Crabbing

[rando]

I decided this year to have a proper go at crabbing. Geared up, and have had half a dozen runs at it.

Tuesday I put in some pots at the boat passage and left them over night. While i was setting the pots I noticed a commercial punt mooching around in the vicinity.
I went to pick up my pots today. There was a commercial fisher in a cruiser about 28ft and a bunch of commercial registered punts anchored not far from my pots.

Despite the fact that there was plenty of bait left ( I put plenty in), and the bait had obviously been attacked by crabs , there was not one crab in my pots.

Two of the bait holders had been slashed open with a knife and one of the strings for the entrance cut with a knife.

Now , if , there were no crabs in the pots , and the pots were undamaged I would think some thief had taken the crabs . But damage to the pots is someone sending me a message.

Who would be telling me not to crab here ,I wonder.?

Now I am not going to put my pots there any more.
But I will be sending a little nessage of my own.;D

[bondy99]

Rando,

There are few a***holes around, recreational as well as professional.

Mate , if I was you I would have taken down their vessels rego and covertly take a few photographs and present these to police of fisheries, with dates, times etc.

Not saying they will act on it but if you had a diary of such events then they would look into as it would show a pattern emerging.

[PinHead]

I would have fronted them there and then and asked (warned) them about touching pots. Just get the message out that you are not real happy.

[rando]

Yeah Pinhead /Bondy.
They will know soon enough, they have upset the wrong bloke.>:( Ive got the rego.

[hooknpull]

i put electric zip tie's around my doors so i know if they have been raided. Iv had the same happen to me 2 days in a row and on the 3rd i had a pot stolen. So i cut his floats and moved mine elsewhere. Must admit it felt great!

[liltuffy]

i put electric zip tie's around my doors so i know if they have been raided. Iv had the same happen to me 2 days in a row and on the 3rd i had a pot stolen. So i cut his floats and moved mine elsewhere. Must admit it felt great!
Mate, wrong course of action:( . You perpetuate this float cutting revenge based crap again.

Cut it out !!!

[Peter4]

I agree. To take revenge might make you feel better but in doing so you have broken the law as well. Better to report the incident and let the proper authorities deal with it

[TheRealAndy]

Anyone who cuts floats should be publicly flogged. Pots continue to fish when lost or abandoned. This is ruining it for yourself and everyone else.

[rosco1974]

bad luck rando,mate the boat with all the dories sounds like a pro net fisheman...he prob would of done your pots..will take ya for a run with me 1 day show u the ropes a bit..a few more area's to try...keep at it mate u will get a good feed soon
cheers rosco

[Axl]

Yes as rosco said keep at it rando you will come up trumps soon enough try to stay away from the more populated areas for an over night soak if you can.

Ive had pots raided/stolen from the middle of Moreton Bay so it is hard to beat the bastards. Only last week crabbing around Green island I am sure my pots where checked for me by the share farmers but I still managed to get a feed.

Extremely frustrating I know but it is hard to accuse someone of something unless you actually witness them do it .

[D river]

It seems now days its impossible for people to only check thier own pots and its a shame. This used to happen on a rare occasion but now its every time you leave them in unless you hide them which is illeagal. I,ve givin up fishing when I crab now and I just run dilly's. It not only allows me to crab a much larger area in search of where the crabs are by moving them every half hour but we allways seem to do well and we only need a few hours to do it and because I'm doing the rounds every half hour it spooks all the pot raiders while I'm running around. I cant stand thiefs. We used to leave our utes unlocked with wallets on the dash up north here but them days are gone now since the southern population now visits us non stop and brings its habbits with it.(A few bad eggs ruin it for every1)

[sandbankmagnet]

Aren't dilly's illegal now?

[D river]

only the which hat 1,s ae banned the lay flat 1's are still good to go

[caster226]

comment removed

[-spiro-]

Set them up next time put your pots out and sit out of site with a pair of binochulars. Wait for them to start raidding them then head over and tellém you got them on camera and your heading to the fisheries with the proof. If there pro's they will be worried for sure.

[Sea Wulf]

Bastard thieves should be publicly flogged, absolutely correct...unfortunately this is against the law. :-? I have night vision gear and it gives me great pleasure to watch quietly from a distance and then pounce on these buggers. ;) Given that I work for the regulator and have several contacts within Boating and Fisheries, you can be sure I will report every one I catch. Photographic evidence is recorded whenever I get close enough to do so. Boating and Fisheries WILL act on your complaints but remember you need to have as much info (evidence) as possible. The more we report these lowlifes hopefully the less our pots will be tampered with.

Tight lines and full pots! 8-)