Need Help with a Prawn Trap set up

[roblacey]

Well, 2 words for you "Prawning Virgin..."

I have a couple old Prawn Traps that were given to me, but they feel really light. Only about 5lbs each. Do I need to weigh them down? with some small lead weights to get them down there?
Also what is a good bait for them?

Thanks
Rob

 

[Pippen]

Hey Rob,

Depending on where you are prawning.....it's generally a good idea to weight them down. You can use anything from a rock in the trap.....a brick....or what we have used is find an old dumbell (I think I used a 5lb) and zap strapped it to the bottom of the trap. It's definitely worth having some weight in them even if you are in what appear to be calm waters....the currents/tides or wind blowing up can set them adrift. Also make sure you have a float on that is clearly visible with your name/phone number on it as that is a rule from DFO.

As for bait.....some guys swear by a certain brand of cat food (I can't recall the name); we utilize the pellets but we pour them into a bucket with a lid and add fish oil that a friend picks up from one of the processing plants out on the Fraser Valley somewhere. It works like a charm as it adds a good "slick" which will drift with the current from the trap drawing the little tasty fellers in like the Pied Piper's tunes did for the mice!

Make sure you also have a bait bucket.....again use a zap strap and attach the lid to the top of the trap; then you use unscrew the bucket from the lid when you need to fill/empty the bait can.

 

[Heavyc]

The brand of catfood in question is Carlyle. I can't say for prawns (my only ever outing yielded 6 of the buggers) but I can verify that crabs love that crap.

 

[Teja]

I am also just learning and, rightly or wrongly, the two trap setup that seems to have worked best for me so far is as follows:

1. One trap at the bottom of the line;
2. The second trap 20 feet up the line;
3. 10 lbs of weight 20 feet further up the line to deal with current related movement;
4. Use lead core line; and
5. Bait cup filled 1/4 to 1/3 with prawn pellets and then stir in a can of tuna cat food (“Carlyle”, as suggested above, seems to work well). I have also tried ½ full with pellets with a few squirts of fish oil but it hasn’t worked as well for me.

 

[Dogbreath]

.............

 

[Pippen]

4. Use lead core line;.

Yes.....good point I didn't mention. You can also buy the "clip on" weights that you attach to your line (if it's not a sinking/lead line) 20-50 feet down so that your line is not floating along on the surface.

There are different ones but it's something like this.

 

[Mi Chica]

mix and weight

I use one can Carlyle mixed with pellets and a squirt of oil, filling the bucket no more than half full.
I weight the traps - I use 10 pounds as we have wicked currents off Nanaimo. I use a mix of lead line and float line, using line wights on the float line to ensure that boaters props will not be fouled! I use larger, high visibility floats (Scotchman floats are great), that could support the trap if it does get dragged off the shelf. Allow enough line length that if tide/wind/current come up, you can still find your gear. These are all lessons I learned the hard way.

 

[springnut]

When I bought my first bait jars I bought the ones without holes or slots in them, they didnt work so well for me. The second set of bait cups I bought were the scotty brand with the slots on the sides. These seemed to greatly improve my yield.

Don't forget the weight for the line I once had to spend a bit of time fishing some floating rope out from my prop.

 

[TheRock]

We prawn in Saanich inlet, generally very little current.. we use three 1 pound round led balls in each trap.. space them out evenly and zap strap them to the inside bottom of the trap on the frame.. if they fall off you never loose them they stay in the trap. Helps the trap to sink evenly flat to.... we only use fish feed pellets, two Scotty cups per trap.. the cups I drill at least 50 more 1/4 holes all around into each cup.. gives more water flow through the cup and increases the oils to flow out form the cup.. = more prawns. Like already mentioned here, hang the bait cups from the roof of the trap.. Never felt the need to use cat food or any thing else... fish feed pellets with Scotty cups plastered with holes always does the trick for full traps.. we usually do over night soaks so every time we check the traps and put them back down.. we toss out the old bait and re do the cups with fresh oily pellets each time.. depth you drop them at is key also.. where we fish.. in around 220ft. is the ticket... to deep you start to get squat lobsters.. every area will be different, have to learn what location and depth does best for you..

 

[Time]

Even with lead core line it's not a bad idea to throw a line weight on about 20 feet below the float.
Keeps the line dropping straight down from float.
Without the weight, and depending on tide/current, line can come off float at an angle.

 

[Dogbreath]

Where do people buy fish feed pellets?

 

[Cuba Libre]

Gone Fishin has them as does Tyee Marine

 

[Teja]

Where do people buy fish feed pellets?

In the lower mainland, I recently purchased them at Nikka Marine and also noticed that Pacific Net and Twine carried them.

 

[Dogbreath]

In the lower mainland, I recently purchased them at Nikka Marine and also noticed that Pacific Net and Twine carried them.

Roger that-Thanks.

 

[roblacey]

Thanks for all your tips!!! How much rope do you usually pack with you?

 

[Mi Chica]

Thanks for all your tips!!! How much rope do you usually pack with you?

Depends how deep you drop traps in your area. We prawn from 300 to 450 feet deep off Nanaimo, 300 to 400 off Gabriola, So All my lines are 500 feet and I have a few 75 foot tag lines if I am dropping deep. I generally use a 25% extra rule of thumb, as I hate to lose traps due to not enough line!

 

[Sushihunter]

At the risk of plugging my own video...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=War27H6XBRM

 

[vetteman]

Depends how deep you drop traps in your area. We prawn from 300 to 450 feet deep off Nanaimo, 300 to 400 off Gabriola, So All my lines are 500 feet and I have a few 75 foot tag lines if I am dropping deep. I generally use a 25% extra rule of thumb, as I hate to lose traps due to not enough line!

I'm a Nanaimo guy as well and I fish up to 500'. I use 2 traps per set and I have 600 feet of line on each. Better too much than too little.
Dave

 

[TheRock]

They sell them in large 55lb. sacs. Price ranges from $45-$55..
We leave the sac at home and fill a 5 gal. wine juice bucket with a good lid to take on the boat.
Simply scoop the bait cup into the bucket, quick and easy.

 

[Little Hawk]

Great video Jim!
I envy you guys' living where you do. Stunning scenery.