Nakoda boater
Member
Nice job! Where were u fishing?
O-FISH-ALL 2014 Vancouver, Howe Sound, Sunshine Coast Reports Thread!
- Thread starter fishin_magician
- Start date
Springling
Member
Went out yesterday fished Tunsil and grace islands with only one shaker to report. Went to pick up our prawn trap which was right off the island in between the east side of Bowen and lighthouse park and it had been stolen. There was another boat circling the same area as us looking for his trap and his had also been stolen. It's pretty disappointing that there are ppl out there who will steal traps! I guess I we will have to troll in sight of the traps from now on. On a brighter note we ended up getting 9 big crab between 3 traps!
scotty
Active Member
I think we are going to have to have a stake out on these trap poachers. I am new to prawning and am terrified that someone is going to steal my traps. Was out last weekend and barely let them out of my sight. Any info people can share about boats lurking around let's take care of it! Pictures are even better! Remember what goes around comes around or goes down!
R
Reeltime
Guest
I was out fishing west van on sunday and saw that bayliner with a full black top covering the whole back of the boat , cruising very slow close to traps , he changed course as i was speeding up to him ,as he was heading to my traps , i remembered everyone talking about that boat and saw pictures earlier on the forum . well time for binoculars what a pain . Guess i should have waited for them to make a move .
Springling
Member
Ya it would sure be nice to catch these ppl in the act!
You might be on to something here......
I was wanting to pick up some traps and get into prawning but with the amount of theft I'm reading about, kind of postponing it.
Anyone want to take a day and go huntin'? I'll get my paintball gun, although some people might think that's letting them off easy LOL
dwflyrod
Member
hey old blue i caught those 2 guys pulling my crab traps at sand head i got they k number video of them pulling my traps talk to rcmp they sayed not there concern talk to co never ever heard back.those guys said it was by mistake.after i told them ******** my name is on them thy told me to f off i am an ahole.asked them to go to the beach and settle this they let real quick
Finished Business
Well-Known Member
You can't let trap theft deter you from going out and enjoying this beautiful gat-dang province! Its the *****, but you have to either throw caution, and your traps into the wind....or you have to park on top of your traps once you have set them.
Look at it this way, its almost greedy to think we should be so lucky to go out and drop crab and prawn traps, on top of a chance to catch your fare of salmon and bottomfish (where permitted)..so pick your favorite crab and prawning days and enjoy the water as your pots soak.
The only other option is to toss em over, go fishing, and hope they are there when you return. I've lost 4 traps over the last 2 years and I've given up on this option. Its too disappointing and completely ruins your day to find your traps stolen.
These are the realities to fishing close to the big city. More population = more shitheads
Look at it this way, its almost greedy to think we should be so lucky to go out and drop crab and prawn traps, on top of a chance to catch your fare of salmon and bottomfish (where permitted)..so pick your favorite crab and prawning days and enjoy the water as your pots soak.
The only other option is to toss em over, go fishing, and hope they are there when you return. I've lost 4 traps over the last 2 years and I've given up on this option. Its too disappointing and completely ruins your day to find your traps stolen.
These are the realities to fishing close to the big city. More population = more shitheads
Just how many traps does a thief need? I read about an awful lot of traps missing in the lower mainland throughout the season and suspect it may be the tides that are to blame. I weight my traps with plenty of extra line and I have only lost one trap in 15-20 years. I have recovered about 3 from the bottom with no floats (wrapped up in my line) and caught 1 with sockeye gear in 600' of water with 100' of rope, floating just below the surface. I regularly soak over night. I have seen a prawn trap with a small anchor attached to the trap to stop it from moving on this site, I think that's for good reason.
fishin_magician
Well-Known Member
Well, tides are the blame for some, but I will tell you that as a guide, if I count up the number of Prawn traps And Crabs that I have personally had picked, stolen, or otherwise, as well as the other guides I know who lose gear there is a theft and poaching problem most definitely. Explain 2 traps, 40 feet spaced apart, anchored with a half cinder block weighing 20 pounds, 500 feet of lead core sinking line, and a bright orange Scotsman approximately 2 feet in diameter with a 9 inch name and phone number going "missing" in 350 feet of water 250 feet from shore where at best there is a 2 knot current on the strongest day of the year? Not going to happen!!!
Anyways....prawn and crab more, and you will lose more traps...and these 2 suspect boats I have in mind are usually in the vicinity of the gear going missing!
Anyways, I happen to know a charter firm which rigs their traps in a very specific way...using very distinctive cord for "rope" and spray paint along an edge of the trap, with a home made mesh bait cage....funny how I just saw 4 of his traps on 2 different boats in Burrard Civic Marina not a half kilometre from his office!!! YES, your fellow sport fishermen next to you are thieves!!!!!
How about the guy on the Sea Doo with a custom arch who regularly goes out to check crab traps with a cooler on the back of the Seadoo....what on earth do you need a 120 litre cooler for 4 Dungeness for??? How about the 3 traps I see him checking or carrying? Daily Dungeness limit is 4. Crab trap limit per person? 2. I would LOVE to see his cooler....especially when he's out checking traps EVERYDAY!!!
ORR...they don't have the resources to respond to it when it happens...
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Finished Business
Well-Known Member
I have posted pictures of a poacher before. Did it do any good and stop theft? Not in the slightest. Unless you are prepared to sink the bow of your boat into the stern of theirs....lol.....it feels like there's nothing we can do. Without risking safety or freedom, what can be done to actually stop the repeat offenders? Maybe a Judge needs his traps stolen before we see action...
scotty
Active Member
Enough of this BS, all I have to say is I feel sorry for the guy I catch stealing my stuff! On a better not JerrySpringer1 you haven't replied where you were fishing last weekend! Those are some nice springs, prawns, crab, and salmon would be a full plate. Good work! Heading out this weekend, maybe see some of you out there! Any advice towards Bowen?? Point Atkinson!!
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