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Did you have any just the prawn heads in your traps? The octopus will do that; eating the bodies and leaving the heads behind. And once they come in and around your traps the number of prawns will be much lower than if they aren't around the octopuses. There's been so many around this year and last. I think like three to four times as many octopus over any other years I've had them in the prawn traps. Not sure if it's mainly where I'm prawning but I've found them all over the place on both sides of the straight and all different sizes of growth but much more small ones lately and they love the prawns. I've been spacing my traps out a bit more lately to try to increase the odds that if there are octopus where I set then hopefully they will stick to one trap.
Saying that too though I've also had much better prawning when my traps are soaked longer than a day. Just risk the thieves though if you do soak that long. A tip too is that prawns love the scent of prawn parts/heads/guts mixed in with the pellets and other baits. I've been grinding up the heads and mixing them in with my other bait ingredients.


I chalk it up to trying a new spot and using not so great bait (canned tuna) and a 5 hour soak but you may be on to something. 4 traps, 35 prawn - sad. One trap did have an octopus in it. Oddly, this trap had the most prawns which suggest the intruder came later.

I never soak for more than 7 hours for the reasons you mentioned. I have never tried prawn parts but will give it a go. Typically I use the oiliest canned fish available and pellets. After a 6ish hour soak I usually average between 75-150 prawns total from 4 traps. Not sure how this measures up but it’s more than enough for my needs.
 
That's what I've been saying but these guys act like it's like killing a crow lol.
I've gotta start killing them and bringing them home to cook up. I'm a hypocrite when it comes to these creatures. I eat it in restaurants but like you say I treat them like they're Bald Eagles when I catch them lol. Stupid I know but it's just something about these very smart creatures. How do you guys kill them?
 
I've gotta start killing them and bringing them home to cook up. I'm a hypocrite when it comes to these creatures. I eat it in restaurants but like you say I treat them like they're Bald Eagles when I catch them lol. Stupid I know but it's just something about these very smart creatures. How do you guys kill them?
Full swings with a bonker. Octopus paste is delish!
 
4 shorts and 1 keep at coal port yesterday.- nice way to end 2018. too bad it closed now. also the launch at the ferry terminal is way smaller b/c of the road widening.
 
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