Educate me on prawning pls

[Ringo]

Hey guys and gals,

I've decided to invest in a prawning set and keep using the boat for the entire winter. On occasional sunny days that we get in the winter, I hate to see the boat sitting on my driveway while my kids play video games!

I have an Ace Line hauler on the boat and I want to invest in a prawning set that I can easily store in my garage and also fit in my 18' boat when driving to the fishing grounds. I'm interested to know what works best around the Vancouver/How Sound area, traps, ropes, weight and floats and ideally something that doesn't break the bank. I already tried to look up previous discussions on the forum but the search function doesn't seem to be working.

Appreciate any feedback!

 

[ab1752]

Wow this is a timely post. I was given an ace line puller yesterday as a gift and look forward to hitting the winter fishery for prawns too. Subscribed!

 

[searun]

Tough one to cover in a single post.

Location - I spend a lot of effort finding structure with a nice drop off that lands on a ledge of flat. Areas with little less current or a current eddy. Try to land the traps close to where the drop off meets the ledge, or a nice depression that collects food etc.

Bait - very important to have good bait. Most guys use the pellets, and augment with cans of Carlsile tuna flavoured cat food - punch holes in the can's tho to let the scent out. Others make up custom mixes with fish oils etc to add scent.

Traps/lines - make sure you have enough rope for depths you are fishing - lots of guys lose traps but think someone ripped them off sadly. We also splice in sinking rope for the top 100 feet to keep the line submerged and not getting cut off by other boaters

We usually cycle our traps every 2 or so hours to rebait and move those traps that are not performing.

Bring lots of warm coffee and have fun. Good luck

 

[AB3]

i use pellets soaked in Ace of Baits prawn oil and water until they form a nice slurry. The pellets usually need an overnight soak (or more) and a little mixing to get them to where I want. Fill the bait can to 2/3's full and pop a cat food on top and drop em down. If there's prawns around they should show up.

 

[Falcon]

I use lead weighted line with two pots on the end, ten to twelve feet apart. Structure, as mentioned, is so important. I also use pellets soaked in herring oil overnight for bait....good luck!!

 

[Sir Reel]

I have 2 pots on each leaded line of 450 feet. The 2 pots are 15 feet apart and then another 15 feet I have an 8 pound canon ball. I was told it’s important that the pot does not bounce with the bouy as it spooks the prawns so the canon ball stops that. Since I have started doing this my catch rate is better and I have not lost any traps. I also have an ace hauler and it can pull up the rig no problem. My traps are the round stainless ones from PNT.
I use pellets with prawn scent oil. I crush them a bit and then soak with oil.
Prawning around Vancouver has been good for me lately although quite a few with eggs that I throw back.

 

[ab1752]

Awesome guys, thanks a ton. A trip to pint is going to happen next week for sure. Cheers

 

[aheny]

Just in case you guys haven't noticed the new regs, throwing back females with eggs is no longer optional. possessing them is now illegal in the same way that possessing female crabs is illegal.
I'm sure the other guys mentioned it, but don't forget to put a weight at the bottom of your prawn line, it will absorb the bouncing of your Buoy and stop that from jiggling your traps. I personally use a 2 to 1 ratio for rope, 600 feet per set, with a 10 lb weight at the bottom of the rope and then 20 feet and then a trap and then 20 feet and then a second trap, using the round stainless ladner traps with two pound weights in them. At the top I put a large Scotsman, and I'm confident now that I will never lose my gear unless a log tow comes by or somebody steals it.

 

[Sir Reel]

Do the female prawns survive the trip up and down? I throw them right back but them seem to just sink with no swimming motion.

 

[agentaqua]

Do the female prawns survive the trip up and down? I throw them right back but them seem to just sink with no swimming motion.

I've found that prawns are very sensitive to salinity. If you are near a river mouth with freshwater on the surface - they don't survive very long if they stay in that zone.

 

[Fisherperson]

Don’t think the femmes make it.

 

[searun]

Yes, the females do survive. Particularly if handled carefully and released quickly. There are a few studies on the topic which circulated at the time the berried prawn issue was discussed at the SFAB - I don't have links to them now - others may still have them.

 

[ab1752]

Bcringo we bought some nice traps from dave at high water this weekend. Plan is to try them this Friday on our inaugural run to grace island to see what's hanging around. Will let ya know how it goes. Cheers

 

[Rain City]

Bcringo we bought some nice traps from dave at high water this weekend. Plan is to try them this Friday on our inaugural run to grace island to see what's hanging around. Will let ya know how it goes. Cheers

Grace?! Grace died 20 years ago!

 

[Ringo]

Bcringo we bought some nice traps from dave at high water this weekend. Plan is to try them this Friday on our inaugural run to grace island to see what's hanging around. Will let ya know how it goes. Cheers

Hey ab1752. Way to go, man!
What type trap and float did u buy? My boat is parked on the north shore. I’ll pick up a couple sets of traps and rope when I’m out there next time.

 

[ab1752]

The traps are whatever Dave gets in which are built locally apparently. They're literally sitting in my garage and I haven't had too much of a look but when I get a chance I will take some pics...they look really sturdy for sure and apparently he gets 30 in each year and they sell out fast. I don't have the rope sets yet as he didn't have much in that department so I think I will still go out to PNT and see what they have for leaded rope and a float. I have the perfect float but it is up at our cabin on the Sunshine Coast and I won't get up there for a bit again...i

 

[Reeltime]

The traps from High Water Tackle are Ladner traps, good quality traps.

 

[Mozart]

In Howe sound I used weighted ropes 450’ long. A1 floats #10 weights.

Setup would be, trap, 10’ up the line attach the #10 weight then at the top end connect to the A1 float.

Howe sound tend to prawn well at depth around 300-400’. There is areas near the Howe sound ferry terminal that you can prawn in 250-275’ of water but those areas gets crowded and are prone to theft.

Some samples of where I would drop my prawn traps

 

[ILHG]

Some samples of where I would drop my prawn traps

Wicked man! This is somthing I have always wanted to see. Very much appreciated. Great examples to reference to. Last summer I came up empty every try. I see where others were dropping, but a dont want to to go near. (Actually it was only 1 spot with a few sets every time I went by.)

I will find my own spot & its will feel good. This kind of stuff helps a guy to get educated enough to do it on there own

 

[agentaqua]

Ya - and don't forget prawns rise up along the sides as darkness sets - and down again to the depths as dawn breaks. If you are into it - you can pull traps once the prawns rise above your traps and set them in front of them again. Kinda fun, actually.