2020 Vancouver-Howe Sound-Sechelt Reports Thread
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wishiniwasfishin1
Well-Known Member
Wow - you were rewarded for having to grind it out in those ****** conditions...
littlechucky
Crew Member
Clipped?
adanac
Well-Known Member
yup it was tough out there !
This was a wild fish, all other fish clipped
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Saratoga
Active Member
Just a heads up regarding traps being taken off West Van ... not that it makes any difference as I can’t really think of a practical way of preventing it from occurring. Just disappointing as it’s something I would never conceive of doing to anyone else yet there are clearly a small percentage of people who feel it’s acceptable. I had 2 traps with lines and floats taken yesterday. Each trap weighed about 18lbs with weights and I’ve crabbed there many, many times over the years and never had a trap drift no matter the current or wind conditions since I’ve always weighted them ... and yesterday was flat calm. 150’ of lead core line on each trap with twin floats (both floats clearly labeled with my name & phone number) set in 80’ of water. Headed off for a cruise around Howe Sound with my kids as a “compliant” day out of the house only to find both traps removed when I came back to retrieve them. Kind of ruins what was otherwise a great reprieve from the daily challenges we’re all facing. I know I need to suck it up and move on but it was really frustrating nonetheless. Anyway, the conditions are great out there currently so will plan to get back out for some catch & release ... just won’t be able to crab for a while obviously.
Got out for the first time this year with my son. Arrived at Macdonald Beach at 2:30pm and the tide was so low we had to wait 45 minutes to launch and one poor guy was beached right off the dock until tide came back. Anyway, dropped some crab traps and we got our limits easily. New trap hauler worked perfectly, main power worked well, beautiful evening. We were crabbing on the UBC side of English bay and hung around our traps the whole time and no one attempted to scoop them. I don't let myself get out of sight of them anymore after losing one last year.
capt hook
Well-Known Member
If your in and around the Freighters , you have to give about a 1/4 mile radius around each ship...
i have seen bouys right up against side of ships...donno what happens when they slide under...and what they can get hung up on..
but that is something to keep in mind. not saying you did...BuT??
i been crabbing a bit and leaving gear over night and first time in years ,,,,no problems...
hope the problem has not returned.
i know of one problem that sank in a marina.....
anyways ...too bad as you had a good day going..
try again..but get far away from everything...you can see the numbers on the chart for the legal freighter anchorage spots...plus they do allot of manovering to get the bow on the number...so stay well clear. good luk next time.
If your in and around the Freighters , you have to give about a 1/4 mile radius around each ship...
i have seen bouys right up against side of ships...donno what happens when they slide under...and what they can get hung up on..
but that is something to keep in mind. not saying you did...BuT??
i been crabbing a bit and leaving gear over night and first time in years ,,,,no problems...
hope the problem has not returned.
i know of one problem that sank in a marina.....
anyways ...too bad as you had a good day going..
try again..but get far away from everything...you can see the numbers on the chart for the legal freighter anchorage spots...plus they do allot of manovering to get the bow on the number...so stay well clear. good luk next time.
LOL. Thanks, but when I lost one trap last year it wasn't anywhere near any freighters. I had another trap 50 yards away and it was fine. Back in the 90's a buddy and me caught some guys checking our trap and and we 'educated' them about touching other people's property
. We did have an awesome day
. Saratoga lost his traps on the West Van side
. On another note, saw lots of people not socially distant on the sailing club pier
.
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Reeltime
Well-Known Member
Sad but i find dropping traps in West Van traps need to be baby sat, it's a hwy for boats buzzing by heading to Howe Sound and what not, go shallower and you
will be away from the traffic line of the looky loos, also decent in the shallows
Can't believe it with whats going on out there in the world and this is still going down unreal
there's no hope...
Saratoga
Active Member
Yep I hear you Reeltime .. it is a highway for sure so I’ve probably been tempting fate for a while. I’ve sat on traps the odd time when just having lunch and drifting. But most times I’m heading to the fishing grounds which are often not in the same area. I’ll get re-fitted over the coming weeks and will be back crabbing.
Capt Hook makes a good point about the freighters - I try to pay close attention & drop them outside of the anchorages areas & not in the path the freighters take when they get called in. But never say never I guess.
I’m sometimes a bit of a skeptic when it comes to reports of stolen traps as I know some are taken by the tides, log booms, or freighters. But this specific area is generally clear of those activities ... and I’ve crabbed so many times there without issue that this was definitely an anomaly ... especially on a clear calm day.
Two years ago, my buddy ended up chasing down a boat that had pulled his traps. They tossed them back in the water as he was cruising up. He chased them until they finally stopped ... they claimed they were confused & didn’t understand. They had pulled his traps all the way in ... it wasn’t like they had mistakenly grabbed his buoy & then set it back. Best part was they were in what appeared to be a new Boston Whaler around 26’ with twins - no registration numbers on the side. Clearly they could have afforded to buy their own gear.
Anyway, lots of good days coming up this week & crabbing and prawning is very good. So time to get back out there. I had a good run of a few years with only the odd day having trap contents taken. Yesterday was my turn ... moving on. Good luck out there!
