2nd Prawn Trap Empty on the String

[ebrench]

Hi all, wanted to ask as I'm sure I'm messing something up due to the consistent results I'm getting.

My second pot on the line (pot closest to bout) never produces. Like ever. I'll have 100 prawn in the first trap and zero in the second.

Fishing 400 ft of line with 30 ft or so of separation between them. I'll weight the line with a 5 lb ball on a clip another 20 ft up.

Any tips?

 

[ship happens]

Put a big 30 lb cinderblock after the last trap.

 

[CR Bill]

The trap is off the bottom and therefore moving - more weight on the trap and maybe more line. I use 600 feet in 400 feet of water.

 

[sly_karma]

10 llb weight about 20 ft after the second trap, it absorbs the movement from wind, waves and current. Prawns are spooky, if the trap is moving they won't go in.

 

[Samnjoe]

10 llb weight about 20 ft after the second trap, it absorbs the movement from wind, waves and current. Prawns are spooky, if the trap is moving they won't go in.

Exactly

 

[sly_karma]

The trap is off the bottom and therefore moving - more weight on the trap and maybe more line. I use 600 feet in 400 feet of water.

Also agree on extra rope. My target depth is 270-320 ft, my rope is 450 ft long.

 

[ebrench]

Thanks everyone for the great tips.

Definitely determined that the 2nd pot is moving.

I need to make sure I'm not fishing too deep, that I have more line than I'm currently using, and that I weigh the line down with a heavier weight 20 ft from the 2nd pot.

Thanks again!

 

[17 ft sea ranger]

curious.....with 2 traps (hopefully full of prawns) and a 10lb weight.....is that too much for a brutus line puller?

 

[sly_karma]

Weight is less issue than drag through the water. I have a pair of 24x24 Bauer and a pair of 18x18, same weight configuration on both strings. Weight difference between the traps themselves would be only a couple of pounds. The bigger traps are a noticeably bigger load on the trap puller. If there is significant wind or current when I'm pulling, I put the motor in gear to keep the boat over top of the traps. If I fail to do this, I'm effectively asking the puller to overcome the drift of the boat as well as the traps drag load.

One wise poster here relocated the bridles on their Bauer 24x24 traps so they pull from the side, very crafty. I'll bentrying that next trip.

I have the Scotty puller, running on 30 Amp fuse, AWG 10 wire. Haven't blown a fuse yet, but not hard to see it's close to maxed in the middle of a pull.

 

[RiverBoy]

i use those clip on trap anchors. they only weigh a few pounds and they hold just fine. never an issue with movement