Denman Island Prawning
- Thread starter Fish Assassin
- Start date
Cuba Libre
Well-Known Member
Well folks-- decided to take a close look at the issue of prawning in Baynes Sound-- specfically off the Denman ferry slip. Myself and a bud went out mainly to see if we could jig some herring for butt bait, but-- being ambidexterous and multi-talented, we took 6 prawn traps with us. We dropped a small mesh rectangular trap and a commercial style round trap off the ferry lanes. We put two further down off Ships Point ( one was a box trap) and the other two off a hump closer to Deep Bay. They soaked for 1 1/2 hrs, which is the time that some have been saying is all that is needed to bag a bunch.
Well-- with respect, I have been fishing this area for 20 years and I can honestly say it was indicative that the area has been hammered. Yes, we caught a few prawns and some humpback shrimp, but only enough for me to stuff a sockeye fillet with cheeze and prawns for dinner............ but the disturbing thing was the number of VERY small prawns and shrimp that we caught in the rectangular traps. We did not have that problem with the larger mesh round commercial traps. I really have to question the wisdom of using that type of trap in an area with so many little guys. I suspect they were fodder for other critters before they made it back to the bottom.
It would be nice if the babies were given a chance to grow a bit before we start harvesting them......
And as far as herring???? The promised 10-15 SE wind morphed into SE20... every try jigging at 150 feet with that kind of wind??? Well-- Berkley Power Bait seems to be what I will be using for butts this year.......
Well-- with respect, I have been fishing this area for 20 years and I can honestly say it was indicative that the area has been hammered. Yes, we caught a few prawns and some humpback shrimp, but only enough for me to stuff a sockeye fillet with cheeze and prawns for dinner............ but the disturbing thing was the number of VERY small prawns and shrimp that we caught in the rectangular traps. We did not have that problem with the larger mesh round commercial traps. I really have to question the wisdom of using that type of trap in an area with so many little guys. I suspect they were fodder for other critters before they made it back to the bottom.
It would be nice if the babies were given a chance to grow a bit before we start harvesting them......
And as far as herring???? The promised 10-15 SE wind morphed into SE20... every try jigging at 150 feet with that kind of wind??? Well-- Berkley Power Bait seems to be what I will be using for butts this year.......
Fish Assassin
Crew Member
Thanks for the report.....A report from a guy we can trust...
Guy's it suck's out there..... Why?
It's not the bait, traps or who knows better... that is a bunch of BS.... But why? I have know clue...Wish i did... Larger mesh needing to be used....Hell yes. Education needed....Yes
Guy's it suck's out there..... Why?
It's not the bait, traps or who knows better... that is a bunch of BS.... But why? I have know clue...Wish i did... Larger mesh needing to be used....Hell yes. Education needed....Yes
Prawnhunter
Member
The next calm day I'll be out there and I'll also give an honest to god report along with pictures and hopefully video. Also it can get tuff right after herring spawn as there is a ton of free food around for them!! Keep that In mind, " bait and traps don't matter???" are you serious? That's like saying depth plays no part either. Tell ya what, seeing that I don't know anything, you start posting pictures with proof of date from your favorite spot and I'll post pictures of my catch with my junk traps from the area you claim is dead and let everyone else decide??
P.M. sent.
Cuba Libre
Well-Known Member
Prawn Hunter-- please re-read my post... specifically
Sure you can fish the traps all day and get some prawns, but its the excessive handling of the very small prawns and shrimp that should concern all of us. Dont know if you were around about 3 yrs ago, but prawning used to be excellent in another location south of Buckley Bay-- It got HAMMERED by both sport gear and commercial. Now its hard to get a decent meal out of the area.
Do you want that to happen to an area that is so easily accessible to guys with small tin boats, who cant range very far? Perhaps we need a periodic closure to let the stocks regenerate?
Sure you can fish the traps all day and get some prawns, but its the excessive handling of the very small prawns and shrimp that should concern all of us. Dont know if you were around about 3 yrs ago, but prawning used to be excellent in another location south of Buckley Bay-- It got HAMMERED by both sport gear and commercial. Now its hard to get a decent meal out of the area.
Do you want that to happen to an area that is so easily accessible to guys with small tin boats, who cant range very far? Perhaps we need a periodic closure to let the stocks regenerate?
