THIEVING PARASITIC FILTH, Active in the Pine River

[craigie]

Hi Folks,

Just thought I should pass on a warning after a most disturbing Incident from the weekend.

The Excrement of our society, yes those Grubby Crab Pot thieves have been active again. Sometime between 10pm Friday Night and Daybreak Saturday, these Filthy Thieving Scum stole 6 of my new Crab Pots from the upper reaches of the Pine River on the North side of Brisbane.

The Pots were collapsable and made from orange trawl mesh by 'Crabn gear'.

Myself and friends Crab a fair bit, it had been ages since we had had any of our gear stolen, I guess you can never afford to get complacent.

I am offering a reward for the return of my Crab Pots if anybody out there can help.

I do have a couple of guys under suspicion who were at the Boat Ramp and knew where my pots were located in the River.

I have reported the theft to the Qld Boating and Fisheries Patrol who have been most sympathetic.

The bottom line is sink your pots or sit with them the whole time.

A Bitter and Twisted,

Craigie.

[jaybee]

sorry to hear craigie, maybe with a little luck a stinger or two may swam into the pots eh, lets hope. getting to expensive to lose gear like that. :-[

[craigie]

Thanks Jaybee :'(

I might have to go to church one sunday and pray for a shit load of bad luck for these thieving pricks >:( >:(.
The financial cost as well as the lack of trust towards others makes the theft a double wammy.

We should have gone to the Brissie River instead :P

Cheers
Craig.

[webby]

Hi , Might have to resort to a few stragical placed lenghts of barb wire around the rope next time.
Might stop some of these arse holes
Hope you catch them.
regards

[jaybee]

its hard craigie, not much good saying what should have been, and really not much sense hoping something bad will come too these guys, you know what they say, what goes round comes round, they will get theirs, just pray the law catches up with them before you do eh.
cheers.

[pockets]

The Grubs arn't just in the Pine River Craigie, a mate of mine had two pots stolen from Jacobs Well channel on Saturday night just up from Cabbage Tree ramp.
So be warry everyone.
cheers

[Heath]

Yes it is a problem.

We sink our ropes with lead & run 50LB fishing line up the banks. Or another thing to do, is to use things that look like debri. Piece if foam, an old thong etc, thats what we used to do as our pots were getting knocked off left right & center at one stage.

[rick_k]

To loose all 6 has to be theft, and mighty bloody irritating.

While flathead trolling we quite often snag on unmarked crab pots.

Those attached to a brick with a length of rope go back in as they came out (hope you like the funnels along, and not across the current). Those attached to mangroves likewise.

But we do come across a few that are locked up, but only have about 50cm of rope attached. I put these up on the bank in the assumption that someone has run over the float, and that the owner will find them, unless they are completely stuffed in which case they go in the bin.

I usually only set mine where I can watch 'em. A few years ago on the Caboolture R. two boats came along and dropped dillys 2m from each of my floats. Then spotted us. A shark cat came down the river and had words with the latecomers, who while we watched them cleared their dillies several times, strangely having no jennies or unders to throw back. Scum

Rick K

[elmo]

I fished the pine river (read nursery) Thursday last week. Was fishing opposite the ramp and towards dohles rocks when I noticed a pair of teenagers in a dinghy race straight from the boat ramp across to a pot, they looked around and then lifted and checked the pot and returned it. They then went around the corner towards the bridge.

I'm not saying that it wasn't their pot but it looked suspicious.

Anyway, the water police were actively about so I guess if people are ratting pots or stealing them, they will get what's coming.

P.S. Thanks to Aquarius I now have a sounder which has been fitted and tested (thursday) and works great.

[Fisherman02]

hi craig
mate that's bloody disgraceful. Why would a person steal someone elses property it really gets under my skin! What right do they have! I think like webby said in another post barbed wire every now again would be the go. As any thieves would be pulling it up quickly and carelessly looking around to see if anyones watching.
i wont rest till everyone one of them is hunted down >:(
cheers jack
p.s some addresses would be useful :D

[Muzzy]

do like webby reckons and make em like a trap, that way they hurt em self when they steal. some sewig pins in the rope might give them a tickle up...

I cable tie my pots shut so I know is some ones been in there. Never leave em unchecked for more than 1 hr and always take my shang eye and a pack of big bean sinkers.

