ELECTRIC CRAB/PRAWN TRAP PULLER

P

primative

New member
I decided to research recreational trap pullers in the $500-600 range that could be used for both prawns or crab. We have been manually/womanly (Rene is often primary puller on our crabbing trips), and this can be tiresome.

I primarily focused on two units:

The "Ace Line Hauler Brutus plus 40" http://www.acelinehauler.com/brutus_plus40.htm

And the "Max Power" electric hauler
http://www.handsfreeprawnpuller.com/

My first utube viewings of the Ace Line Hauler shows the trap line being pulled in with minimal but continuous hand assistance required. It appears on videos, that if you add a separate device, either a "dualler plate kit" made by the company that makes MAX POWER, handsfreeprawnpuller.com. or Ace Line Hauler's own "bulldog" device, the unit becomes a hands free puller.

The "dualler" plate kit, a simple stainless plate, is included with the Max Power pullers. One reviewer noted that the "dualler" has no moving parts. Ace's, "bulldog" has springs and tensioning apparatus, therefore he considers the Max Power better quality, due to its design.

Looking at the cost, it seems for a little more you get a higher quality and stronger unit/motor with the Max Power. Purchasing direct from the Canadian manufacturer will offset cost a little, at least with today's currency exchange value. As I got into this research project with questions for Mike Mosdell, the creator, I was impressed. It became apparent he is not only ingenious with his knowledge of pullers, he provided me the personal and friendly service I so much appreciate.

I forgot to mention it mounts on a Scotty #1023 downrigger mounting base. I presently have Penn bases, but I think I may be able to modify the Scotty base to fit on top the Penn. We will see.

I know this puller is going to be a game changer for us.

Tom and Rene
 
primative":151m81ip said:
I know this puller is going to be a game changer for us.
Click to expand...

Sounds like more so for Renem, but yeah, no doubt.

Let me qualify this by saying I do not presently have a line puller because about 35' is all the deeper my crab pots get. However, being aged as I am and not wanting to deal with all that Chiropractic stuff after a few full pots, I am likely going to have an electric job soon.

I think you might be over thinking the benefits of the handsfree mode. The tension you need to apply to keep the line coming in is very slight and gives you pretty good control of the operation. You can stop and hold then restart the retrieval quickly and simply as conditions might dictate (current, boat swing in wind, a big wake coming at you, etc.). Furthermore, if you really think the line is going to coil up that neatly every time all the time then you and Rene have certainly settled down from the last time I saw you bouncing around on the back of a boat. You guys get really excited about the live seafood!

I am certain you will be happy (especially R) with whatever you choose. I would suggest looking to see if the dualler or bulldog or whatever can be disabled for the shorter pulls and used for the 600' shrimp pots.

I will be watching for your decision and the report on its use. I have a Scotty mount already and was thinking of the Scotty puller, but I like the looks of the Ace better.
 
primative":1ld6l4u6 said:
I decided to research recreational trap pullers in the $500-600 range that could be used for both prawns or crab. We have been manually/womanly (Rene is often primary puller on our crabbing trips), and this can be tiresome.

I primarily focused on two units:

The "Ace Line Hauler Brutus plus 40" http://www.acelinehauler.com/brutus_plus40.htm

And the "Max Power" electric hauler
http://www.handsfreeprawnpuller.com/

My first utube viewings of the Ace Line Hauler shows the trap line being pulled in with minimal but continuous hand assistance required. It appears on videos, that if you add a separate device, either a "dualler plate kit" made by the company that makes MAX POWER, handsfreeprawnpuller.com. or Ace Line Hauler's own "bulldog" device, the unit becomes a hands free puller.

The "dualler" plate kit, a simple stainless plate, is included with the Max Power pullers. One reviewer noted that the "dualler" has no moving parts. Ace's, "bulldog" has springs and tensioning apparatus, therefore he considers the Max Power better quality, due to its design.

Looking at the cost, it seems for a little more you get a higher quality and stronger unit/motor with the Max Power. Purchasing direct from the Canadian manufacturer will offset cost a little, at least with today's currency exchange value. As I got into this research project with questions for Mike Mosdell, the creator, I was impressed. It became apparent he is not only ingenious with his knowledge of pullers, he provided me the personal and friendly service I so much appreciate.

I forgot to mention it mounts on a Scotty #1023 downrigger mounting base. I presently have Penn bases, but I think I may be able to modify the Scotty base to fit on top the Penn. We will see.

I know this puller is going to be a game changer for us.

Tom and Rene
Click to expand...

http://www.electra-dyne.com/Home_Page.html
Only way to go for me. Only have to buy once :wink:
 
Hi Mike!
Rene (m) here... good to hear from you! Yeah, we DO like fresh seafood. And last time we went crabbing I was pulling six 70 foot lines in 35-40' of water. When they get full they are heavy! Especially in a little wind. When I can't manage it myself, Tom comes back to help — after I get them up to the boat.

We agree, Scotty is low end. Ace is in the middle and likely we'll be going with the MAX POWER.

