Crab Pot Rope Danger

[sandbankmagnet]

Sorry but I fish tight estuary. I may be missing the point, because normally when I see a crab pot float, I take into account the tidal flow and which way the rope will be hanging. I understand this may be different in the bay.

I have a set amount of line on my crab pots which is probably too much, but I never know when I'll need to put my pots in deeper water. The lead option is a good idea. Where do you get that? I must say I fish way out of the traffic of the everyday bloke normally.

[mangrove 3]

Mangrove 3
Hi i was down around russel last week and some smart people were putting there pots in the middel of a very small chanel, hahah there boat was nealy blocking off the little chanel, the rest of the way up the chanel was just pots right in the middle of the chanel. i just shock my head.

[Tim_N]

Isn't there so law against putting pots in the channel?
Or for that matter, what about fishing in the channel?
Dodging boats and pots can be hazardous especially in busy areas. I've even been given the "forks" by people who have been anchored in the middle of a channel fishing away, and when I didn't slow down to pass them, up yours son!
Surely the channel is for the boat traffic primarily rather than fishing or crabbing.
Anybody know?
Tim

[Poseidon]

I have seem many pots dropped into locations making it difficult for boat traffic to pass, especially in narrow, shallow sections. One recently was set into a point beside a sand bar known to be the only location to get your boat through on the low tide. I really wanted to 'do the right' thing and move the pot out of harms way however thought twice about being accused by someone else as being a pot thief. Anyway I motored past carefully and noticed a string of these named pots further up the creek. On the way back a little later the bulk of the pots remained where placed however the rouge pot had been relocated to well into the mangroves and out of others way. Obviously by someone with a lower tolerance to the problem than me.
No doubt that this pot was added to the statistics for stolen crab pots in the area.

[Dirtysanchez]

Speaking of Russell Island, my sales rep was late for work the other day - he lives over on Russell Island, anyway he said sorry then went on to explain the boat he catches was only running on one engine becuase, you guessed it, the other motor was out of action as it had picked up a crab pot.

Now a large turbo diesel not only wraps the rope around the prop / shaft, but pulverised the pot into a mess of mesh and steel too.