Crabbing

[chrisgal]

I bought a couple of crap traps the other day, was wondering if I could get some help on the surrounding to drop them in and different places on the hawkesbury river for muddies and blue swimmers.

[PaddyT]

Wait until October, but basically this- look for anywhere with a bit of tidal flow- blue swimmers sand/ribbon weed areas, muddies- mangroves, drains and mud

[chrisgal]

Thanks paddy. 

[kiwicraig]

Also worth noting where you can't use your traps.  All of Brisbane Waters is out.  Most of the Hawkebury is OK.  But Cowan Creek bans all nets except landing nets - which would include witches hats I think.  Here's a reference: https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/614708/Recreational-Fishing-Guide-Central-Coast.pdf

[kiwicraig]

Also worth noting that I have caught far more blue swimmers on a $4 handline than I have in my 2 x $40 traps.  

[PaddyT]

Cowan is pretty ordinary for crabs- not enough current, traps are legal there but witches hats are not. Correct for Brisbane Waters- no traps or nets

[Bill Morris]

Hi @kiwicraig I've been trying to find out how you can catch crabs on a handline and I've seen your response here. Would you be able to tell be how you rig your handline and do you drift or anchor for them? Any help will be appreciated. Cheers

[SquidMarks]

On 6/22/2018 at 6:31 PM, chrisgal said:

I bought a couple of crap traps the other day, was wondering if I could get some help on the surrounding to drop them in and different places on the hawkesbury river for muddies and blue swimmers.

First thing you may need to do in order to improve your success rate in catching crabs is to throw out those crap traps you bought and go and get some crab traps (unless of course you are targeting crap and not crabs!)

?

[Sea Ranger]

Crab (Blue Swimmer) +

6 cm

10. 20 in possession.

 

I get confused by NSW Fisheries.  What does this mean?  10 each fisherman or 20?    Someone told me you cannot have more than 20 on your boat even if you have 3 people on board.   I'm probably reading too much into this as usual

Bear

[blindmullet]

On 6/25/2018 at 4:19 PM, kiwicraig said:

Also worth noting that I have caught far more blue swimmers on a $4 handline than I have in my 2 x $40 traps.  

Handline is the way to go. Traps take forever, get stolen, lost, use fuel etc. Bycatch is usually a big flatty which i dont really like to call 'bycatch'.

Handlines are far more productive where i fish 

[Sea Ranger]

3 minutes ago, blindmullet said:

Handline is the way to go. Traps take forever, get stolen, lost, use fuel etc. Bycatch is usually a big flatty which i dont really like to call 'bycatch'.

Handlines are far more productive where i fish 

Any chance you could post how you go about with a handline?  My son and Mrs are pretty keen on some Crab this year.  I've used only traps in the past.

 

Bear

[Bill Morris]

Yeah more info on the handline method would be great in regards to hooks and sinkers. @Noo2OzFish I'm only new to fishing too but I think with bag limits for the crabs, I think they would be the same as fish? My understanding of fish is you can have the bag limit for a day so say 10 but you can have 20 in your possession ie at home etc from previous days. So you could only have 10 blue swimmers per person on your boat. But you could have 20 blue swimmers each person at home in esky etc. So if there was 3 of you on a boat with fishing licences then you'd be able to have 30 crabs which if you accomplish that let me know your spot ;). Please others offer advice is this is wrong but this is my understanding of it. And another thing on the crabs when you are talking handlines are you talking rods or old school lines you real in with hands? Cheers 

Edited October 16, 2018 by stalwart

[zmk1962]

5 hours ago, Noo2OzFish said:

Any chance you could post how you go about with a handline?

I'm not sure how @blindmullet does it, but I have used whippy rods and handlines as a youth  (low funds = improvisation) to catch both mud crabs and blue swimmers. 

Grab a nylon stocking, put some sausage mince (like a third to half a fat sausage) in to the stocking and tie it so you have a ball of bait at the bottom then cut the stocking so you have  20-30cm dangly strands - the more the better. Hook the ball of bait onto a flathead rig (running sinker to long shank hook) and lob it out onto the crab grounds.  

Leave a bit of slack line and watch the line being taken - give them plenty of time - let the crab tangle itself in the stocking. If your using a whippy rod, keep an eye on the tip, you'll get a nice bend when the crab picks up the bait and starts to move off with it.   Do a test lift - if you feel weight chances are they are tangled - if not drop back down.

Reeling in - best to do a quick smooth motion to get them up off the bottom and keep them off the bottom - if they are tangled its a pretty easy landing, if not, but they are hanging on remember they rarely let go until near the surface - so keep a scoop net near by.

On rare occasions I have even had them hooked through the little mandible near their mouth - go figure! 

BTW, it gets interesting when a ray or eel goes for the bait stocking or not....hahaha ...the memories of youth!

Cheers

Zoran

[blindmullet]

Ill get a pic of my rig tonight, have to post it tomorrow (computers at work)

[Rob81]

15 hours ago, zmk1962 said:

I'm not sure how @blindmullet does it, but I have used whippy rods and handlines as a youth  (low funds = improvisation) to catch both mud crabs and blue swimmers. 

Grab a nylon stocking, put some sausage mince (like a third to half a fat sausage) in to the stocking and tie it so you have a ball of bait at the bottom then cut the stocking so you have  20-30cm dangly strands - the more the better. Hook the ball of bait onto a flathead rig (running sinker to long shank hook) and lob it out onto the crab grounds.  