Here's what Mike Mostell has to say about the MAX in reply to Tom's questions:

#1 - You do not need more voltage than 12 volt, It will use a little more amperage (than the Ace), but not to be concerned about.
Most fishermen leave the boats engine running, my largest customer base is out of Alaska and they trap haul 300 to 800 feet.
They have never had an issue with the MAX Power Trap Hauler.

#2 - Scotty wiring is too light duty; Motor comes with 30 inch to connect and we use only 8 gauge wiring, also we use H-duty Modular connectors.
Optional; 10ft of 8 gauge wire direct to battery, comes with 80 amp hands reset breaker, all you need to do is connect 2 eyes to battery.

#3 - I know other pullers have had a lot of down time with blown fuses, switch, motor & wire problems.

Tom you pay a little more, but have fun without breakdowns..............plus better resale values!
 
primative":3gtsmzqt said:
(Rene is often primary puller on our crabbing trips), and this can be tiresome.
Click to expand...
Hmmm, that's interesting. I can watch Shirley pull pots all day long and I don't feel the least bit fatigued. Could be the way you're watching; you might need to work on your manageering skills.

Anyway, I have the Ace with the Handsfree plate. If I were to do it all again, I'd get that Max Power. That dueller plate makes a huge difference when pulling up shrimp pots. I've found it works best if you use all 5/16" leaded line. You won't get those nice neat coils all the time, but it doesn't really matter with the leaded line because it doesn't tangle easily. And if you plan on putting the pot back out again, then you can just let the line lay on the deck as it wants. When I'm done for the day, I pull a pot, store it, then put a small weight on the end of the line and throw it overboard, hanging on to the bitter end. Then I coil the line inside a small laundry tub. I then pull up the next pot for storage and repeat the process.

As far as mounting, you have a plausible plan by attaching a Scotty mount to the Penn mount. But let me pose another option. This depends on your insurance company being good and reputable. I'd mount the Penn downriggers on the boat and then leave it moored overnight at the Portland city dock for a night or two. Shouldn't take longer than that for someone to steal the downriggers. Then you can file a claim with your insurance company and replace them with some good Scotty electrics. Major upgrade right there! Now you've not only got the proper mounts for your pot puller, but awesome world class downriggers, too. (This is where Tom tries to sell you on Cannon)

I didn't see what type of power plug the Max Power had, but naturally you'd want it to match whatever your downrigger uses.

Something I gotta say about our Northern brothers, they sure have some great customer service. I've dealt with Scotty, Ace, the Handsfree guy, and some others, and I've always come away with a great experience.

Rick
 
Hi Mike,

Any Puller will be new equip. for us too. You ask very good questions regarding hands free vrs. hands on while managing boat movement in less than ideal conditions. My initial thinking was why not be able to cover both crabbing and prawns, but ease of use questions in different conditions/depths, I will want to know more on this.

I do like the idea of the line coiling perfectly in a basket every time, it's very nice feeling , at least in ideal conditions. I had not considered whether we had settled down and this makes me think, no we have not. I am tickled you have a memory of us bouncing around on the back deck. This still occurs once in awhile. Thats when I should call you and say Tyboo, this is Primative.

Merry Christmas,
Tom
 
I think you'll be happy with either unit. I've never used the Max power but it looks really similar to the Ace.

We have the Ave Brutus pot puller, and we've been using it for about 2 and 1/2 years. I didn't buy the extra hands free unit, but the work required is really minimal and I would be standing there anyway guiding the rope into a pile and making sure the pots don't hit the side of the boat.

The best part about it is it breaks down really small for storage, and I can place in the hatch under the dinette of our 22. It lives in there year round and is there when we need it.

The unit works really well for crabbing at 35' - 125' which is typical for us, but for shrimping its a little slow. Pulling 400' length of line with an electric puller takes some time, and draws a lot of amperage. We use leaded line and have 40 lb shrimp traps. The first trip out for shrimp with our new puller, I drew one of our batteries down completely dead and had to switch to the house battery to start the motors. I learned to always leave the motors idling while pulling pots. I have noticed that most guys really into shrimping have Honda powered gas pullers. We might one day go that route and just use the brutus for crabbing. We've got scotty downriggers, so being able to use the mounts for our puller is a huge plus too.
 
I'm doing the same research to purchase a hauler (mostly to haul subsistence halibut longlines) and am arriving at the conclusion that the max power is the way to go.
 
TyBoo Mike, Mike Mosdell of Max Power told me in an e-mail that what you said on pulling shallow pots is right. He said he advertises that the Max Power can operate Hands Free or regular operation ( 1 wrap only on the sheave). I had missed this on his web site.

He also said I was right that the Canadian dollar is lower, and he mentioned there are no taxes with the NAFTA Treaty to end user. He said because of their dollar he would be slowing down on production in 2015, as his margins are very low and most parts for builds are in U.S. dollars.

Rick, the Penns were originally mounted on our 15.5' Sorensen and were transferred to present boat. They have performed well for me in their capacity, but some day they will be upgraded and those may be Scotties. I can tell you like yours.

Thanks for taking the time to explain how your trap pulling program works, the value of the "dualler", organizing line, and so forth. Appreciate that.

