Lights for Prawn and crab Traps

[spring fever]

Anyone tried putting lights in prawn or crab traps with any notable success?

[Slabby20]

I've tried the lights in my prawn traps. I've noticed no real difference. I started out with lights in all pots and caught prawns. Then I experimented with putting lights in 1/2 the pots and 1/2 without. I saw no noticable difference. I still have them wired in to the pots (they are water activated) since they certainly didn't hurt the catch so I figured I might as well use them since I have them.

[Shepnoir]

I thought that it was against the reg's. Maybe that is just for fin fish as i could not find it in the reg's.

[spring fever]

No the fin fish says -has to be within 3 ft of the hook- don't recall it saying anything about prawns-I will dig deeper-Just my curious nature-Anything with a battery is probably more trouble than its worth!!

[Fish Assassin]

The US crab fishery tried them back in the 80's crabing in and around Puget Sound. I believe it was axed. I remember get a handfull of them and it didn't work for me either. They were cool though. They lite up with contact of the water.

[Reel Knotty]

I'd rather find out if it's legal to dope your prawn bait with sleeping pills so the prawns fall asleep in the trap and don't try to get out before you haul it up.

[Shepnoir]

Thinkin that Spring fever is right... batts would be a pain. Glow sticks would work though. The wife's a pharmacists I'll look into Knotty's idea LOL

[markfarley]

When I tried glow sticks, I got a record catch of ratfish!!

[spring time]

I made some of those traps out of white herring roe buckets, then got a thought that the orange bait jars out produced the white ones so we painted one trap fluorescent orange we call it the mother ship, can see it from 100 feet down and it catches prawns. I've tried glow sticks with no good results

[Copper Moon]

I put a green flashing led in 1 of 2 traps on a set. There was a huge difference - negative. Maybe the flashing scared them off, maybe a coincidence, maybe something else. Didn't try it again.

[Slabby20]

For what it's worth I've heard a white light is better than green, blue etc.

Here's the site I got my lights from and their propaganda

http://www.sportshrimping.com/

I've been using the small $7.95 lights

http://www.sportshrimping.com/shrimpstore.htm

[spring fever]

Interesting-might have to give it a try-I have a few battery powered lights which were supposed to make me a legend in the halibut fishery- hell didn't even make me a legend in my own mind!! I tried everything to stop them leaking and was never convinced they did any good. Since I soak my prawn traps 2 to3 days I guess I could grease up the O-rings and give it a try. Thanks guys

[Prawnhunter]

I use glow hoochies in mine and never seem to have a problem limiting out in an hour or two.

[spring fever]

Guess I confused people-got a private e-mail asking why I soak 2-3 days-I'm only an incidental prawn fisherman-I drop my traps at the head of an inlet and fish 2-3 days off-shore and pick them up on the way home. Not the most efficient way to fish prawns and probably not the safest for traps down Island-but over the summer get enough for myself and family especially towards Aug September.

[Theb55]

In the USA you can get lights that can be turned on an off for halibut fishing. Those would be ideal but, at end of day, why? I use the KISS principal. Why complicate things. There are lots of prawns out there.

[Barnacle Bill]

Theb55, because its fun trying new things and new ideas. If you steelhead fish, remember when glow in the dark corkies first came out? Caught many steelies in the dark with them...............BB

[demco99]

glow hootchies? just strung inside somehow??

[trophywife]

glow hootchies? just strung inside somehow??


yes i do this for short soaks,, hold the light to em,, charge em up,,i use my damaged ones...

[Copper Moon]

I guess I had better try it again