April prawning?

[sly_karma]

I was opening up our Sunshine Coast cabin over the Easter weekend and had high hopes for prawns. After all, they've been closed Jan-Feb-Mar, commercial sesson isnt until next month, and I've developed a reasonable level of consistency over the past three summers. I mixed up a batch of stinky cat food/pellet/fish oil/mackerel bait and arrived ready to slay.

But I was essentially skunked, got maybe two dozen spots in 7 or 8 sets. Started off in the usual places, then went deeper, then shallower, then some altogether new places. Nothing lit it up. To add insult to injury, one Bauer trap disappeared altogether, and someone pulled one set of traps, took a bait cup, and then re-set the entire string.

What happened here? Was I actually catching, but being robbed by ***** locals? Or are the prawns completely gone somewhere else? I fished solidly in areas that will be fished hard by the commercials in three weeks from now, do they miraculously return, or were they always there but don't feed in April?

I know the area pretty well, but it's rare for us to visit in April. Good thing, because it hasn't been a productive month for me.

 

[Rain City]

I was opening up our Sunshine Coast cabin over the Easter weekend and had high hopes for prawns. After all, they've been closed Jan-Feb-Mar, commercial sesson isnt until next month, and I've developed a reasonable level of consistency over the past three summers. I mixed up a batch of stinky cat food/pellet/fish oil/mackerel bait and arrived ready to slay.

But I was essentially skunked, got maybe two dozen spots in 7 or 8 sets. Started off in the usual places, then went deeper, then shallower, then some altogether new places. Nothing lit it up. To add insult to injury, one Bauer trap disappeared altogether, and someone pulled one set of traps, took a bait cup, and then re-set the entire string.

What happened here? Was I actually catching, but being robbed by ***** locals? Or are the prawns completely gone somewhere else? I fished solidly in areas that will be fished hard by the commercials in three weeks from now, do they miraculously return, or were they always there but don't feed in April?

I know the area pretty well, but it's rare for us to visit in April. Good thing, because it hasn't been a productive month for me.

Did you try any short sets?

 

[MikePA]

I'm curious to hear other reports as well, everyone I've talked to has reported the same thing. Their usual spots not producing. I only went out three times this year but every single time did horribly.

 

[Tsquared]

We did ok in Saanich Inlet in the first week, not as good as last year but definitely worthwhile.
T2

 

[BigBird007]

Saanich Inlet last week! It always seems to be trap placement that dictates my success. Out of 8 traps I always have 2-3 that come up with next to nothing in them and then 2-3 that do well.

 

[grayclan]

If your around Piper area there is poacher at work. I set in the beginning of April the only trap in the area and was poached right away. Moved in front of my cabin. Not as productive but I can keep an eye on them.

 

[salmonkiller01]

Prawning seems to be about the same in nanoose too. Regular spots not really producing. Will see today as I set too deep last night and got a handful.

 

[sly_karma]

Did you try any short sets?

Yes we did a couple of 1-2 hour soaks, mixed bait really wet specifically for this.

 

[sly_karma]

I should note I did spread them around my usual range. For a couple of days, one set was about 5 nm from the others.

On my usual known producing locations, I varied depth, as shallow as 250 ft for an overnight soak, then went as deep as I dared with that rope set, 350-370 ft.

 

[seachicken]

250' is not that shallow, I know they are deeper out in the straight but when I'm in Saanich inlet or inside Valdes in area 17 I'm usually targeting 185' and prawning was good my last time out in 17