main line will swing on
if you build your own or buy any pots in all timber ....make sure they have a bolted skid base that your upright frames are all bolted to ...and full timber pot should have about 30 galv bolts in it 12 on the base and 12.in the upright frames and 4 on your ballast plates .and that's just the frame ... the frames is the key to the whole pot ...bolts on the base are essential , so suss that out carefully it is imo one of the key reasons you hear of blokes having pots go missing as over time they break up at the base , weights then fall out and away and the floats drag the rest of it away pretty quick in bad weather
there plenty of pots out there ..so if buying check it out carefully no matter where you get them as there are lots of doossies around
check for galv nails on battens ..not screws screws tend to work loose in heavy weather ... the nails allow movement without coming loose ..similar to a house roof joists ,, they will flex a bit if needed
be sure to have no sharp edges on your holes which you tie your bridle rope through ... if you do again many pots are lost as the ropes chaff through here over time so keep a check on them every time you pull your pots and use good thick rope .. 11-13 mm is good
I'm not abig fan of double bait baskets in 3/4 pots ... they can be done ...but the second bait basket is then very close to the bridle end often crays can sit outside trying to feed at that end with their legs through the gaps rather than climbing up and into the pot as they would if they could not reach in ...if you use the small second bait basket it don't hold much bait ..so again its abit of a wank factor imo ... one super deep basket should catch as good as two if its got god bait in it ...
try not to pot others out .....as you are just sharing the crays ..if you can set on your own and see how you go , move em around if you don't go well ......if one pot catches well try not to stick all your pots near it ... use it as a control and move others onto similar ground in the area ...experiment a bit ..
if you have steel base pots weld the ballast in .if there timber galv bolt it in ... don't cable tie or anything lese as it will wear and come loose over time
the ocean is a harsh environment ...build or buy your gear to match it on its worst days ...
wherever you set , think ahead and make sure you will be able to get to your gear in a day or so when you next come out ... the conditions change so plan ahead ...too often its becomes tricky to get to pots and blokes want to risk it thinking their going to get a mother load if they set in a hairy spot ... ime you get just as many crays without the extra risk and drama ......if its too rough stay home ..no one else will be getting to them either and the crays will still be there when it calms off
you always pot better after a blow ..not during it ime .. that's especially true in the shallows
if you you do get a pot stuck ...try to see if you can what its stuck on before you tie it off and try to drag of off with a motor etc .. sometimes you can use a second short boat hook to grapple it and move it out backwards ... .when tying onto pots to pull them off allow enough slack if the swell rises to let you rise with it and attach the pot rope so it can be let go easy and quickly if you need to ,,same with the winch when hauling a pot ...let it go slack if needed .if it gets stuck or jammed up ....
All sounds like good advise to me and it is much appreciated I have never done really good at he crays usually getting 2-5 crays total which is ok for a feed with guests but never enough if I want to put some away in the freezer for lean times.
If potting for reds, can use a small float line, attached to the main rope about 3m off the bottom with a small float (pro's do it) keeps the underwater rope close to the bottom upright.
In the whites, move about, different ledges hold different numbers of crays. Take your time on setting. Dont need shit loads of bait in the whites (we use one hokie head per double baited pot, rotate baits so that there is always 2 heads but no older than 2 days.
If you bait stinks, chuck it crays dont like it.
dont think because there are pots close to yours there must be crays, if the numbers are low, move especialy in the whites.
Take it easy driving around other peoples pots, espcially if the conditions are not great, no need to cut everyone off, or cause an issue for yourself.
Yes good ballast is required, just because the top water has no swell, does not mean there is no ground swell.
In the whites if your getting weed on your pot, your too close to the reef or on a weed bed, move.
Few little tips for the up coming season. There will be plenty of crays for all, so play nice, be curtious on the water.
If you don't want to lose pots. Is put a good sized snapper sinker about 3 metres down from your floats, cable tied into the rope. Keeps excess rope underwater away from props.
Since seeing this tip from Bellyfish on here about 3 years ago, I haven't lost a pot in 3 years ( touch wood) and I pot on the back of the James Service reef with half of Mandurah.
