I now believe

D

DELPHIN

Member
Well I listened to all the chatter all winter on stolen traps and found it hard to believe as I trust people.so new buoy 14 inch on sale &28.00 2 new traps $60.00 each and 500 feet of lead line $85.00.Fished around it for 2 hours and went in for supper and left it soak over night. in the morning it was gone Yankee bay 200 yards from a commie line.Went to bamfield ran into a shrimp fisherman shooting the breeze, and he said without a doubt I was probably cut by the commercial guy 100percent.i am a little in shock that they would do that as Iwas 150 yards from him? sport fisherman have respect.
 
I too have lost many a crab trap over the years, a few prawn. I know the crab traps were stolen or cut, as for the prawn traps, it's a tricky fishery to first set up. You must use more weight then you may expect. I hope yours have just drifted away to be picked up by some one. I know and feel your frustration. Personally, I sit on mine all the time, very close by or I will not leave them. That said I picked up a prawn set up off Thrasher Rock Tuesday evening, no name, no numbers .... Nothing, total weight. Less then 4 pounds. Some one has lost it and is pissed. I found it in 700 feet. Of water adrift. I hope your luck improves

HT
 
I sit on mine its a lot of money. Even with me making them I would be out 300.00 or so if they were all gone with floats/line.
 
Not stolen, they drifted away, you left it out during a big tide swing. I have chain around the base of my traps and use a 14lb weight on the leaded line, if the current is ripping with some wave action they still move
 
I have had lots of dealings with the commercial prawn guys in the area and have had lots of gear cut and retied. But have never had it cut off or stolen by a commie. When they are half way through setting a string of traps and come across your gear they aren't about to stop setting. You'll get set over.
There rules only allow them to pull once a day. I think its from 7am - 7pm, but don't quote me on this, and if you are out early you can pull your gear before them. If they are set on top go back later. Also you'll find they set in deep water. Moving your traps a little closer to the beach helps.
You wouldn't believe how many "stolen" traps I see floating around.
 
You should start a thread on stolen gear, with a description. I couldn't be bothered to pull most of what I see and slowly watch it sink out of site when the muscles and other growth build up on the line. Just a week or so ago I recovered a set that was reported stolen and returned to the owner. Found over 2 miles from where it was set!
 
The traps were at 280 feet and 500 feet of lead line ,both traps had centre weight and listening to the threads on here clipped a 5 pound ball 10 feet from the last trap. good to know about the 7 to 7.Just pissed as that outfit was brand knew never used this was the cherry dip.
 
Thats what I would expect so after talking to the shrimper I went to find the prawner and he was gone with all his traps. And maybe mine lesson learned stay well away
 
Sure, your gear is gone. All I'm suggesting is post what we could look for. I drive past this stuff all year long and unless I know it's missing I can't be bothered to pull it, even when it's obviously lost.
 
kronic_fisherguy said:
98% of reported stolen traps are lost due to user error especially during big tide swings. I payed $$ to learn.

Kronic
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^^^
THIS

I find them drifting ALL the time, pots with hook, line and sinker. I can't tell you how many six packs of beer I've been offered for dutifully returning all that stuff to their owners. The pots are ALWAYS unweighted, probably originally set on drop-offs, and more then likely, allowed to soak overnight (around here, totally illegal)

This winter while fishing winter chinook on the bottom, my DR ball hook something heavy----a fully weighted BRAND NEW commie pot (with no identifying numbers but with cockles in the bait jar, the give-away that it was a commie pot....

so, did a sporty cut the commie's pot off? I doubt it--- operator error, or the passing propeller of another boat

I try and set well out of known boat traveling alley ways---close to the beach if I can find the right depth, and only drop on high or low slack, then pull before the tide gets ripping---not only so I won't lose my gear but mainly, big tide swings = zero crab
 
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In my experience if you set overtop of a commercial line they will cut your line and tie it back in a knot to let you know
 
I agree that most traps are moved during periods of strong currents and large rafts of bull kelp that get around the float and drag it away. Find areas where the currents don't pull so hard and shallower water during these times of the month.
 
Hey guys talk about lost traps pulled in 3 extra traps today just off five fingers no marker they look to have been down a long time
if you lost 3 and thing they might be yours PM me
 
Lots of past threads on this topic also. My impression is that in the past there has been the occasional bad actor when it comes to Commie Prawn and Crab fishermen but not many, just like there is in the sport sector. It is just good business for them to avoid confrontations with the Sporties as that kind of thing can lead to a tit for tat war and having to drag for trap lines costs them time, money and lost floats. They just want to make a living and keep things calm and my impression is that almost all of them, the smart ones anyway, will do their best not to upset us. The Prawn guys I understand don’t have that long a season and they don’t want to lose any time. There is also I suspect a bit of a gold rush mentality going on as with the new demand in Asia, the price for both Spot Prawns and Crabs is through the roof and they don’t want anything messing up those big profits. I would be more concerned about pot raiding and theft by non-Commies and black market sales to local retailers and restaurants which is very tempting when a Dungy is selling for around $50.00 in Asia (more than live East Coast Lobster) which is driving up local cost and decreasing availability. I suspect it is very tempting for some with that kind of bent and if you think thefts were bad last year with the new gold rush it is not likely to get any better.

When our crab traps were raided last year in Sooke Basin I found them dropped back down empting as far as a quarter mile away from my GPS icon and yes I am certain they did not drift and no I don’t think it was Commies that did it.

Looking at investing in one of the new super zoom auto cameras with 50x and higher optical magnification plus high digital magnification, new advanced image stabilization and long distance zoom target locking. We should be able to get pictures of their nose hairs while they are holding our float/trap from a kilometer away and from back at the dock.
 
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Rockfish said:
Looking at investing in one of the new super zoom auto cameras with 50x and higher optical magnification plus high digital magnification, new advanced image stabilization and long distance zoom target locking. We should be able to get pictures of their nose hairs while they are holding our float/trap from a kilometer away and from back at the dock.
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Might want to invest in a 50 cal sniper rifle if you are going to all that trouble! Just sayin!
 
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