Spanner crabs

[stark]

Has anyone trapped spanners? The Qld fisheries say they inhabit intertidal waters from surf to a depth of more than 100M.

Has anyone caught one in the Bay? They are a great crab to eat, but getting very expensive. If they are in the Bay I would like to try setting traps if someone has a general idea of location.

Regards
John

[jaybee]

have heard of them being caught off tangalooma, in dillies dropped for sandies, i use to drop 4 withces hats (strung together) on the way to the 9 mile from cudgen creek and pick em up on the way home and usually did really well. hard yakka pulling 4 dillies up from 60 to 100 feet of water tho, specially when they got crabs in em. sometimes the crabs will move across the current and other times the will move with it. drop the dillies the wrong way to the way they are moving doesnt help the catch. hope this helps
Joe.

[T-REX]

Buy some square spanner crab nets as these are easier to store on a boat.
A couple a spots you might like to try:
1. Northern end of Moreton Is about half way between comby point and North Point head north till you get into 10m of water, sound around and find an undulating sandy bottom and drop your nets east west.
2. West of the north east channel out from Comby Point.
3. Between the shipping channel and Moreton Is from Comby point to just south of Cowan on sandy bottom.
4. Between beacon NE2 and Hutchinson Shoal.
The larger spanner crabs seem to prefer the deeper water and the current can submerge your floats in all of these spots when the tide is running. Check your pots every hour as turtles like a feed of these crabs as well.
Good Hunting

[stark]

My thanks to you both for the information.

Cheers
John

[adamleah]

Maybe you could try a pot similar to this one.....

[stark]

Whoohoo now all I need is the Queen Mary to get the ruddy thing out there. What and where did the photo come from? Can't be legal in Australia.

Cheers
John

[adamleah]

Truthfully , I have no idea where it cam from...I think I actually saved it when someone else posted it a while back...

Its a beauty though...
At least you could pick out the guy on the ramp that had just stolen your pots...

Adam

[stark]

Would'n be fun watching a pot stealer trying to put that up! I would not be supprised if we hear of a pot being booby-trapped. The Police have used marked crabs in stings around the bay.

Cheers
John

[basserman]

undercover crabs 8)

[stark]

Ya basserman,

One was made up to Chief Inspector (CCS) last week.

Cheers
John