Snorkling for Crabs
Submitted by Goodz on Thu, 2012-02-23 21:17
Just wondering what you guys think is the best time of the day to snorkle for crabs? I would presume morning or arvo as the crabs would be generally hiding more so in the middle of the day hey? I've been out a few times in the arvo lately and gotten a few but they seem hard to find... I'm thinking maybe early morning there would be more out and about still?
Also... anyone that's snorkled for them before, do you think you find more in the weed or sand?
Loveeee snorkling for crabs, most fun way to catch them :)
Couple vids from the other day
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5uYlmja4Pw&feature=channel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COfE_eOkwQc&feature=share
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8a-iPJKans&feature=related
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Matt T
Posts: 875
Date Joined: 19/11/07
Crabs
We used to snorkle for them but found all the big ones were in the deeper water so resorted to tanks. I always go at night as there at heaps more about, been twice during the day and the difference is amazing
I do go in the river though, so the sound might be different.
It is brilliant fun snorkeling for blues, but no where near as productive!
Goodz
Posts: 2332
Date Joined: 20/07/09
Yeah I was thinking of
Yeah I was thinking of heading out for a night snorkle actually, certainly more life out at night! I am yet to get all onto the tanks but one day... crabs and prawns at night.. yeow!
Dicey
Posts: 912
Date Joined: 23/07/10
Love snorkeling for crabs
Love snorkeling for crabs too but also have a hard time finding them sometimes, found night time to be most productive to be honest, what would really help is a scuba divers point of view and see what the crabs are doing during the day where the potters go.
CCC
Posts: 540
Date Joined: 29/03/10
Great fun diving for crabs
Great fun diving for crabs but i would be using welding gloves.
BigV
Posts: 98
Date Joined: 22/06/11
Good fun
I've freedived a couple of times for them first thing in the morning, in about 4-6 meters of water on weed. Very easy to see the blue crabs against the weed and definately good fun. But hard work with a massive hangover...
The times i've done it there were 3 of us on board and we bagged out in bout half hour each time so plenty around (could have just been the spot too.)
I agree with ya Goodz a great way to catch em
Always keen to fish
Goodz
Posts: 2332
Date Joined: 20/07/09
You must have good breath
You must have good breath hold.. I was struggling in 3m today.. haha.. the vis sucked though so couldn't see the bottom unless you dived down.. made it hard work.
Juneka
Posts: 222
Date Joined: 14/12/09
crab fail
hehe... the video of 'rob and nat crab fail' - that is how I do it!! Haha... I fail at crabbing without a boat and drop net!looks like you had fun there! You will find more crabs out and about early mornings, before the breze starts up. Good luck!!!
Save the Whales! May as well - they won't fit in my catch bag!!!
Goodz
Posts: 2332
Date Joined: 20/07/09
haha.. you saw that one did
haha.. you saw that one did you! rookies were scared till I showed them how it was done! It's really not hard to catch them with your hands, they very rarely hurt you at all.
Quobbarockhopper
Posts: 393
Date Joined: 28/05/10
shoulda watched extreme
shoulda watched extreme fishing tonight for some "tips"... robson was in mandurah doing it....
Matt T
Posts: 875
Date Joined: 19/11/07
Gloves
No need force welders gloves CCC, diving gloves are fine.
I will never forget the first time my mate and I decided we would have a snorkle for them at the traffic bridge in Freo. We started out dropping a net in but the current just made it impossible. But when we brought the net up, even after being in the water for all of two minutes, there was a bloody great size blue in there! Obviously they were there but the drop net was going to be a real pain in the... We decided to nip home and grab our masks, especially since it was 40c that day.
We jumped in keen as, found the current was really hard work, but my mate spotted a huge blue near a rock on the bottom straight away. We surfaced and he said "I'm just gonna go for it"
We dived and he grabbed the crab, but it latched on to his finger (no gloves) and he just started yelling! We both surfaced with him screaming and swinging the crab from his finger like a helicopter, with me uncontrollably laughing at these antics! Nearly drowned from laughing so much, but a great memory!
CCC
Posts: 540
Date Joined: 29/03/10
Nah I'll stick with welding
Nah I'll stick with welding gloves. If you get on to a coupe you can hold 2 or 3 in one hand without worrying about getting a good bite on the forearm!!
CCC
Faulkner Family
Posts: 18175
Date Joined: 11/03/08
thats a way to get a feed
thats a way to get a feed and cool off at the same time. from my understanding the crabs go deeper as the day goes on and then back into the shallows at night as its getting dark. my money would be a morning swim , say around 6am.just as its light enough to see them
RUSS and SANDY. A family that fishes together stays together
scottland
Posts: 3040
Date Joined: 10/05/10
If snorkeling in the ocean
Like to make sure theres enough light to see any interested sharks hahah i like the arvo especially after a long day working or wat not
i support two teams eagles and whoever is playing the dockers
till
Posts: 9358
Date Joined: 21/02/08
Plenty of big ones at nite.
Plenty of big ones at nite.
Lamby
Posts: 3145
Date Joined: 04/08/09
Hey Goodz, we do it down here
Hey Goodz, we do it down here late arvo & a trick taught to me by 'wind on Dave' was to drag something along the bottom as you go eg a stick. The amount of crabs that are buried nice and deep but go ape shit when something is dragged over their noggin, great fun. As it gets later we have found bigger blues closer to shore, during the holiday period someone also dropped out little baits cable tied to bricks must thank them for that easy pickings!
snappermiles
Posts: 2100
Date Joined: 05/11/10
i usually go late arvo
and then if you dont get your limit you scoop them off the surface after the sun goes down
ALL FISHERMEN ARE LIARS EXCEPT YOU AND ME! AND IM NOT SO SURE ABOUT YOU!
Bodie
Posts: 3758
Date Joined: 05/11/07
i use the boat hook when
i use the boat hook when snorkling for crabs, use it to one stir up the bottom / sand holes where crabs sometimes are berried and to assist in picking them up by hand, pretty easy actually
Not done it in the swan tho, only Mandurah, Port kennedy and parts of cockburn.
Goodz, where you snorkel for them?
Goodz
Posts: 2332
Date Joined: 20/07/09
Cheers for the feedback
Cheers for the feedback guys... seems like night is the best but closer to night atleast. Might have to try that trick next time Lamby as I'm always thinking I bet theres heaps buried in the sand but just can't find them.
Bodie, I've only been a couple times in the cockburn sound on the southern flats and once down near the port kennedy boat ramp. Always got a few but the numbers arent there during the mid arvo... definately going to get out at night soon, maybe even this weekend.
Bodie
Posts: 3758
Date Joined: 05/11/07
night snorkeling!!! in
night snorkeling!!! in cockburn sound or port kennedy!! are you nuts!!! :)
Bradlze
Posts: 96
Date Joined: 06/02/12
dived last night in the river
dived last night in the river managed just under 10 between me and a mate
the night before 17 but 4 were undersized
prawns galore!! too bad left the net in the car
perth fisher
Posts: 132
Date Joined: 02/06/11
snorkelling for crabs is fun,
snorkelling for crabs is fun, it makes a change from drop nets
however you need to watch out for boats depending on where you go.. and sharks if you go in the parts closer to the ocean