Crab and Lobster
- Thread starter irawnsley
- Start date
[3889]
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Tried crabs but my wife objected to unsociable scratching.
OtherBusiness
Well-Known Member
Hi, was also looking into these... heard somewhere once that cat food works as a good bait in the trap? In the tin, with a couple of small holes punched in it?!!! Never tried it mind!
srp
Well-Known Member
The mesh on that lobster pot is too fine - you'll catch loads of rubbish with it and any self-respecting lobster or edible crab will hack through it. The entrance is in the wrong place as well.
The best traps for lobsters are the traditional inkwell (about 3' dia base), a D-shaped parlour pot (about 3' x 18" base) - both of these should have large funnel entrances (approx 9 - 10" dia). A good alternative which really can catch well is a fyke net - I've had a lobster, bass, conger eel and prawns all in the same catch.
The best fresh bait is mackerel or scad, and equally good is slightly 'high' fish offal of any sort (the 2 day old remains of your last catch for example). I've tried tinned catfood with no success whatsoever. Bait is best contained in a small net bag (eg net curtain material).
A good way of catching prawns is with a drop net made from an old bike wheel - a calm evening high water is best, and you have to know the ground. Use crushed shore crabs for bait.
Make sure you know what the current size limits are - fisheries officers can pop up from anywhere.
ps Osborne Bay and the west side of Wooton Creek are good for drop-netting, and for push netting on a low spring.
The best traps for lobsters are the traditional inkwell (about 3' dia base), a D-shaped parlour pot (about 3' x 18" base) - both of these should have large funnel entrances (approx 9 - 10" dia). A good alternative which really can catch well is a fyke net - I've had a lobster, bass, conger eel and prawns all in the same catch.
The best fresh bait is mackerel or scad, and equally good is slightly 'high' fish offal of any sort (the 2 day old remains of your last catch for example). I've tried tinned catfood with no success whatsoever. Bait is best contained in a small net bag (eg net curtain material).
A good way of catching prawns is with a drop net made from an old bike wheel - a calm evening high water is best, and you have to know the ground. Use crushed shore crabs for bait.
Make sure you know what the current size limits are - fisheries officers can pop up from anywhere.
ps Osborne Bay and the west side of Wooton Creek are good for drop-netting, and for push netting on a low spring.
starboard
Well-Known Member
I use a similar collapsable trap on my yacht........to be honest I am so fed up now with eating Lobster and crab that I am trying hard to lose the damm thing...........then again I sail and fish the fine waters of Scotland......you may find your area totally over fished and no mater what you use a blank will normally be the day!!!
Paul
Paul
wooslehunter
Well-Known Member
Done plenty of diving in the local waters around the Solent/Isle of Wight starting 15 years ago. The old guys talk of the good old days when the lobbies & crabs were pletiful. Now the're not. There are some spots that are better than otehrs of course but the population is well down.
longjohnsilver
Well-Known Member
Well that's not the case here in the West country, dived a few days ago and had 4 lobsters and 4 crabs. To come up with 3 lobsters is not unusual, years ago I would have been pleased with just one lobster. General feeling is that there's more lobsters around over the last few years, maybe they've all migrated from the Solent? /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
Robin
Well-Known Member
We bought one last year but didn't get much opportunity to try it, just one night in fact with only a small crab caught off the west Brittany coast. Like with fishing I will do it as the opportunity arises rather than deliberately going out to set a pot or fish. Our problem with the pot was lack of bait for it on the occasions when we were in good spots to set the pot overnight, but like you I'd heard the idea of putting holes in a tin of catfood or fish so the oils/smell leak out, in extremis I might give it a try! However I will make more effort to keep some bait available this year when we are away.
The pot looks like it will work OK, you need some line and a pot marker float as well and we added some fishing weights to our line to keep it out of props way. The pot isn't weighted so ultra deep water and strong tides might be a problem but the idea is to set it close in to rocks, set in the evening and picked up next morning using the dinghy.
It's worth a try, one lobster and it has paid for itself!
The pot looks like it will work OK, you need some line and a pot marker float as well and we added some fishing weights to our line to keep it out of props way. The pot isn't weighted so ultra deep water and strong tides might be a problem but the idea is to set it close in to rocks, set in the evening and picked up next morning using the dinghy.
It's worth a try, one lobster and it has paid for itself!
longjohnsilver
Well-Known Member
Here's a few I caught recently
StugeronSteve
Well-Known Member
[ QUOTE ]
Tried crabs but my wife objected to unsociable scratching.
[/ QUOTE ] Not tried either of them, but, of the two, I would rather not get the lobsters.
Tried crabs but my wife objected to unsociable scratching.
[/ QUOTE ] Not tried either of them, but, of the two, I would rather not get the lobsters.
Kilter
Well-Known Member
Oh yeah! Great results...so far I caught 3 yachts and two mobos; shame I have to keep replacing the line and the washing up bottle float though!
Viking
Well-Known Member
Yes! alway catch something. Last time I set the crab net/pot, I got 7 crabs, diner and lunch for two days.. wonderful.
fisherman
Well-Known Member
[ QUOTE ]
Well that's not the case here in the West country, dived a few days ago and had 4 lobsters and 4 crabs.
[/ QUOTE ]
Hope you are licenced, otherwise I shall have to pass your post to DEFRA for legal action!
Well that's not the case here in the West country, dived a few days ago and had 4 lobsters and 4 crabs.
[/ QUOTE ]
Hope you are licenced, otherwise I shall have to pass your post to DEFRA for legal action!
fisherman
Well-Known Member
[ QUOTE ]
Yes! alway catch something. Last time I set the crab net/pot, I got 7 crabs, diner and lunch for two days.. wonderful.
[/ QUOTE ]
And you!
Yes! alway catch something. Last time I set the crab net/pot, I got 7 crabs, diner and lunch for two days.. wonderful.
[/ QUOTE ]
And you!
fisherman
Well-Known Member
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Yes! alway catch something. Last time I set the crab net/pot, I got 7 crabs, diner and lunch for two days.. wonderful.
[/ QUOTE ]
And you!
[/ QUOTE ]
No, sorry, not you, just seen where you are.
[ QUOTE ]
Yes! alway catch something. Last time I set the crab net/pot, I got 7 crabs, diner and lunch for two days.. wonderful.
[/ QUOTE ]
And you!
[/ QUOTE ]
No, sorry, not you, just seen where you are.
gandy
Well-Known Member
Do divers need to be licenced? I understood that it was commonplace for divers to catch lobsters (not necessarily legal, of course).
longjohnsilver
Well-Known Member
Totally legal for divers to land lobsters, and crabs, and flat fish, all as long as they are above their respective size limits.
fisherman
Well-Known Member
[ QUOTE ]
Totally legal for divers to land lobsters, and crabs, and flat fish, all as long as they are above their respective size limits.
[/ QUOTE ]
In the Cornwall Sea Fishery district it is illegal for an unlicenced boat to catch more than two shellfish per day, and they may not be sold. Not sure if this applies to a diver with no boat. Different byelaws in other areas.
Totally legal for divers to land lobsters, and crabs, and flat fish, all as long as they are above their respective size limits.
[/ QUOTE ]
In the Cornwall Sea Fishery district it is illegal for an unlicenced boat to catch more than two shellfish per day, and they may not be sold. Not sure if this applies to a diver with no boat. Different byelaws in other areas.