Crabs/lobsters/shrimps

[philllb]

Hi all, newbie here so please be gentle, just wanted to ask,
i am of to the Isle of Wight this weekend, made myself a crab/lobster pot out of old freezer shelves from an old freezer (Will post pics if it works, hide in corner if it doesn't) plastic coated so rust proof, pretty sure of bait, stinky old fish for lobster and fresh mackerel for crabs, i have an inflatable canoe to get the pot out there an old buoy from a canal boat and a concrete weight from a washing machine, so should be sorted, i intend to drop pot on an incoming tide so i wont end up in Jersey, BUT, am i wasting my time? i know you can get huge crabs and lobster in Cornwall and moderately small in Cromer, as the Isle of Wight is about halfway between the two i am hoping for medium size, do we have any friends who have been successful?
I hope this is in the right section!!

 

[Seoras]

Hi Philllb

Welcome to the forum.

You probably did not get an answer to your question as this is not generally a site for lobster potting. Also you posted up in an area that is a bit quieter than other areas.

Maybe it would be best if you just introduce yourself firsly here

http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=15

This part of the site is regularly viewed and if you mention what you do you will get an answer maybe.

Good luck

George

 

[santaman2000]

Don't know what your chances are there but the bait is reversed over here. Stinky bait (old chicken or guts, etc.) for crabs. Lobsters (the clawless Florida Lobster) is protected here and even when they were legal you could only take them by hand while diving/snorkeling so I really don't know what attracts them.

 

[ebt.]

They're both carrion eaters. Slash up a mackerel/pollack and tie it in. But if you get both crab/lobby in the same pot, you'd better hoik them out quick (in the battle of crab v lobster, its the squat fella with the power).

Its worth speaking to the local fisheries protection people, they'll steer you on what you can/cant take (numbers & sizes).

Oh and local fisherman can be ... erm... 'aggressively protective' of their pitches. Dont sink your pride and joy unless you can keep an eye on it regularly and are willing to 'lose' it.

 

[ex member pyrophil]

Fish heads will do the trick.

 

[grilled bear]

To be honest anything fishy will do for either and I've even heard of guys useing a punctured pet food tin. We always used to use last years mackeral salted down when targeting lobsters and fresh fish heads for crab but this was also down to availablility as well as what works. Try and get your pot onto a sandy patch surrounded by rocks/seaweed.

 

[The Ratcatcher]

A few months ago, I went to Whitehaven in Cumbria with Kat007. We set two "Crab Traps" from GoOutdoors baited with Mackerel at the afternoon low tide, and recovered them at low tide the next morning, not expecting much. What we got were seven crabs, two rockfish and a small eel! Put down a trap in the right spot and you will be pleasantly surprised.

I'd advise you to get in touch with the local Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority. We went into their office where we met the Chief Fisheries Officer, and in less than an hour had our nets gauged, our gear approved, and lots of advice about where to set traps, where to fish, what baits worked best, legal catch sizes, and even a recommended camp site.

Good fishing

Alan

 

[mousey]

When I was young I used to go grab fishing on the S.E. coast, just a bit of string and an offcut of meat on a bone from the local butchers, lob it in off a jetty wait for a couple of minutes and gentle pull up the string. There was usually a couple, up to about 8, hanging off the lump of meat. Pulled it right up took the crabs off and put them in a bucket of water on the side - I have no idea if they were an edible kind or if all crabs are eatable?? but we used to hold crab races to see which would run down a length of jetty and back into the sea first, Oh the pure fun you can have as a child!!!