Questions about prawning

[Bite Me1]

1) How deep do you guy¡¦s normally prawn?

2) I have an Ave prawn puller how many traps do you guy¡¦s put on a string?

3) What is the spacing of your traps?

4) How much weight do you guys put on a string generally to hold it place?

5) Thanks ļ

 

[Little Hawk]

Howdy,

1) 250 to 300ish

2) Read the regs on the DFO website. http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/rec/opportunities-possibilites/shell-coquille-eng.htm

3) Be creative.

4) Depends if 'current' is an issue.

5) Your welcome! Good luck!

"Some could care less if there's any fish left for our kids!"

 

[Tailspin]

Add 1/2 oz Herring oil to your prawn pellets before you drop them, maybe an hour or so prior. They start fishing better right away, rather than waiting for the water to swell the pellets and disperse. Makes a huge diffrence if just hanging around the traps to avoid theft etc.

www.tailspincharters.com

 

[Sushihunter]

quote:Originally posted by Bite Me1

1) How deep do you guy¡¦s normally prawn?

2) I have an Ace prawn puller how many traps do you guy¡¦s put on a string?

3) What is the spacing of your traps?

4) How much weight do you guys put on a string generally to hold it place?

5) Thanks ļ

1) Usually around 280', but sometimes as shallow as 150' if they have moved shallow.

2) I prefer to run one trap per line/float, but am setup to run 2 right now.

3) As much as possible - 50' to 100' from bottom trap to second trap. Depends on how long your total line is - remember to account for depth being fished!

4) I've been using 12 - 15 pound downrigger balls on the end of the trap line, with the bottom trap about 10' up from there. So far, seems to work good even in high current areas.

5) You are welcome!

As for bait, I use the pellets - fill the standard size Scotty bait jar about 1/3rd full and give them a squirt of bait oil from Ace. Also, drill some very small holes around the cup itself if you only soak for a few hours. Don't make them too big or your pellets will wash out way too quickly.

If the traps are going back down after being pulled, I will leave the original pellets in and add another 1/3rd to the cup plus another squirt of oil.

For placement - try and find a dip in the bottom near a drop-off - just be careful not to drop into water too deep for your trapline! Rocky bottoms work best - they like to hide in the rocks where predators can't get to them.

Check out my video at:

http://www.youtube.com/user/Sushihunter250#p/u/7/War27H6XBRM





Jim's Fishing Charters
www.JimsFishing.com
http://www.youtube.com/user/Sushihunter250

 

[Halilogger]

Nobody has said anything about cat food, are you guys holding back ? or you just don't use it.

 

[Dogbreath]

 

[searun]

Everything that Sushihunter says, but we add a tin of carlyle tuna (holes punched of course) to bring them in quickly. Cannon balls really help to hold the traps in place during the rip tide...so an excellent tip. Don't be afraid of pulling the traps every 2 hours and re-setting if you have the time and energy.

Searun

 

[Sushihunter]

quote:Originally posted by searun

Everything that Sushihunter says, but we add a tin of carlyle tuna (holes punched of course) to bring them in quickly. Cannon balls really help to hold the traps in place during the rip tide...so an excellent tip. Don't be afraid of pulling the traps every 2 hours and re-setting if you have the time and energy.

Searun

I keep a few cans of cat food onboard, but only use it when I run short of bait pellets. Giving the pellets a dose of Prawn Bait Oil works wonders, and is easier to use than punching holes in a can and tieing it into the trap.

On one occasion, we didn't like the location where one trap had settled, so we pulled it to reposition, and found about a dozen Prawns already in the trap after only about 5 minutes.

An additional thought about running multiple traps on one line. The reason I don't like doing it is because 1- it's a bit of a pain to deal with when positioning and hauling, and 2 - If they are too close together, I believe that they compete against each other for the same Prawns. I have noticed that one trap will have quite a few Prawns in it while the other will have very often less than half of the first trap.

I generally cut my trap lines to 400'. If you put a cannonball on the end, the first trap up at about 10', and then a second trap at about 50' to 100' up the line from the first, that leaves you only about 280' - 300' of line to get to the surface for the float. With a good current, you may have to wait til low slack tide to find your floats! And don't forget to hang a weight on the line about 50' to 100' from the float to keep any floating line out passing boats props.


Jim's Fishing Charters
www.JimsFishing.com
http://www.youtube.com/user/Sushihunter250

 

[spring fever]

Sushi hunter has it pretty much right on. I weight my individual traps evenly around the rim with about 5 lbs of weight-plus use a cannonball-2 traps per line-120 ft between traps-400 ft of mainline. I mix commercial pellets with a few cans of catfood-a generous dollop(scientific term CHarlie) of Alaska Fish fertilizer-fill drilled out bait cans and freeze. Then I'm ready to go and the cans don't drip until the water hits them. Have fun!!! The fisheries website has some info on set-ups as well.

