1st time prawn fishing & looking for areas

[Crestliner]

1st time prawning. Can any one tell me good places to go prawning?

I planned to fish and prawn around Bowen Island or Valdez/Galiano passage area. (Area 17 & 28)

Much appreciated!

 

[nomad14]

Commercial prawning opens up may 5th, I would be hesitant to be prawning when that starts if your new to it since your liable to loose your gear if a commercial boat sets over you or gets tangled. In general, you want to be putting your traps on a shelf 250-400 feet of water. Prawning is like halibut fishing... good spots are closely guarded and you will be hard pressed to get people to volunteer that info. If you are fishing around bowen and in howe sound be aware of the sponge reefs closed areas. I am sure there are suggestions on areas to go if you look through past threads but the best way to learn is to get out and do some exploratory sets and see what works. As for bait a mixture of carlisle cat food and prawn pellets is my go to.

 

[Dogbreath]

In addition to the excellent info given above be sure to use at least 10# of weight for each trap.

 

[Cookie's Cutter]

Drive around starting May 6 and mark on your plotter the location of some commercial prawn buoys. Wait untill a few months after the season closes and stocks replenish and then go back and drop in the same spots.

 

[kaelc]

Should be lots of recreational traps out today in those areas. Better to set where other rec fishers are fishing, commercial guys often set in areas with more current. I’d study navionics boating app and look for large shelfs, where it gradually rises from 300-150 feet. Set at least two strings of two, with your traps set 30 feet apart. Set up hill at two different depths, so your traps will hopefully land at four different depths. make sure you are not close to any other rec traps as they may be setting parallel to shore. Record what depth on the sounder when each trap goes over. Check in an hour and if a trap has prawns in it reset in that spot and depth all your traps and soak for 2 hours. Good luck.

 

[doug78]

There's a bunch of glass sponge closures in the howe sound to watch out for,including some new ones. Have had good luck around the 270-300 foot range the past few weeks.

 

[Rain City]

Do not set within a couple hundred feet of other peoples buoys. You never know which way their traps are set. I've had a guide boat do this to me and he was literally 10 feet from every one of my four buoys. I had to move his traps just so I could pick mine up. I guess when you're an ex cop and now a guide you think you can own certain spots.

Sorry, got a little angry there.

 

[jayinsurrey]

How long is the commercial opening?

 

[nomad14]

commy season is usually 4-7 weeks depending on how the fishing is and if they start fishing down the stocks too quick. Honestly prawning is not worth the gas money after the commercial season closes unless your doing a combo of fishing cruising and just setting some traps while out.

 

[TomicTime]

Lots of great advice above. Two critical things are pot weight / lead line and quality of bait. I grind up the commercial salmon feed pellets and mix 50/50 vegetable and salmon oil in with two bait jars per pot. I use Skippy jars w many 1/4” holes. Cat food mixed in a definite plus ++++++++

 

[Rain City]

Lots of great advice above. Two critical things are pot weight / lead line and quality of bait. I grind up the commercial salmon feed pellets and mix 50/50 vegetable and salmon oil in with two bait jars per pot. I use Skippy jars w many 1/4” holes. Cat food mixed in a definite plus ++++++++

That's incredible. What size are those traps?

 

[TomicTime]

That's incredible. What size are those traps?

Thanks, i have been blessed ;-) I think they are 30”. McKay pots from Brinnon, WA USA. i do love and appreciate the excellent Ladner pots also.

 

[Aces]

Lots of great advice above. Two critical things are pot weight / lead line and quality of bait. I grind up the commercial salmon feed pellets and mix 50/50 vegetable and salmon oil in with two bait jars per pot. I use Skippy jars w many 1/4” holes. Cat food mixed in a definite plus ++++++++

Half a pink in each trap is the bomb

 

[Rain City]

Half a pink in each trap is the bomb

First guy your age to use that term. Guaranteed. You're the best

 

[RiverBoy]

Half a pink in each trap is the bomb

don’t you find that attracts octo? everytime
i try fish pieces it’s octopus city then they eat all my prawns

 

[TomicTime]

run the pink and or mackerel thru the blender, just not the wifes..

 

[Bryan Allen]

don’t you find that attracts octo? everytime
i try fish pieces it’s octopus city then they eat all my prawns

I will gladly take octopi if they make the mistake of stealing a few prawns.

 

[RiverBoy]

I will gladly take octopi if they make the mistake of stealing a few prawns.

use them for bait or kalamari? used to work with a greek dude who told us how to prepare them. we mustn’t have been listening as it was the toughest meat i’ve ever eaten. we ended up grinding it up and making octo-burgers which were amazeballs. kind of a greek mediterranean thing going on.

 

[Dogbreath]

If it's tough like that you haven't cooked it enough you should be able to stick a toothpick in easily.

 

[Rain City]

If it's tough like that you haven't cooked it enough you should be able to stick a toothpick in easily.

You can go too long as well though. It all depends on how big they are. I prefer the little guys. Quick flash boil, grill for color, dress like a salad. Yum.