[maverick1]

Hi Craig, sorry to here pots being stolen, these parasites need to be found and get good old fashion flogging,its bad enough the cost of fishing these days without scum like this making it harder , lets hope fellow fishos keep an eye on this problem and get some justice .


maverick1

[Bros]

I have read a number of replies and some of the readers recommend man traps on the rope. I think this would be foolish as if a Fisho were to pull up the pot and got injured from the mantrap and your name was on the pot you wouldn't be too worried about crab pot theft.
Craigie I am sorry to hear of your crab pot theft but there could be a few suspects. In CQ some of the tricks Pro's have used to other Pro's pots is to cut off the float or lift the pot and put the float in the pot and throw it back, I suspect the same could be done with amateur pots. I was speaking to a Pro a while back and he said the worst time for stealing from crab pots was school holidays.
I don't know what the answer is except to sink the pots and remember where you put them.

[craigie]

Guy's,

Thanks for all your feedback and suggestions, It's all very creative stuff !!! ;D ;D
I've had a heap of cold beers over the last few days which has helped to cool down my anger a bit.
I have no hard evidence to back up my suspicions against two guy's I spoke to at the Boat Ramp who were retrieving their Boat at the same time as me on that particular evening before the theft. Regardless of evidence, they knew that I was leaving the pots unattended for the evening as well as the locations of most of the pots and the type of round styrene floats I was useing. They also made accusations that 'The Castnetters' got on the water early and checked everyones Pots ??

So what I do have is, circumstantial evidence and a comment that blames someone else. I know these guy's live very close to the Ramp in question, could they have gone back on the water after watching me leave ???. They claimed they were Crabbing as well and were returning the next morning to pull their pots about the same time as me. A bit strange that, I didn't see them on the water that next day. Hmm, I wonder if they lost any pots to thieves that night :-X ??? ??? Very Interesting ??? ???

I'll keep you posted and the reward of $100 still stands.

Cheers
Craig.

[freddo]

Hey guys I know I have been lucky but I leave my pots every year in the Maroochy river for 4 weeks with floats on day and night and have not lost a pot. Some blokes reckon they lose pots all the time but I assure you a lot of them are only floating and drifting away from there location, specially on the big tides with a shit load of run in the channels.
Now I not saying that this is what happened to cragie,s pots for a
second but it does happen regulary.
The more boats out on the water means the best chance you have of not losing ur pots as they r not sure of whom belongs to which pots.
Anyway dont like ur chances of recovery mate cause they will have a new owners name on them now.Sorry mate. >:(

[rick_k]

G'day.

I know this is a family board, so I'll tread carefully.

I've seen that baby dancing on Ally McBeal, and I'm sure the computer gurus have created graphics of others from that program doing the same dance, can we see 'em?

Drifting pots. Yes, I have been guilty of chucking a pot over before ensuring that the float rope is untied and free to do it's thing. I have also experienced the 'borderline' tactics of the sharefarmer, in dropping dillies next to my pots.

At the end of the day, sad though it is, I think it is necessary to either keep an eye on pots, or cop the occasional lowlife.

I know I am not prepared to spend some time in gaol for dealing with one of the 'problems'.

It is a challenge remaining law abiding when we have to take into account raids by mongrels who are completely unconcerned by the consequences handed out by the authorities.

Having just spent $45/pot plus ropes, floats etc, I think it is about time that those who would charge us (and perhaps gaol us) for a breach of the peace if we were to take matters into our own hands, got off their butts, and did something.

Of course, that would entail spending some of our taxes on a bit of overtime for fisheries enforcement. All those in favour, say 'aye'....

Rick k

[sav]

Craig
Sorry to hear about you bad luck with the pots. Think you better stick with those ten ton wire ones - weigh a ton, stink, and cut you to pieces.
I'm back on deck next Tuesday so will give you a ring and organise something - (minus the crabs)
Regards
Sav

[Dominator]

Sorry to hear about your pots Craigie. :( :( :(
I have never lossed one myself but i can imagine how pi$$ed off you would be. >:( >:( >:(

If you do find the guys let me know because i can organise Sam (Araby Dog) to give them a Lebanese massage with the butt of his AK47. ;) ;) ;)

Good luck finding them mate.

Cheers,

Dominator.

[craigie]

Freddo,

Your very fortunate not to have lost any pots over such a long period of time.
I can honestly say I've had at least 20 stolen in the last 4 years.The pots are quite heavy (10mm Gal Steel) and do not drift. They mainly take the good ones which cost $40 - $50 each. My home made wire pots seam to last o.k., It's a bit insulting to think they won't steal them. They look crap but they do work !! Hmm could be the way to go for the future ;D ;D.