 

[Mi Chica]

The only thing I noted about the great advice you have been given by others is emphasizing that depth is variable depending on area. For example, I run 500 foot lines as I often prawn as deep as 425 feet. Oh yeah, invest in some line weights and good floats! The current/tides/wind can move even a well weighted trap in some areas (like where I prawn)and inadequate floats can mean lost gear. The best are A-1 or A-2 Scotchmen IMHO, as they will float a trap if necessary, giving you a chance to retrieve your gear. The more common bullet floats do not have this ability and are not as visible from a distance.

Too much water, too little time

 

[Tips Up]

- Depending on area 180ft - 400ft
- 2 traps on a string
- About 25 ft apart
- You can run some chain around the bottom ring of your traps and zap strap it to the inside if you need weight. Helps to get them base down every time.
- 2/3 pellets and 1/3 cat food. I like any white fish catfood bought in cans with a pop top so you don't need a can opener. I spoon it into the bait cups. I like this better than punching holes in the can and fastening it in the trap. Cans go in the garbage. I think too many guys will dump their cans in the chuck when they are done.

Tips

 

[Sushihunter]

I just use my gaff to punch holes in the cat food cans.

Jim's Fishing Charters
www.JimsFishing.com
http://www.youtube.com/user/Sushihunter250

 

[dohboy]

hey jim
how is your town fairing after all that rain, i know most of that area took a good hit, hope your not having to float your boat on the porch

 

[Sushihunter]

quote:Originally posted by dohboy

hey jim
how is your town fairing after all that rain, i know most of that area took a good hit, hope your not having to float your boat on the porch

We got lots of rain! [:0]

I checked the Leiner River out on Saturday and got some photos - river is raging! There was some washing away of the bank that took out about a foot of pavement off the road about 100' from the bridge, and there was water over the road in the Leiner River Campground.

The inlet was muddy and lots of debris has gathered up at the end and at the boat launch. I'm told there was an algae bloom last week and now the rain - not good for all the divers coming out over the next two weeks.

We had water over the road by the Tahsis River in front of the apartment building. There was even water shooting out of the vent holes on the manhole covers in the middle of the street!

We are on a boil water advisory right now.

I've heard that the road got washed out, but it is down to one way, alternating trafic. So you can get in and out if need be.

Heard the loggers talking on the radio today - they were afraid to go into the forest because of the heavy wind and rain, so they went home.

I'll try and post some photos later after I get some chores done. [xx(]


Jim's Fishing Charters
www.JimsFishing.com
http://www.youtube.com/user/Sushihunter250

 

[King_Cod]

I look for the 350 foot mark on sonar and drop two to three traps on one line. saturate the pellets with Herring oil or liquid prawn bait before releasing the traps (as mentioned above). I have also mixed in Carlyle cat food for extra scent. The stinkier the better

Reel Chaos

 

[Bite Me1]

Hi Sushihunter

Why do you put your weight at the end of your string of traps and 10 ft from the end ? Would'nt it be better at the begining of the line that way it stops the float from trying to lift the first trap up if it is windy

 

[Sushihunter]

quote:Originally posted by Bite Me1

Hi Sushihunter

Why do you put your weight at the end of your string of traps and 10 ft from the end ? Would'nt it be better at the begining of the line that way it stops the float from trying to lift the first trap up if it is windy

You make a good point. I just find it easier to deal with having the cannonball on the end of the line. It will drag the trap and line to the bottom without tangling - If the ball was at say the 60' point with two traps at the end and at 50', I suspect that the line may tangle with the traps as they fall.



Jim's Fishing Charters
www.JimsFishing.com
http://www.youtube.com/user/Sushihunter250

 

[Sea Ranger]

All this advice is very good and since I have never prawned fished before I have lots of questions. Maybe next year I will invest in a few traps and line. I do have one trap that I can use and was wondering if anyone has or knows if its possible to drop the trap down with an anchor while out hali fishing? I've thought it over in my head lots and think putting it out and pulling it will be fairly easy as long as the anchor doesn't drag. Another question I have is..... is there any prawns out at Constance bank? It would be nice to anchor up for a few hours and bring home some hali and prawns.
I use to shrimp in the winter months from shore with small burlap nets and we found that if you used old fish carcasses that have sat in a sealed 5 gallon bucket for 4 or 5 days till they were so ripe no one wanted to get near it (including seals...lol) worked better then fresh bait or cat food. It doesn't sound too appealling but it sure caught shrimp so my thinking is that it will work for prawns too and since its only the tail you eat I don't think it will affect the meat.

And remember....Keep your tip up!!!

 

[Daddy Rock]

All good advice,
In Saanich Inlet all we use are the prawn pellets. It's all you need.
I was out last weekend and we got a little over 1000 prawns. 5 of us in 1 1/2 hour soak, 8 traps. All nice big ones.
The best traps around are the ones the guy in Sidney builds.
He sells out of a tiny little shop and calls it Aquatackle.
Nice guy, knows his stuff. I look for about 225 to 250 feet,
2 traps per string, one trap, then 50 feet or so then the next one, and a cannon ball about 20 feet after the secound trap. The weight should be between the traps and your float. The reason for this is, as waves and current tug on the float, the trap will move a little if you don't have a weight on line. Prawns don't like it if the trap moves at all. That's what I have found out.
Good luck, keep us in the loop.

 

[Bite Me1]

Any more info out there guy's