Leave a bit of slack line and watch the line being taken - give them plenty of time - let the crab tangle itself in the stocking. If your using a whippy rod, keep an eye on the tip, you'll get a nice bend when the crab picks up the bait and starts to move off with it.   Do a test lift - if you feel weight chances are they are tangled - if not drop back down.

Reeling in - best to do a quick smooth motion to get them up off the bottom and keep them off the bottom - if they are tangled its a pretty easy landing, if not, but they are hanging on remember they rarely let go until near the surface - so keep a scoop net near by.

On rare occasions I have even had them hooked through the little mandible near their mouth - go figure! 

BTW, it gets interesting when a ray or eel goes for the bait stocking or not....hahaha ...the memories of youth!

Cheers

Zoran

I've read somewhere this is considered "trapping". So you can only use it where you are allowed to use crab traps. Just something to consider before going out to use this technique at restricted areas.

[Berleyguts]

You can get plenty using just a baited hook without stocking etc., a bean sinker and a hand line. Just pull them in slowly and be ready with a scoop net. We used to get heaps in Botany Bay/Georges River this way when I was a kid. Also in Port Hacking which was a no trap zone for decades. ?

Edited October 16, 2018 by Berleyguts

[zmk1962]

32 minutes ago, Rob81 said:

I've read somewhere this is considered "trapping". So you can only use it where you are allowed to use crab traps. Just something to consider before going out to use this technique at restricted areas.

May well be the case as I said, this is what I did in my youth.... I'm 56 now !!!!  Fewer rules then for sure.

24 minutes ago, Berleyguts said:

We used to get heaps in Botany Bay/Georges River this way when I was a kid.

Hey Baz .... I learnt to fish on the Georges River... lived about 10min walk from Chipping Norton lakes... thats where we'd catch our big muddies each Nov-Dec especially after a hot and dry spell.  Maybe we fished next to each other.... hahaha. What a small world.

Cheers 

Zoran 

[Rob81]

yeah almost not rules back then compared to now.

[Bill Morris]

Cheers mate that would be handy. I'm guessing pilchards for the bait?. Cheers

[kiwicraig]

On 10/15/2018 at 4:18 PM, stalwart said:

Hi @kiwicraig I've been trying to find out how you can catch crabs on a handline and I've seen your response here. Would you be able to tell be how you rig your handline and do you drift or anchor for them? Any help will be appreciated. Cheers

Sorry for the delayed response. Have not checked on for a few days.  

My rig is as simple as it gets.  Cheap handle spooled with mono.  I slide on a sinker to suit the current. You can go a bit heavy, you want to keep the bait on the bottom.    Then tie in a gang of three hooks. I usually use about 3/0.  Bait with something tough.  I usually use about 1/3 of a recent flathead frame. 

I fish for crabs at anchor.  Put the handle over a rod holder and put the handle of the net through it.  When a crab picks up the bait and started walking away the handling will start spinning. Then just wind it in slowly.  Net it from behind while it is in the water. If you lift it out it will almost certainly let go.

Happy crabbing. Careful - it's addictive.

[Bill Morris]

Thanks heaps mate. Appreciate your help. @kiwicraig

 

[blindmullet]

Couldnt get near the boat last night, was floggin down rain but ill try describe it. I use a 4/0 snapper hook on the bottom, big sinker bout a foot from the hook fixed not running, dont want to spook them when pulling them in. I always use mullet for crab bait. Leave it on the bottom for a while then extremely slowly start pulling it in, If theres weight or the line moves sideways, Crab on. Get them to a depth where you can only just see them and very slowly net them. I was taught this when i was very young and never used a trap in my life. Hopefully when the rain stops i can get a video out on the water. 

[Bill Morris]

Sounds great mate, thanks for all the help. Cheers

[kiwicraig]

On 10/16/2018 at 1:14 PM, Noo2OzFish said:

Crab (Blue Swimmer) +

6 cm

10. 20 in possession.

 

I get confused by NSW Fisheries.  What does this mean?  10 each fisherman or 20?    Someone told me you cannot have more than 20 on your boat even if you have 3 people on board.   I'm probably reading too much into this as usual

Bear

There are three different limits that could be applied.  Here are the official definitions. https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fishing/recreational/fishing-rules-and-regs/rule-definitions

It boils down to:

Bag limit = the most one person can take in 24hrs

Possession limit = the total amount 1 person can have at any one time, either with them or stored elsewhere (e.g. at home in the freezer)

Boat limit = the total number a single boat can take in a single 24 hr period.

So in your example if there were three people on board they could each take 10.  If there was a boat limit of 20 rather than a possession limit then the boat could only take 20.

Clear as the currently muddy waters of the Hawkesbury, right?

[Sea Ranger]

4 hours ago, kiwicraig said:

There are three different limits that could be applied.  Here are the official definitions. https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fishing/recreational/fishing-rules-and-regs/rule-definitions

It boils down to:

Bag limit = the most one person can take in 24hrs

Possession limit = the total amount 1 person can have at any one time, either with them or stored elsewhere (e.g. at home in the freezer)

Boat limit = the total number a single boat can take in a single 24 hr period.

So in your example if there were three people on board they could each take 10.  If there was a boat limit of 20 rather than a possession limit then the boat could only take 20.

Clear as the currently muddy waters of the Hawkesbury, right?

Looks like the boat limits only apply to gem fish.    So Each fisher can catch 10 each day and can only have 20 total in possession in the fridge freezer or other.

 

 I think 

 

Bear