Prawns - Lights - Squid?

[IRMC000]

At Night:
Are Prawns attracted to lights?
Are squid attracted to lights?
OR - Squid come to lights to get the prawns?

Has anyone ever used lights to catch prawns?
Thoughts welcome?

[Freeeedom]

Squid are definitely attracted to lights, which is why some of the jetties with lights on them are/were (in the case of the Woody Point jetty) great places to chase them in the winter. Commercial squid boats fishing the southern ocean use massive banks of floodlights to bring the squid to the boats. This is also why some of the squid jigs are luminous - shine a bright light on them for a few seconds and they will glow for quite a while, attracting the squid. You can also attract the squid in winter in places like the Redcliffe reefs by shining a bright light (like a pressure lantern) into the water on the calm winter nights after dusk and catching them on jigs very close to the boat when they come to the light.
Can't comment on the prawns since I've never tried prawning at night, although the plive prawns which I keep in the aquarium at home in between trips always bury themselves in the gravel on the bottom of the aquarium during the night.
Cheers Freeeedom

[Pero]

Squid are definitely attracted to lights, which is why some of the jetties with lights on them are/were (in the case of the Woody Point jetty) great places to chase them in the winter. Commercial squid boats fishing the southern ocean use massive banks of floodlights to bring the squid to the boats. This is also why some of the squid jigs are luminous - shine a bright light on them for a few seconds and they will glow for quite a while, attracting the squid. You can also attract the squid in winter in places like the Redcliffe reefs by shining a bright light (like a pressure lantern) into the water on the calm winter nights after dusk and catching them on jigs very close to the boat when they come to the light.
Can't comment on the prawns since I've never tried prawning at night, although the plive prawns which I keep in the aquarium at home in between trips always bury themselves in the gravel on the bottom of the aquarium during the night.
Cheers Freeeedom

thanks for that info Freedom. Do you feed the Prawns and if so What?or do you keep them for only a short time?
I know prawns are active some nights in NSW,have read about it.Thats how they're caught there.

[Freeeedom]

thanks for that info Freedom. Do you feed the Prawns and if so What?or do you keep them for only a short time?
I know prawns are active some nights in NSW,have read about it.Thats how they're caught there.

I find that I can keep them in numbers for up to a fortnight. They eat anything (including any that die) like fish food, small bits of raw fish etc. I've had one shrimp (the ones with the long skinny nippers) in the aquarium since early March. When I get out the net to catch the others for a fishing trip she hides under the rocks and has avoided capture every time
Cheers Freeeedom

[Noelm]

I go Prawning at night (that's the way we do it in NSW) and you need a light to see the buggers, you would have to have pretty good Eyesight to go Prawning without a light, though I am not all that convinced that it actually attracts them, it is just a necessary part of the kit, Squid on the other hand have a preference for lights.

[choppa]

I go Prawning at night (that's the way we do it in NSW) and you need a light to see the buggers, you would have to have pretty good Eyesight to go Prawning without a light, though I am not all that convinced that it actually attracts them, it is just a necessary part of the kit, Squid on the other hand have a preference for lights.

agree here 100%,,, the spotlight we use for prawning is more for our convienience than the prawns,,,,, and i think squid are similar to fish,,, they hang about the edge of the light waiting to grab their lunch,,,,or become lunch

choppa

[aussiefool]

When I was younger, and went prawning, I used to use a kero lantern. That way the prawns had to come closer to the light and made it easier to net

[carmenandmark]

Hi guys,

When you say you use a light at night for prawns, is that because they're eyes reflect the light or does it help you spot them on the surface?

This year I went out a few times on the Logan and Pine River for the first time and managed to get a few. Looking forward to nailing them better next year.

Thanks,
Mark

[bbayjohn]

Yes prawns eyes glow in the dark but a prawning light works best underwater lighting up the area underwater and the prawns floating past. The other thing you will need is a prawn net, try to get one with a long handel. I find prwning best done in the months with the letter "R" in them. And of course on a new moon or up to a week before as the tide is generaly better then.

[choppa]

When I was younger, and went prawning, I used to use a kero lantern. That way the prawns had to come closer to the light and made it easier to net

andrew,,,,, ya showing your age mate,,,,,,,,,,,

Yes prawns eyes glow in the dark but a prawning light works best underwater lighting up the area underwater and the prawns floating past. The other thing you will need is a prawn net, try to get one with a long handel. I find prwning best done in the months with the letter "R" in them. And of course on a new moon or up to a week before as the tide is generaly better then.

i didn't mean to repost the pics,,, but a thumbs up on the detail to show an answer to a query,,,,,,, well done

choppa

[bondy99]

I'm eager to get some fresh squid from the jetties and piers accessible by land. Has anyone caught any in the last few days before the rain?

I wonder if the rain has an affect on them. i.e do they flush them out.

Peter

[Reel Nauti]

If you're prawning with dillies. you lay the dillies on the bottom. The pull up is done every 15 minutes or so, in the dark. You only shine the torch into the dillies when they are near to the top. This drives the prawns down, and then you pull up quickly. Never fails.

Dave

[carmenandmark]

I'm eager to get some fresh squid from the jetties and piers accessible by land. Has anyone caught any in the last few days before the rain?

I wonder if the rain has an affect on them. i.e do they flush them out.

Peter

I went out from the pine river a few weeks ago and got some squid near the sandgate jetty. I was directly out from the front of the church (it's not square with the water) in about 10 ft of water (there's a spot of weed). We didn't have long but got 6 in about an hour. I'd say as winter goes on they'll continue to pick up.

[Pero]

I thought Banana prawns bury when it gets dark. my research confirms this and this is in keeping with Freeeedoms post. Could it be that the prawns in NSW are a different species maybe Tigers? Or could it be that Bananas are active at night during certain moon phases????

[Noelm]

most Prawns we get in NSW Lakes and Rivers are your common old Eastern King Prawn or Schoolies, the kings are the same (I think) as the Trawlers get at Mooloolaba and places, but nowhere near as big, and the School Prawns are, well, School Prawns!, there is the odd species as well, but they are the mainstay of our Prawn fishery, both Pro and Rec, and I have had Prawns from almost everywhere there is, and it would be very hard to beat a fresh Lake Illawarra King Prawn for taste.