Crabbing Virgin

[mickzxc]

Hi All,

I've got the gear but have no idea!

Heading out somewhere this weekend to chase a few crabs.

Basically got 4 pots, boat and a bloody good attitude but need some advice on where to drop the pots and the best time / tides to crab. Ideally I would drop the pots, go fish a few hours and pick the pots up on the way in.

Happy to fish anywhere within a hour or two from brisbane.

Any advice is much appreciated.

Cheers.

[dassa]

G'day mick what part of brisbane are you in and what crabs are you after sandies or muddies.

Any river from the pine to the broad water you will have a fare chace of catching some crabs.By using your sounder find the drop off's and drop your pot's but make sure your bait is secure to the bait to the bottom of the pot by useing gutter guard or as i do cable ties.Bait fish frame or hole cat fish. Mate if you can get mack tuna i find the crabs love the oily flesh.

I like to drop on the run out and pull them after the high but the longer you leave them the better but you have more chance of the share farmers of picking your pots

good luck

cheers dassa

[mickzxc]

Thanks Dassa,

Pretty keen to get either a muddy or sandy.

Sunday is shaping up to be a cracker, so will try my luck then.

I'll let you know how i go.

Ceers

[noname]

i'm going out either friday arvo and staying the night in around horseshoe bay at peel island, will have my pots out, around behind coochie welcome to tag along if ya like, i'll be leavfin them in over night while i get a lil merry during the night, and hopin for crab meat for lunch saturday, :whistle:

[Gad]

Most river/creek areas fringed with mangroves and the nearby mud flats will contain mud crabs. Mud crabs like mangrove lined areas because their roots afford protection from predators, but in saying that, areas with rock walls, drains or creeks flowing into the rivers are also good spots to put pots.

use fresh bait,as mentioned earlier oily fish like mullet and firm-fleshed species such as catfish,put a couple of knife cuts on both sides. Fish frames and heads also work well.

You don`t need to go over board with the amount of bait you put in a pot,eg:a couple of whiting frames with heads would be heaps,if checking or removing them after about 3 hrs.

I like to set my pots either side of areas that have drains or creeks running into the main river or creek system and if the drain or creek is deep enough I`ll put pots in them as well.

If your pots only have 2 entances set the pots with the funnel entrances facing the direction of the current, also make sure that your rope is long enough for the float to remain visible at high tide.

If you leave pots in the water during the runout tide,and through the low tide make sure the depth of water will still be enough to cover them at low tide.

Some times it pays to loop each float over a mangrove branch if close to the bank, otherwise the floats may become tangled around mangrove roots during low tide and may not be easily visible when you return.

Make sure you look up the crabbing regulations for how to mark your pots and floats and for size and bag limits,and pick up a plastic crab measure to check your crabs as their easier to use than stuffing around with a fish ruler/tape measure etc.

If going out by yourself,using a gaff to hook onto the rope and float can make retreiving the pots easier.