Tsturm

Thanks for the link

PaulNBriannaLynn

Thanks on Ace experience. I like the compactness too. I think the Max Power breaks down this way also.
 
I noticed several people mentioning the need to keep the motor running while pulling. Here's more about our shrimping process:

Rarely have we ever been fortunate enough to pull pots during slack tide with no wind. Ergo, the boat is moving in some direction, thus pulling the pot behind and creating extra drag for the puller to overcome.

I have Shirley sit at the helm and back into the current. I stand in the cockpit by the puller guiding the line and giving directions to the helm: left, right, neutral, reverse, etc. I aim to keep the pot line straight up and down as much as possible. This reduces the drag on the puller and the engine running keeps the amperage up while pulling.

As you can imagine in some rougher conditions you'll take some water over the transom. I just have the helm go to neutral and let the bilge pump handle it.
 
C-Dawg":2ptagxrg said:
I noticed several people mentioning the need to keep the motor running while pulling. Here's more about our shrimping process:

Rarely have we ever been fortunate enough to pull pots during slack tide with no wind. Ergo, the boat is moving in some direction, thus pulling the pot behind and creating extra drag for the puller to overcome.

I have Shirley sit at the helm and back into the current. I stand in the cockpit by the puller guiding the line and giving directions to the helm: left, right, neutral, reverse, etc. I aim to keep the pot line straight up and down as much as possible. This reduces the drag on the puller and the engine running keeps the amperage up while pulling.

As you can imagine in some rougher conditions you'll take some water over the transom. I just have the helm go to neutral and let the bilge pump handle it.
Click to expand...
I just have the helm go to neutral and let the bilge pump handle it.??
 
Yes, I tell my wife to put it in neutral so we are not backing into the waves any longer and let the bilge pump take care of the water that came over the transom.

It's usually about 6 or 7 gallons that comes over, I think.
 
$771 us for the max. Included shipping. That's for the puller. Cable and breaker and shipping to Alaska
Thanks for doing research for me. Almost bought the Ace
Can't wait to get it
 
So I bought the max power pot hauler December of 2015 and have used it 22 days last year and 21 days this year. It has worked with no issues until yesterday when it would not start. The switch is a battery disconnect switch. And it failed after I pulled some heavy pots. Reviews of the switch on Amazon show an issue with that particular switch. Wirthco 20314. Other than that I have had on problems. The manufacturer has agreed to send another. However one should keep a spare cause I pulled two lines of 700 ft of rope each with heavy seated pots by hand cause it quit
Jim Swor
Shrimping in Valdez Alaska till yesterday
 
We have an older model of Ace puller. It works. That's all I can say. Is it fast? No. Is it strong at pulling? No. I've had pulls so heavy that it could not keep up, forcing me to use more muscle to assist it. I do like the fact that it breaks down into a small, conveniently stored bag, however. I do not have the hands-free/auto-spooler (line) attachment.

Just last shrimp trip one pull was so "heavy" that the puller stopped and line was pulled from the reel. I tied the line around a cleat and had the Admiral drive in a circle, in idle speed. It finally pulled free from whatever it was caught on. No damage. No mud. Nothing. Still unclear just what happened but something did.

I tell people it "works". That's all. I'd like a quicker, more powerful puller, especially for shrimping. But until this one dies, I'm using it.
 
So here is a video list of a few options.

Power max https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AC5h0jpNWVY

Electra-dyna https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHnWmUzt3Bk

power haulerhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGvQmr9oNtY

ace line hauler
method one https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRTZoQD60q8

method two.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IekwcTI1KSw

Note the difference in how the line is wrapped.

Nothern lift ( like the looks of this onehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJSlKU0Ml98

My safe t pot pullerhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTTZCN8MWWs

and then for tha yatchy crowd.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRGSYk1MHGY
 
I burned the switch up in my ace last year. I ended up rebuilding the whole unit. Ace was really nice ans sent me a new switch. They offered to rebuild the whole unit but I was not willing to wait for the time that they said is would take. I took off all the paint and repainted the whole thing as well as took the motor apart and cleaned and resealed it. Both of the long bolts that hold the motor together were corroded thru and had to be replaced, but I real you mine a bit and dont take that good care of it. I might sell it . its in perfect shape now, and by something else a little stronger. I like the look of the northern lift.

The Trac puller- I got to use one once and not sure if it was just that unit or the brand but it was the worst sound I have heard just running that thing. I was sure it was going to seize up and quit. Nothing with gears in it should make that sound. Hows does yours sound? Maybe we had a bad one. I just did not like the way the motor was mounted. made storage harder.
 
We had a Ace Brutus for years and thoroughly abused it, it was very durable. We'd pull 50 lb weighted shrimp pots with it over and over... and I assumed we'd break it but it always worked. That being said, it was really slow... I became impatient with it and bought a 5.5 hp Honda puller with davit and never looked back. Could get those shrimp pots up to the boat in a minute or two with that, I was much happier with the Honda. It was pretty industrial for a boat like a c-dory but it worked for us.
 
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