Chucked my pots out today near Bight reef. Thought I might be the only one there but nope about 10 other pots aswell. Think I may have put one a bit too close to the reef.. Better be high tide and calm when I go out next :/
About 50 pots at one of the cardinal marks just outside the Mandurah channel. Be careful if heading that way.
i have always just put mine on the lawn the night before and put the bore sprinkler on them for at least an hour ,then next day bait them up and set them
first pull within 48 hours and they have always caught ...
hezzy
sunshine
Posts: 2624
Date Joined: 03/03/09
Jarrah.....Hezzies
No question in my view
clayd
Posts: 128
Date Joined: 07/12/15
Pine
My preference - Pine with Jarrah frame. Redneck as opposed to finger neck. Double bait basket. Heaps of weight and plenty of rope (dog bone any excess).
Good Luck!
opsrey
Posts: 1200
Date Joined: 05/10/07
Any plastic tips
Im having a go this season and have been lent plastic cray pots. Any tips that are unique to plastic would be appreciated. Stainless straps for weight is one. Appreciate any ideas.
clayd
Posts: 128
Date Joined: 07/12/15
Heaps of weight. I always
Heaps of weight. I always stayed away from anything shiny, such as stainless steel. Make sure nothing rattles.
Oceanside Tackle
Posts: 2803
Date Joined: 23/07/09
Plastic Craypot Tips
Opsrey;
(1) Use heavy grit sandpaper and scratch up all of the outside of the pot.
(2) Use "plenty" of weight at the briddle end, we use railway ballast weights with our plastic pots.
Oceanside Team - Specializing in Jigging for demersal, Super Deep Fishing and Cockburn Sound Pink Snapper.
Don't forget to ~ Like us on Facebook ~
Phone #(08) 9337 5682 - Shop 4/364 South Street O'Connor - OPEN 7 Days
Faulkner Family
Posts: 18061
Date Joined: 11/03/08
how heavy aprox are your
how heavy aprox are your pots when loaded without the crays of cause , unless you want to fill them up for us first
RUSS and SANDY. A family that fishes together stays together
Oceanside Tackle
Posts: 2803
Date Joined: 23/07/09
Weights
haha They come with 10kg Russ but we suggest 15kg in deeper water or higher swell/surge area's.
Oceanside Team - Specializing in Jigging for demersal, Super Deep Fishing and Cockburn Sound Pink Snapper.
Don't forget to ~ Like us on Facebook ~
Phone #(08) 9337 5682 - Shop 4/364 South Street O'Connor - OPEN 7 Days
Bodie
Posts: 3758
Date Joined: 05/11/07
Been told putting shade mesh
Been told putting shade mesh up the sides works a treat, easier forthe crays to climb up.
mcgoo
Posts: 69
Date Joined: 15/12/09
Why bother.. just so some
Why bother.. just so some filthy little b*stards can steal your pots!! Had 3 knocked off last season..
mr_shenn
Posts: 37
Date Joined: 26/09/17
For sale?
ANyone selling any old pots for 100 bucks or less?
sea-kem
Posts: 15028
Date Joined: 30/11/09
Double baiters a must imo I
Double baiters a must imo I have a mix of pine and Jarrah. The jarrah are better imo as not as susceptable to the worms.
Love the West!
Walfootrot
Posts: 1385
Date Joined: 23/07/12
Pine for the whites, jarra
Pine for the whites, jarra for the reds
More drum lines, kill the bloody sharks!
Oceanside Tackle
Posts: 2803
Date Joined: 23/07/09
Wooden
If going wooden, Jarrah frame with Pine slats like the commercial guys.
Oceanside Team - Specializing in Jigging for demersal, Super Deep Fishing and Cockburn Sound Pink Snapper.
Don't forget to ~ Like us on Facebook ~
Phone #(08) 9337 5682 - Shop 4/364 South Street O'Connor - OPEN 7 Days
Curndog
Posts: 449
Date Joined: 21/11/16
A mate and I were running 2 x
A mate and I were running 2 x jarrah frame, pine slats, double bait basket, steel base with heaps of weight and plenty of rope that bought of a pro for top dollar
2 x full jarrah single bait baskets (home made) with plenty weight and rope aswel. All dropped in roughly same area and even swapped positioning with each other to test what worked best and full jarrah single bait baskets continually pulled more Crays. That was my experience. Will be running the same this year. Be interesting to see if we get same results
OOH YEH
Posts: 399
Date Joined: 16/06/15
I’m using collapsible pots
and they don’t need to soak ..... I caught plenty
last year .....
