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After my recent post in the Saltwater Section I took the opportunity to indulge in a bit of offshore crabbing over the weekend.
The family and I enjoyed the beautiful Tweed River over the last two days - floating around swimming fishing and just generally enjoying the beautiful fresh blue clear water down near the mouth with the big tides.
Anyway took the opportunity to jump out through the bar Saturday lunch to drop a couple of spanner trays. Just 4 pulls later had over 20 in the esky and that was heaps for us so it was off to find a likely looking spot for the crab pots.
I chose 41 metres on sand to drop one and 36m only 500m from a reefy area to drop another. Chicken frames were the bait of choice.
After spending the night on the boat anchored down nearish the mouth of the river we ducked out this morning to pick them up.
Came to 36m mark - no pot. We hunted around for 15min and nothing. Off to the 41m pot and found the floats and lifted her aboard (heavy). One big male sand crab and 8 three spot (5 male). Not bad for a first effort with the 3 spot going the same size as an above average sand crab. We went back to the first mark but still couldn't locate the pot so I'm off to buy some more next time I'm in Redcliff.
Overall a great weekend with the family with an easy feed added on top. what more can you ask for.
What were the markings on the float, probably find a whale dragged it for a while, I have found mine 5 km off their mark, ran across it going home by luck
Cheers
Yeah mate I'm running two 12 inch floats. The current wasn't that bad over the weekend and both floats were pretty much above the water at all times. In my haste to get ready I didn't use shark clips braided onto the rope for that pot (I did on the other one) and it is possible one of my knots let go. Although I thought I had tied it pretty well.
The pots are those large 1.2m extra heavy duty suckers from AT Nets and ropes so it's unlikely they would drift.
I hadn't thought about a whale but it's a big ocean and anything can happen.
If anyone finds a couple of floats attached to a nice shiny new pot about 3km NE of the Tweed bar in 36m of water - There's a reward for the finder - all the crabs inside
I haven't ventured south of the Tweed yet for a try. The grounds I'm working north of the bar seem to produce so its easy to duck up there. Admittedly I've only tried twice. There's a closure in QLD from Nov 20 for a month - just bear that in mind for people interesting in taking a feed.
Matt,
In all honesty it's pretty easy - once you find the crab. I've got no doubt if I had left one of my big collapsible pots out on the spanner grounds overnight it would have held spanner crabs for sure.
With the trays it's much quicker as they just walk on - you only wait about 30-40mins between pulls.
Well done on the crabs Bugman....a few nice crab sangers there by the looks.
Hopefully the dreaded 'sharefarmers' were not at work over the w'end !!!
Maybe smaller 6 inch floats would attract less attention....?
Had a boat 'lurking' near my spanner gear once in the middle of no where...he did the bolt as soon we approached..... at speed !!!!!!
Also smaller floats will not tend lift the pot .....just in case the current starts to run hard.
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