Rick,

Yes mate, no point doing anything stupid over this type of thing. It's difficult to fish when locked up in the 'Clink'.
I'm just about to put the whole incident to 'Bed'.

I also say 'Aye' to your proposal. I know the Boating & Fisheries Patrol have busted plenty of people for tampering with Crab Pots :) :), hope they catch a few more from our local waters.

Hi Sav,

How was Nu Ziland ?

Yeah mate, my ten ton wire ones were left behind. The thieves have the same opinion about them as you guy's ;D ??? Not worth stealing :o :o
Will be building a few this weekend.
Talk to you next week about upcoming Houseboat trip, booked for June this year (should catch more fish).

Hi Dom,

Thanks mate, yes it certainly gives ya the Shits :-X
I can live with the odd Pot knocked off every now and then, but 6 brand newies in one hit - F#@K !!!!!

I will keep your proposal in mind (the one with Sam and the AK47). The Lebanese Massage, sounds mighty effective !!!


Thanks again to all the guy's for their support and suggestions.

Cheers
Craigie.

[drawn]

Hi all,
I live in SA now but when I was living in Brisy I had pots stolen from the pine river as well. With so many being stolen, especially my new ones it makes u wonder what they do with them. Maybe some of them end up at the Cobulture market? I've seen second hand ones there.

drawn

[MICHAELG]

Hi all

I have lost the occasional pot and you do get angry. A mate & I have chased a guy on a waverunner once, who was raiding our pots, luckily for him he got away

Need a bit of help /info buying some new pots. all my old pots are stuffed

I am after
heavy guage metal(for weight- 1770 tides move),
rectangle(I find they work better than circle)
Bait trap built into the bottom so you access without having to open the pot & scratch yourself to bits. I cannot find these anywhere

appreciated

michael

[rick_k]

Sounds like a shopping trolley. Raw materials found in abundance near any bridge within 2 ks of a shopping centre.

Chuck the nice ones up the bank, I think the shopping centres want them back.

Look at the slightly rusty ones, unless you think they make good jack habitat!

Amazing how much trouble people go to to put a trolley in a creek. I have seen them in Downfall Ck near Gympie Rd which is not too much of a push, but they turn up in the creek right in the middle of the park as well. All duly reported to Westfield, as they are apparently reasonably expensive (and no jacks live in that part of Downfall Ck)

Rick K

[billyben]

craigie
do you know the id number that MICK \the maker] of your pots] attaches to his pots if so post them who knows somebody may spot them

[argonautical]

Rick_k

I picked up a push bike in my cast net down at Raby Bay a couple of weeks ago. Did nothing for my net.

argo

[aquarius]

Hey Phill(argo) :o did ya ride it home..lol
Cheers Brent

[craigie]

Hi Billyben,

I'm not sure if they had a ID number ?

I went out to Redcliffe and had a chat to Mick (Crabn'gear). I told him about the theft and the location of it, just in case he hears anything on the grape vine.

While crabbing last week, I found one of my home made pots that had been stolen about 18 months ago !!! I found it up in the mangroves in Hayes Inlet a few K's downstream from where it originally went missing. Whoever knocked it off made a few alterations to my original design. I collected it and took it home although it's all but rusted out now.
It was a bit like finding and old lost friend in the twilight of there life !!!!
I can get very sentimental about my Crab Pots !!!

Cheers
Craig.

[bugman]

Craigie,

I'm starting to worry about you. There are people you can turn to - professionals - to help your crab pot fixation.

I was planning to bring a few red claw pots on the fresh trip but now I'm very concerned.

1) either your bad luck will rub off on me and they'll go missing >:( -

or

2) I'll wake up in the morning and find you snuggled up close to them in your sleeping bag - caressing them gently making cooing noises. :o

Either way I'm a frightened man.

On the bright side this bit of rain will ge the fresh critters running.

Bugman

[craigie]

Fear not Bugman, I only like the large ones with the big curves !!! :P :P :-*
They must be virginal, won't touch them if they've caught crabs ::)
The small Opera House traps do nothing for me. ;D ;D

I'll be talking to Sav very soon, should be able to come up with a date for Cressbrook this week.

Cheers mate,

Craigie.

[fishfearme]

i hear ya mate sorry 2 hear about that lowlife is the name 4 those mongrels its almost as bad as trawlers in the bay. what is your theory on that should they only net offshore and leave the bay 4 recreationial fishing

fishfearme