Mack1
Posts: 104
Date Joined: 26/01/17
I have some all jarrah/karri pots selling for $160 on gumtree
if you are interested. located in Warnbro. Great catchers.
red neck or timber, one bait basket, 1 x 5kg ballast.
extra ballast for $10 each. 0401699825
little johnny
Posts: 5363
Date Joined: 04/12/11
Jarrah frame
Pine slates . Main thing pine slat necks. Also double bait baskets
hezzy
Posts: 1521
Date Joined: 27/11/09
something to think about imo
something to think about imo & experience
use plenty of weight in any pot you use ...at the bridle end is best to stop them lifting and walking on every wave swell that constantly tugs at your gear on the surface
jarrah frame with pine battens is the best all rounder for most recs .. the jarrah frame will last better for worms and the pine is easy to repair or replace at sea if you need to ...jarrah battens even green tend to split unless there pre soaked , whearas pine is easy to saw, break and nail out on the water
use enough rope to keep the floats up on any swell , but run about 10 metres slack on the surface , no matter what depth you fish as a general rule of thumb , any more and tie it up shorter
from the brible rope up about 3-4 metres I recommend blokes put a small sinlge float tied into the main line ... make it about 30-50cm long , so it will run around your winch easy enough ...this little float will keep your main line directly vertical all the time ....lots of pots get lost , stuck , snagged around bombies just by the rope movement as the wind direction shifts or heavy weed /kelp wraps around it ...this little bit of a float will just about stop that dead most times ime as your main line will then run vertical for the first 4 metres then hang at the angle to the surface with your floats attached ..this leave a nice clear arc around the pot that your main line will swing on
if you build your own or buy any pots in all timber ....make sure they have a bolted skid base that your upright frames are all bolted to ...and full timber pot should have about 30 galv bolts in it 12 on the base and 12.in the upright frames and 4 on your ballast plates .and that's just the frame ... the frames is the key to the whole pot ...bolts on the base are essential , so suss that out carefully it is imo one of the key reasons you hear of blokes having pots go missing as over time they break up at the base , weights then fall out and away and the floats drag the rest of it away pretty quick in bad weather
there plenty of pots out there ..so if buying check it out carefully no matter where you get them as there are lots of doossies around
check for galv nails on battens ..not screws screws tend to work loose in heavy weather ... the nails allow movement without coming loose ..similar to a house roof joists ,, they will flex a bit if needed
be sure to have no sharp edges on your holes which you tie your bridle rope through ... if you do again many pots are lost as the ropes chaff through here over time so keep a check on them every time you pull your pots and use good thick rope .. 11-13 mm is good
I'm not abig fan of double bait baskets in 3/4 pots ... they can be done ...but the second bait basket is then very close to the bridle end often crays can sit outside trying to feed at that end with their legs through the gaps rather than climbing up and into the pot as they would if they could not reach in ...if you use the small second bait basket it don't hold much bait ..so again its abit of a wank factor imo ... one super deep basket should catch as good as two if its got god bait in it ...
try not to pot others out .....as you are just sharing the crays ..if you can set on your own and see how you go , move em around if you don't go well ......if one pot catches well try not to stick all your pots near it ... use it as a control and move others onto similar ground in the area ...experiment a bit ..
if you have steel base pots weld the ballast in .if there timber galv bolt it in ... don't cable tie or anything lese as it will wear and come loose over time
the ocean is a harsh environment ...build or buy your gear to match it on its worst days ...
wherever you set , think ahead and make sure you will be able to get to your gear in a day or so when you next come out ... the conditions change so plan ahead ...too often its becomes tricky to get to pots and blokes want to risk it thinking their going to get a mother load if they set in a hairy spot ... ime you get just as many crays without the extra risk and drama ......if its too rough stay home ..no one else will be getting to them either and the crays will still be there when it calms off
you always pot better after a blow ..not during it ime .. that's especially true in the shallows
if you you do get a pot stuck ...try to see if you can what its stuck on before you tie it off and try to drag of off with a motor etc .. sometimes you can use a second short boat hook to grapple it and move it out backwards ... .when tying onto pots to pull them off allow enough slack if the swell rises to let you rise with it and attach the pot rope so it can be let go easy and quickly if you need to ,,same with the winch when hauling a pot ...let it go slack if needed .if it gets stuck or jammed up ....
just my opinion ... hope it use full to some
hezzy
OFW 11
evil flourishes when good men do nothing
DTrain
Posts: 486
Date Joined: 10/02/12
"try not to pot others out
"try not to pot others out ....."
