Crab trap floats?

[NQCairns]

Hi, I am wondering what you QLD guys use for crab trap floats, dont want to buy the expensive round styrne floats just to have some bugger knock them off. Thanks NQCairns.

[Big_Muddie]

Hi NQCairns.

This is an extract from The Official Tide Tables and Boating Safety Guide and should answer your question.


Marking crab pots, dillies and traps in tidal and freshwater

All pots, dillies and traps used in tidal waters must be marked by an identifying tag bearing the surname and the address of its owner. When in use and not secured to a jetty, vessel or other fixed object, the pot, dilly or trap is to be attached to a light-coloured float not less than 15cm in any dimension - with the owner's name clearly inscribed in a contrasting colour.
In freshwater the floats must have the owner's surname written on it and be at least 15 cm in each of its dimensions or be a 2 or 3L plastic milk container.

[DeeGee]

I do my own oil changes on both the car and the boat, so I usually have a few empty 4 or 5 litre oil bottles around.

They are stronger than milk bottles, and the brands I use are usually white or bright yellow, so they make good floats.

Cheers, Deegee

[Heath]

Yeah, we use oil bottles as well. Just go to any garage or petrol station that still does mechanical work & they should have some.

[Araby_Dog]

Me and Dom were having a fish at the Pin about a month ago and noticed a couple of crab pots with the gold/silver "goon sacks" (4ltr wine containers) used as floats. They seemed to do the trick and you could see them with the sun reflecting of them from a distance. I'm not sure if you could trust tying the rope to it securly enough though.

[clutter]

I have been using oil bottles for years but am now changing to the polystyrene floats. The main reason for this is that I have lost a few in the past to boat strikes and have heard of others having their bottles slashed by arseholes with nothing better to do.

Clutter.

[NQCairns]

Thanks guys for the replies, I had completly forgot about oil containers, I wonder what those 4l plastic juice containers measure at their smallest, going shopping tomorrow and I do like juice . Cheers Scott.

[Muzzy]

Hi NQCairns.

This is an extract from The Official Tide Tables and Boating Safety Guide and should answer your question.


Marking crab pots, dillies and traps in tidal and freshwater

All pots, dillies and traps used in tidal waters must be marked by an identifying tag bearing the surname and the address of its owner. When in use and not secured to a jetty, vessel or other fixed object, the pot, dilly or trap is to be attached to a light-coloured float not less than 15cm in any dimension - with the owner's name clearly inscribed in a contrasting colour.
In freshwater the floats must have the owner's surname written on it and be at least 15 cm in each of its dimensions or be a 2 or 3L plastic milk container.

So your not allowed to loop the float over a mangrove to make it easy to get it out then?

[CHRIS_aka_GWH]

muzzy if the float is marked correctly that would be OK. Basically the regs say identify the equipment with the owners details with a minimum size & placement for that info to allow the authorities the ability to contact the owner. If attached to a float on the float - if not attached to a float then on the pot itself.

Interference with mangroves is a different Department & kettle of fish - god knows if by law attaching things to mangroves is legal - I got a dressing down by a ranger at stradddie for tying a hammock between trees #???

chris

[Big_Muddie]

I spoke to a Fisheries Officer this morning about a number of matters including tying off crab pots to mangroves.

First, all pots/dillies must have an identifying label on them showing the name and address of the owner.

Floats also need to have this information on them.

It definitely isn't one or the other - it's both.

Pots can be tied off to any fixed object, including mangroves or even a large rock. He went to the extent of saying that it's a good idea to tie them off underwater to make it as hard as possible for the "share farmers" When pots are tied off then floats aren't required but they can be used. Naturally you would need to remember where your pot is tied off so that you can retrieve it.

Although I didn't specifically ask about looping floats over mangroves, I would think that done properly and carefully that it would be OK. A friend of mine does that frequently. The Fisheries guy did say that they are not happy about people leaving floats across narrow channels - but I got the impression that they may be moved because they would be an obstruction to navigation.

[Muzzy]

cheers for that lads...

me be a darwin boy so thats why I did not know very much about your regs.

I always use mangroves as our tides are what you guys might call huge (i.e 6m change between high and low). It just makes it easier to retrieve etc as the float doesnt get sucked away and under things by the tide.

Do they ristrict what bait you guys use? seem to ristrist every thing else

[Big_Muddie]

Hi Muzzy.

No restrictions that I am aware of. If you are using fish for bait then the fish would have to be in accordance with regulations in respect of size.