Prawn traps

[wayne marwood]

What is the best prawn trap looking to get new ones

 

[Ned]

I have found the Bauer rectangular traps are the best. I used to have the round ones that stacked into each other for years. A buddy of mine told these 'new' ones work really well. I bought two and gave them a try. I put one bauer and one round one on the same string and found the bauer consistantly outfished the rounds ones 2 to one and sometimes 3to1in the Saanichton Inlet. I bought two more and gave the round ones away.



I am sounding like a commercial, but I would not go back to the round ones. The downside is they don't collapse or fit into each other like the round ones do. They stack very well and can be 'bungeed' together.

 

[the butcher]

i have the round ones and have also heard the bauers are more productive. I dont get out very often so when i do get out I have about 6 or 8 traps out. I use the round ones due to limited deck space since they stack on top of each other. If the bauers really out produce the roundbones by two or three to 1, perhaps I can get by with less bauers...hmmm..

can anyone else share their experience between round and bauer traps in terms of prawn capture rate?

wonder what makes the bauers more successful.

 

[trophywife]

more successful because nothing moves on them to scare pronz away.
new tight (mesh) traps work just as well as long as no strings or zaps are loose.

 

[abl]

Can anyone comment on whether the 24”x24” catch more than the 18”x18”traps. Thinking the 18x18 to give a bit more room in the boat
Thanks

 

[captmike]

What is the best prawn trap looking to get new ones

I got rid of 2 smaller bauers as they kept too many small prawns, sticking to round commercials - just tighten up the web every few years

 

[Slabbedout]

I prawn a lot

The Bauer’s have smaller / “tighter “ mesh compared to a lot of the round traps and I find they work a lot better at keeping all the prawns that enter the trap in the trap. I also have a set of ex commercial round traps that I put new mesh on that work extremely well.
Bottom line is commercial traps have larger mesh that allow more prawns to escape and once a commercial trap is a few years old the mesh stretches a bit allowing even more escapees, thus the traps get sold to unsuspecting sporties.

I do agree though that the Bauer’s will hold all the small prawns / shrimp and if all you want is quality then the larger mesh on traps is desirable if you don’t want to sort through your haul.

Honestly though there are a lot more factors than just the kind of trap you drop that can affect your success

 

[Gear'n'beer!]

Can anyone comment on whether the 24”x24” catch more than the 18”x18”traps. Thinking the 18x18 to give a bit more room in the boat
Thanks

I have both Bruce. If your in a pretty productive area the 18” fill up faster and are done. I run one of each on my strings but I would rather the 24’s if you buying new. I’m not entirely sure how I ended up with the 18’s but I didn’t buy them. They do work.

Darin

 

[browningmirage]

I use one of each on a string...I like to prospect. If there are no prawns, the Bauer won't catch any. If there are only smalls, the Bauer will fill up and the commercial won't.

Personally, I've caught lots in both. Size is way bigger in the round traps, numbers are higher in the Bauer.

 

[Kasiks]

I cant speak to the efficiency of the square to round, but I have seen a dramatic difference in catch between identical traps only 30 feet apart. I use the round and usually pause them 5 feet below surface to allow the little ones a final chance to escape within the water