Capt Hook makes a good point about the freighters - I try to pay close attention & drop them outside of the anchorages areas & not in the path the freighters take when they get called in. But never say never I guess.
I’m sometimes a bit of a skeptic when it comes to reports of stolen traps as I know some are taken by the tides, log booms, or freighters. But this specific area is generally clear of those activities ... and I’ve crabbed so many times there without issue that this was definitely an anomaly ... especially on a clear calm day.
Two years ago, my buddy ended up chasing down a boat that had pulled his traps. They tossed them back in the water as he was cruising up. He chased them until they finally stopped ... they claimed they were confused & didn’t understand. They had pulled his traps all the way in ... it wasn’t like they had mistakenly grabbed his buoy & then set it back. Best part was they were in what appeared to be a new Boston Whaler around 26’ with twins - no registration numbers on the side. Clearly they could have afforded to buy their own gear.
Anyway, lots of good days coming up this week & crabbing and prawning is very good. So time to get back out there. I had a good run of a few years with only the odd day having trap contents taken. Yesterday was my turn ... moving on
. Good luck out there!
the butcher
Well-Known Member
Sorry to hear about this... Whenever I hear about crab/prawn traps being stolen, even though they weren't mine that were stolen, I still get furious.
I am temped to place a note in my crab trap that reads. "I live in a fancy home on top of a cliff with perfect views of my traps. I also have a high powered telescope attached to a digital zoom lens. I already have your boat number and description and your ugly face stored on file. Would you mind waving and smiling so that I can at least use a better picture of you during your court appearance and arrest? I'd suggest you slowly drop my crab trap back into the water. And since you are already there, can you raise the appropriate number of fingers up in thr air to tell me how many keepers are in my trap? Have a good day."
adanac
Well-Known Member
Yep I hear you Reeltime .. it is a highway for sure so I’ve probably been tempting fate for a while. I’ve sat on traps the odd time when just having lunch and drifting. But most times I’m heading to the fishing grounds which are often not in the same area. I’ll get re-fitted over the coming weeks and will be back crabbing.
Capt Hook makes a good point about the freighters - I try to pay close attention & drop them outside of the anchorages areas & not in the path the freighters take when they get called in. But never say never I guess.
I’m sometimes a bit of a skeptic when it comes to reports of stolen traps as I know some are taken by the tides, log booms, or freighters. But this specific area is generally clear of those activities ... and I’ve crabbed so many times there without issue that this was definitely an anomaly ... especially on a clear calm day.
Two years ago, my buddy ended up chasing down a boat that had pulled his traps. They tossed them back in the water as he was cruising up. He chased them until they finally stopped ... they claimed they were confused & didn’t understand. They had pulled his traps all the way in ... it wasn’t like they had mistakenly grabbed his buoy & then set it back. Best part was they were in what appeared to be a new Boston Whaler around 26’ with twins - no registration numbers on the side. Clearly they could have afforded to buy their own gear.
Anyway, lots of good days coming up this week & crabbing and prawning is very good. So time to get back out there. I had a good run of a few years with only the odd day having trap contents taken. Yesterday was my turn ... moving on
had our traps off west van yesterday aswell untouched but in shallow water , 40 - 50 feet, just out of eyesight on the main track boats take out of the harbour , good sets aswell. There was allot of biiiig timber floating around off WV yesterday .
the butcher
Well-Known Member
We should get a group together to setup a sting. Have the buoy clearly marked so there is no way it can be confused.
Use a huge neon color buoy that no one uses and use font that is 3 times bigger than standard. When someone pulls up the gear have 19 boats circle and surround them. .... What happens to them next is censored and can't be mentioned here...
1st rule of crab trap poacher club... We don't talk about crab trap poacher club.
Use a huge neon color buoy that no one uses and use font that is 3 times bigger than standard. When someone pulls up the gear have 19 boats circle and surround them. .... What happens to them next is censored and can't be mentioned here...
1st rule of crab trap poacher club... We don't talk about crab trap poacher club.
Paravoffka
Active Member
It's really hard to do something with poachers, couple years ago me and wife cought poachers stealing our crabs in White Rock. Managed to record it on video, called police. The police has arrived hour later and ofcouse poachers were able to drive somewhere (I guess to drop crabs) and got back before police have arrived.
I was told by officers that there is no enough evidence on the video. Yes they see that they're tuching mine traps but there is no moment on the video when the poacher pulls the crab out of my trap and puts in his bucket. Analogy - if someone opens your car's door, but doesn't take anything.
Going to end this discussion on poachers here. This happens at least a few times each year on fishing reports threads. Please report any poaching incidents to the proper authorities and let them do their jobs. Discussing it here just leads to the same result of derailing fishing report threads, talk of vigilantism and innuendo that serves no good purpose.
HITW first time out today due to self isolation requirements. Small chop but those rollers were unreal. 2 hrs in and it kept getting worse so had to call it a day. Managed 8 but only 2 being a decent size and both were clipped. Curious what hatchery them might be from?
sweettjim
Well-Known Member
most liely from down in the states this time of the year
Rain City
Crew Member
Which area you fishing? I tend to stick closer to Roger Curtis but when that South side gets going it can be lights out for a few weeks. SE corner all the way to QA but I think that's later.
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