Easier said than done if your dropping pots out of Ocean Reef. You can almost walk along the floats all the way back to shore they're that thick.
meglodon
Posts: 5981
Date Joined: 17/06/10
Thanks for that good info
All sounds like good advise to me and it is much appreciated I have never done really good at he crays usually getting 2-5 crays total which is ok for a feed with guests but never enough if I want to put some away in the freezer for lean times.
Travis p
Posts: 727
Date Joined: 28/07/16
far out hezzy
i hope you didnt write all that using your mobile haha but thank you very much for the comments helps alot good luck!
wont catch em sitting at home!
black gen
Posts: 762
Date Joined: 13/04/11
good info cheers
good info cheers
Bodie
Posts: 3758
Date Joined: 05/11/07
If potting for reds, can use
If potting for reds, can use a small float line, attached to the main rope about 3m off the bottom with a small float (pro's do it) keeps the underwater rope close to the bottom upright.
In the whites, move about, different ledges hold different numbers of crays. Take your time on setting. Dont need shit loads of bait in the whites (we use one hokie head per double baited pot, rotate baits so that there is always 2 heads but no older than 2 days.
If you bait stinks, chuck it crays dont like it.
dont think because there are pots close to yours there must be crays, if the numbers are low, move especialy in the whites.
Take it easy driving around other peoples pots, espcially if the conditions are not great, no need to cut everyone off, or cause an issue for yourself.
Yes good ballast is required, just because the top water has no swell, does not mean there is no ground swell.
In the whites if your getting weed on your pot, your too close to the reef or on a weed bed, move.
Few little tips for the up coming season. There will be plenty of crays for all, so play nice, be curtious on the water.
Dale
Posts: 7930
Date Joined: 13/09/05
I still have a couple of brake discs that would make perfect weights, they’re about 9 kg each. Take them for nix.
"Just because you are a Character, Doesn't mean you have Character."
Mr Wolf
kirky79
Posts: 1354
Date Joined: 13/01/12
Best advice I have got.
If you don't want to lose pots. Is put a good sized snapper sinker about 3 metres down from your floats, cable tied into the rope. Keeps excess rope underwater away from props.
Since seeing this tip from Bellyfish on here about 3 years ago, I haven't lost a pot in 3 years ( touch wood) and I pot on the back of the James Service reef with half of Mandurah.
ElDub
Posts: 54
Date Joined: 02/04/17
Chucked my pots out today
Chucked my pots out today near Bight reef. Thought I might be the only one there but nope about 10 other pots aswell. Think I may have put one a bit too close to the reef.. Better be high tide and calm when I go out next :/
About 50 pots at one of the cardinal marks just outside the Mandurah channel. Be careful if heading that way.
PJim
Posts: 200
Date Joined: 26/04/11
How long do timber pots have
How long do timber pots have to soak before they start catching
Walfootrot
Posts: 1385
Date Joined: 23/07/12
Normally 2-3 days, I would
Normally 2-3 days, I would bait them up big time, ie fill the bait baskets and then set then and pull them 3 days later
More drum lines, kill the bloody sharks!
hezzy
Posts: 1521
Date Joined: 27/11/09
PJIM i have always just put
PJIM
i have always just put mine on the lawn the night before and put the bore sprinkler on them for at least an hour ,then next day bait them up and set them
first pull within 48 hours and they have always caught ...
hezzy
OFW 11
evil flourishes when good men do nothing
harro
Posts: 1959
Date Joined: 07/02/08
both
jarrah sturdy frame , pine battons
father in law full pine has been absolutely killing it though,
:::: Bass Hunter ::::