Prawning in the Burrad Inlet

[jack112286]

Went prawning this past Sunday, no luck. This is my second time prawning, I went about 2 weeks before this trip. On my first time, I got about 4 lbs (6 hrs soak). But this time I got none, not even one. I even added extra weight to the line so it doesnt move the trap. Location were both identical (maybe about 100 ft apart, max). Depth was 250 ft. Bait was same as last time I was really surprised when I saw the trap. What was more surprising was there were many "bugs" looking things going after my bait, which worries me, hence I wanted to put it out here to see if anyone have any experience. The bugs was kinda shaped like a prawn, but very very small, maybe 2mm big at the most. I wasn't able to snap a live photo, just dried up corpse. Hope someone can identify what it is. I have read of sea lice, I hope that is not this is.

Information:
Location : ~500 ft west of Racoon Island (just northeast of Deep Cove)
Depth: ~250 FT
Trap: ~Round Commercial Style
Baitellet and Canned Tuna cat food
Soak: ~6 Hours
Air temperature: ~10 C
Tide: Calm, mirror looking sea

Much help appreciated, Jack

Here's the "bug" I was talking about:

When it was alive, it was shaped pretty much like a prawn, even moved liked it too. The dried body looks a little different, but hope you guys can recognize it.

 

[therise]

How big was your float? How much line did you use? I suspect the traps were not on the bottom, but suspended above in the water column.

 

[CCB]

How big was your float? How much line did you use? I suspect the traps were not on the bottom, but suspended above in the water column.

X2 on the floating traps but up Indian arm is not that great anyways it's hit and miss and when you hit numbers are not that great. Head up Howe Sound or off Bowen .

 

[trophywife]

we catch all kinds of shrimp and prawn up there.. coons, side stripes, and others i dont even know the names of... lots of variety caught up the arm..if it was lice, you would have hundreds if not thousands in your bait can and stuck in the mesh. lice have been horrible up the arm this year. some of my hotspots that were good two months ago are now overrun with lice... if it was roughly 2mm,,, you got liced. usually no prwans in the heavy lice areas. not the same lice that attach to salmon at all.

 

[jack112286]

How big was your float? How much line did you use? I suspect the traps were not on the bottom, but suspended above in the water column.

My float was a standard $10 buoy at army and navy, not even the xtra large ones.

I hade 500 ft of prawning rope, that was one of the reason didn't think the rope was the issue.

When I was dropping the trap, it felt like it hit bottom. I am more experienced with crab traps, what I do is let it drop till the bottom, then lift it up a few inches and drop it again to feel if it hit the bottom. Hard to explain how it feels like, but imagine you are lifting 5 lbs and suddenly it drops to 1/2 a lb.

The rope I was using was about 350 ft of yellow floating line and 150 ft of lead core, it comes as a single rope with a joint @ 350 ft. In total I put 24 oz of weight on the yellow line.

 

[jack112286]

The bugs/lice wasnt even in the hundreds. I would say about 30-40. they were just on my bait jar and can food.

 

[jack112286]

I am leaning towards sea lice as well, could it change that quickly in a matter of 2 weeks? literraly the same location.

 

[wstcoaster]

its the same louse that eats up your halibut it you leave your lomgline out to long when commercial fishing/