Do you have a crab trap puller?

I bought the Ace (Brutus) pot puller (Made in Canada) for a friend's boat (I went in half with his wife) as I get to pull shrimp with him on HIS boat and he gets to clean up the mess! The unit has been great. One of the cheapest on the electric market, same speed as all the other sport pot pullers and just about the same ability weight wise. We gang 3 small pots or 2 large pots and fish 450 most of the time. It is quiet, easy to set up (and take off and stow to thwart theft) and is built well. Only thing to remember is don't mount the power plug (scotty downrigger connector) below the unit, it drips water off the head!
 
I'll be out along the West of Whidby and in the San Juans the first of May, would anyone be willing to give some general ideas on where to look for shrimp?
Any suggestion on where to park my rig to launch thats secure? thanks Michael.
 
MNelson, sounds like you will be out in an area I am not experianced with for shrimp. I think the spot prawn season opens up on the 3rd of May. In general my understanding is that you are looking for 300-350' of water in a moderate area for current and near eal grass beds. Be very mindfull of the tides and have your pots in with fresh bait at least an hour prior to slack tide. Low slack is somewhere mid morning (I know it's a 0.0 at 11am in the south sound). I will be in between Edmonds and Everett myself as this area has delivered solid results over the past few years.
If you do shrimp in the San Juan's please let us all know how you do and where you did it.
Shrimp taco's...shrimp burgers, steamed shrimp dumplings, grilled shrimp, shrimp & pasta, shrimp & spinich salid..... :smiled
 
Has anyone tried the crab hawk or crab snare? Both are used with a rod and reel. We would like to have some fun crabing without getting too seriouse about it. Just want to catch enough for dinner on the boat - if we happen to be out during crab season.
 
Trinity,

If you don't want too get serious, just wad 10ft. of monofilament into a ball, tie it onto a 6 oz. weight along with a chicken leg, drop it to the bottom and reel in when it starts to walk away. The fun starts when you try to get the crab out of the monofilament. :smilep

Jack :wink
 
Jack

We were thinking of trying something like that. Talked to some old timers, and I guess that is what they used to do off the docks all the time. We thought it would be fun to give it a try and maybe catch some dinner sometime when we are out cruising during crab season.

Thanks for the tip.

Nancy
 
Has anyone tried using the buoy system that is commonly used for pulling river style anchors for lifting shrimp pots? My guess is that it should work quite well, but curious if any of the Brats have used it.

Steve
 
Sagebrush,

I see people using the snatch block & buoy method and it looks like a good way to loose your pots. Just think, if you have 300+ feet of line out you have to have a clear run (most of them go like hell!) :smileo of 300+ ft to raise the pot. What happens if you miss-calculate and the pot slams into the lifting rig? :smilep As long as I'm able, I'll stick to the "Armstrong" method...After all, what other exercise do you get on a boat? :wink

Jack
 
Trinity":d8t530k0 said:
Jack

We were thinking of trying something like that. Talked to some old timers, and I guess that is what they used to do off the docks all the time. We thought it would be fun to give it a try and maybe catch some dinner sometime when we are out cruising during crab season.

Thanks for the tip.

Nancy
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I don't know anything about the west coast crabs but for blue crabs here on the east coast and old pair of panty hose weighted with bait inside works great. Crabs get hung up in the mesh of the hose.
 
Thanks Marvin
Another great idea.
I have heard that if you use just bait, the crab will hang on until it gets close to the surface and then you use a net to get the crab before it lets go.

Fact or legend?

Nancy
 
Trinity":emdmv53u said:
Thanks Marvin
Another great idea.
I have heard that if you use just bait, the crab will hang on until it gets close to the surface and then you use a net to get the crab before it lets go.

Fact or legend?

Nancy
Click to expand...

Thats how its done here on the east coast. You slowly retrieve the line and when the crab comes into site you scoop him up with a long handle net. We are generally in 10 ft or less water.
 
Nancy,

That's a "Some times", but more LUCK than anything else. :wink If you're really desperate....put some bait in your landing net, tie a line on it and drop it over the side. All you need is an "attractor and something to foul" them long enough to get them to the surface.

Jack
 
Them crabs is not the smartest critters. Growing up in southern California I can remember fishing off the a pier and seeing another fisherman pull up his bonita rig, 40 feet from the water, with a keeper crab who never did let go.
 
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