Prawnhunter
Member
And what I'm saying is the depth seems to matter for prawn size, I find 195 and shallower is small ones and shrimp where as 200-215 is adult prawns and get few babies. I'll have a PVC coated trap available this month for all you guys that only want to target adult prawns. How would a 7/8's mesh trap floor help?
Fish Assassin
Crew Member
Needs to more then just the floor. The entire trap needs to be made of larger mesh.
Prawnhunter
Member
I would think it would be smarter to Not keep the big ones as they are the only ones that end up female and egg bearing. They have to survive long enough to make it to maturity and then if we kill off all our breeding stock the numbers of prawns crash. Think of it like deer, if we wer to shoot all the does we would wipe out the stocks but if we harvest males you dont do as much damage because one male can fertilize more then one female. All prawns start out male and once they hit the age of maturity the sex changes to female. There fore you could harvest more small prawns with out doing as much damage. Also would the floor not act like a strainer and let the small ones threw as your pulling your trap up?
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Islandgirl
Well-Known Member
Posted by C.L.
"Well-- with respect, I have been fishing this area for 20 years and I can honestly say it was indicative that the area has been hammered. Yes, we caught a few prawns and some humpback shrimp, but only enough for me to stuff a sockeye fillet with cheeze and prawns for dinner............ but the disturbing thing was the number of VERY small prawns and shrimp that we caught in the rectangular traps"
Hey C.L.
I agree the area was/is getting hammered. Not anywhere near like it used to be. I can see closures coming just like Victoria etc. When I was last out there there was a coast guard boat constantly patrolled the area. Sadly I have heard that there is alot of poaching around there too.
"Well-- with respect, I have been fishing this area for 20 years and I can honestly say it was indicative that the area has been hammered. Yes, we caught a few prawns and some humpback shrimp, but only enough for me to stuff a sockeye fillet with cheeze and prawns for dinner............ but the disturbing thing was the number of VERY small prawns and shrimp that we caught in the rectangular traps"
Hey C.L.
I agree the area was/is getting hammered. Not anywhere near like it used to be. I can see closures coming just like Victoria etc. When I was last out there there was a coast guard boat constantly patrolled the area. Sadly I have heard that there is alot of poaching around there too.
Prawnhunter
Member
There Is a lot of double hauling goin on and also there was a fairly large diesel fuel spill near deep bay which the coast guard has been keeping an eye one over the past weeks. They wouldn't be watching people prawning as that has nothing to do with coast guard but they wer most likely taking water samples.
Islandgirl
Well-Known Member
I know fisheries staff goes on board the coast guard boats, and well as rcmp.
Cuba Libre
Well-Known Member
You are right-- there is cross training too.
salmonlander
Member
Prawnhunter: Can you please enlighten me about the diesel spill in Deep Bay?
Prawnhunter
Member
There was a boat that sank there a few weeks back and lost some diesel. Not sure how much though, but a buddy of mine works the oyster rafts in deep bay and said the coast guard has been testing the water a lot.
Fish Assassin
Crew Member
The boat sunk in the Deep Bay Marina. It was boomed off right away and brought back up a few days later. It was on the news I even have pictures of it. It was then moved to just south of the Denman Island ferry were it broke anchor and was tow by the Coast Gaurd AUX. in a storm and has been it a eye sore in Fanny Bay ever since.
The Coast Gaurd sounds Baines sound all the time. Maybe we should just call and ask them why. They go back and forth days at a time. They do this a number of times a year. I even wonder if its part of some sort of training.
The Coast Gaurd sounds Baines sound all the time. Maybe we should just call and ask them why. They go back and forth days at a time. They do this a number of times a year. I even wonder if its part of some sort of training.
salmonlander
Member
Thank you for the info, I was curious as I have property there.
Cuba Libre
Well-Known Member
Is it the old seiner that someone attempted to reno and is now tied up on the boomsticks at the Fanny Bay wharf?
Fish Assassin
Crew Member
Some call it a tug others have called it a old troller. But it has been tied up un Fanny Bay for the last few week. It stuff box is leaking and need a pump 24/7. When I first sunk it was because someone took their electrical cork. Now they run a gen. to run a pump. Divers said to was a sound boat still. The new owner is a piece of work. Bet the boat becomes a reef before long.
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