Missing Cray pots
Ladies and Gentlemen
I am an avid cray diver and sometime cray potter.
Now, whilst I sympathise for those who have lost pots due to nefarius never do wells, I have come to the following conclusions to explain why pots go sometimes AWOL
1. Not enough weight. Simple, a strong swell, current or wind moves the pot. It may become tangled with reef and the owner assumes they are poached.
2. The float was not marked, so I have heard recently that Fisheries will impound such a pot. Did you mark your float (as required)? Did you mark your pot with your gear ID (good advice to do this)?
3. A boat has inadvertently run over you float or the rope. This occurs due to:
a. Inattention on behalf of the skipper
b. Too much rope on the surface
c. It is night time and the floats are hard to see
d. Your pot was in a shipping channel. Maybe not the best location.
e. Your knots and equipment were not adequate for the rigours of life at sea
4. Lastly many of my mates have lost pots, been poached or had a gutful and given up. Rather than staying silent, REPORT it and if enough people complain, maybe something will be done about it.
Sincerely
Willy
keg
Posts: 399
Date Joined: 17/07/07
yes
people are to quick to blame a missing pot on someone else and with social media it just escalates it.stolen pots does happen but all of the things above
also happen and i have come fowl to rigging mistakes and lost pots only to find them later while diving the same area.don`t be too quick to come to conclusions.
cheers
keg
Ericl
Posts: 485
Date Joined: 02/05/11
Agree on all - strongly agree on shipping channel
Came back from fishing on Monday. There were a heap of pots directly on the northern leads going in / out from Ocean Reef. I reckon you are looking to have your floats cut off by a prop if you drop your pots on leading lines
Cheers
Eric
Don't spend all your money on beer, boats, and fishing. Save some to spend foolishly
Rob H
Posts: 5884
Date Joined: 18/01/12
I work on tugs at various
I work on tugs at various times, pots hanging into the shipping channels are reported to Port Authority and fisheries do regular sweeps and pick them up.
The Seizure Notices are posted up in the window of the local fisheries office
Give a man a mask, and he'll show you his true face...
The older you get the more you realize that no one has a f++king clue what they're doing.
Everyone's just winging it.
kirky79
Posts: 1364
Date Joined: 13/01/12
Excess rope floating on the
Excess rope floating on the surface is a major cause I think. This year I did as, I think it was Bellyfish put up on another post and put lead on the rope about 2 m down from the float worked a treat. We were potting a fairly popular area (James Service) and didn't lose a pot.
Belly Fish
Posts: 499
Date Joined: 09/03/12
Yep, was me
Been doing it for years. That, plenty of weight and good ropes will minimise pot loss