Prawn trap setup - 1 trap outfishes others 10:1

[TenMile]

So a buddy and I have been doing fairly well prawning this year. In total we have 6 traps. They are all the round stainless type with black poly-mesh netting. We fish 2 per line. Use the round Scotty bait jars with pellets and herring oil.

1 of the traps outfishes all of the other traps like 10:1 and we can't quite figure out why. The trap in question was one my wife gave me for a birthday a few years ago and is a round folding trap made by Flex Fold. Just yesterday for example in the 5 other traps we got about 30 prawns total. The Flex Fold trap -- which was tethered 20ft from another trap had 200+ prawns in it while it's mate had about 20. It's crazy -- we call it the "money trap".

The only difference we can spot is that the Flex Fold seems to have deeper entry ways. We've been keeping up with mesh repairs on all the traps. Any thoughts from the expert prawners? Any way to improve the rest of the fleet?

 

[Hot-Streak]

I don't have any insights....
but better give it to me for independent testing

 

[G-Auto]

A couple thoughts from fishy stories in the past..

They are swimming out, which they will do in any trap to some degree.

I've also heard that mesh traps scare prawns when waving around in the current. Is that one trap's mesh way tighter perhaps?

I fish the square fixed traps and no matter what trap it is I seem to get around 70 in each one. It's like that's when the others realize that they shouldn't go in.

 

[Capt_Ed]

So my buddy and I fish 8 traps between us, just the regular round 28" sporty traps and usually the 4 traps produce 200-250 prawns which we tail and freeze in yogurt containers with 35 -40 per container. Last year we had 2 sets stolen and lost 1 set to the bottom so another buddy gave me 4 big 32" commercial traps that he didn't like because they didn't catch enough. Well they don't but the one we do get ( about 125-150 per 4 traps) are way bigger ,about 25-30 per container so I love them. My point is the mesh on the commercial traps is bigger and the smalls get out through the mess. Maybe your flex fold has smaller mesh than the others and holds more smalls

 

[Aquaholic]

So my buddy and I fish 8 traps between us, just the regular round 28" sporty traps and usually the 4 traps produce 200-250 prawns which we tail and freeze in yogurt containers with 35 -40 per container. Last year we had 2 sets stolen and lost 1 set to the bottom so another buddy gave me 4 big 32" commercial traps that he didn't like because they didn't catch enough. Well they don't but the one we do get ( about 125-150 per 4 traps) are way bigger ,about 25-30 per container so I love them. My point is the mesh on the commercial traps is bigger and the smalls get out through the mess. Maybe your flex fold has smaller mesh than the others and holds more smalls

This seemed to be the consensus on a thread about the Bauer 18” square traps catching noticeably more than other designs used on the same set. Smalls are not escaping, hence the higher head count.

TenMile: Do you notice more small catch?

 

[eroyd]

A couple thoughts from fishy stories in the past..

They are swimming out, which they will do in any trap to some degree.

I've also heard that mesh traps scare prawns when waving around in the current. Is that one trap's mesh way tighter perhaps?

I fish the square fixed traps and no matter what trap it is I seem to get around 70 in each one. It's like that's when the others realize that they shouldn't go in.

My brother in law was a commercial prawn fisherman. Movement of ropes, mesh or whatever is a big deal. Prawns are spooky.

 

[Whole in the Water]

Mesh size, mesh tightness, hole opening size and design (i.e. is is easy for them to get in and harder to get out) are all factors. What about difference in the metal and the weights in the traps? Any way there could be a difference in the galvanic reaction between the traps that some give out slightly more positive ions and others a slightly more negative ions?

This is the theory behind black boxes neutralizing 'electrically hot' boats. Fish are known to be attracted to slight positive charge between ~0.1-1.0 volt and not much more can repel them. Any negative current of course repels them. What about crabs and prawns and shrimp? Be interesting to find out more on this especially since most traps are made of some sort of metal e.g. stainless steel and usually weighted down with lead so a galvanic reaction in saltwater of some sort is pretty much guaranteed.

 

[Rain City]

Mesh size, mesh tightness, hole opening size and design (i.e. is is easy for them to get in and harder to get out) are all factors. What about difference in the metal and the weights in the traps? Any way there could be a difference in the galvanic reaction between the traps that some give out slightly more positive ions and others a slightly more negative ions?

This is the theory behind black boxes neutralizing 'electrically hot' boats. Fish are known to be attracted to slight positive charge between ~0.1-1.0 volt and not much more can repel them. Any negative current of course repels them. What about crabs and prawns and shrimp? Be interesting to find out more on this especially since most traps are made of some sort of metal e.g. stainless steel and usually weighted down with lead so a galvanic reaction in saltwater of some sort is pretty much guaranteed.

Is there any combination of metals that is known to create that type of charge?

 

[Clint r]

Is there any combination of metals that is known to create that type of charge?

Not too sure but I know a friend of mine from Squamish swears that a zinc on his stainless traps catches him more prawns.

 

[wavetamer]

zinc it

 

[RiverBoy]

Mesh size, mesh tightness, hole opening size and design (i.e. is is easy for them to get in and harder to get out) are all factors. What about difference in the metal and the weights in the traps? Any way there could be a difference in the galvanic reaction between the traps that some give out slightly more positive ions and others a slightly more negative ions?

This is the theory behind black boxes neutralizing 'electrically hot' boats. Fish are known to be attracted to slight positive charge between ~0.1-1.0 volt and not much more can repel them. Any negative current of course repels them. What about crabs and prawns and shrimp? Be interesting to find out more on this especially since most traps are made of some sort of metal e.g. stainless steel and usually weighted down with lead so a galvanic reaction in saltwater of some sort is pretty much guaranteed.

i totally agree. this is the reason commercial prawn fisher men sell all their traps after a few seasons. they just stop fishing as well as they did when they’re new

 

[Ugly Betty]

i totally agree. this is the reason commercial prawn fisher men sell all their traps after a few seasons. they just stop fishing as well as they did when they’re new

That’s because the mesh is all bagged out and flops around like your mother in laws underarm.

 

[ship happens]

That’s because the mesh is all bagged out and flops around like your mother in laws underarm.

Noone likes a bagged out floppy trap

 

[MV Vantage]

Simple solution to your problem is clip a weight on the rope that lays on the ground between the second trap and the float. Every time the second trap moves from wave action of the float, pulling the rope, and intern yanking on the trap, spooks them all and the all take off. Now with the weight the trap stays still. That’s why the first trap produces more. Try it!

 

[Rain City]

Simple solution to your problem is clip a weight on the rope that lays on the ground between the second trap and the float. Every time the second trap moves from wave action of the float, pulling the rope, and intern yanking on the trap, spooks them all and the all take off. Now with the weight the trap stays still. That’s why the first trap produces more. Try it!

I do a couple of 2lb clip on weights, spread out, as I found the one bigger one would sometimes flip my traps as it outpaced them on the drop. It was too much to think about. Jeff from West Coast told me how he remedies this and I thought it was brilliant. He actually runs his line through a snap at the buoy and then attaches a weight to the end of his rope. This allows the line to run freely through the float and acts as a shock obsorber. I've yet to try it.