Modifying Bauer Traps to Meet New Prawn Trap Regulation

[jackfish]

What about replacing one of the entrance cone attachments with rot cord? The entrance cone is attached with rings, so maybe easy to swap for string? Not a pretty solution but easy.

 

[SpringVelocity]

I like idea mentioned of just tieing a rot chord to bungee that holds clean out door. No modification of trap at all. It does same thing. It's easy. No one needs to cut trap or make this more complicated then it needs to be.

 

[Gong Show]

I only lost one set of gear, the first set I ever made.
Took 8 months, but it was returned to me!
Good god is there ever a steep learning curve on prawning!!

 

[searun]

I like idea mentioned of just tieing a rot chord to bungee that holds clean out door. No modification of trap at all. It does same thing. It's easy. No one needs to cut trap or make this more complicated then it needs to be.

Not sure I understand that bungie approach without also replacing the metal rings at the hinge end to allow gravity to drop the entire door to create an escape opening. As I understand the intent of the regulation, any solution needs to result in gravity creating the required sized escape hole by simply falling away and not requiring something to lift or move open the gate or mesh.

The entrance cone idea could work so long as the hole that is left is the appropriate size - I don't own a Bauer, so can't measure it to check.

Simplest way to comply is to find an area on the top of the Bauer trap where you could cut the mesh to create the required opening, and then re-join the mesh using rot cord. Cutting the metal mesh is not exactly ideal in that it compromises the rubber coating on the metal, but perhaps a way to protect the raw metal is to paint on some Plasti-Dip (product for coating tools).

I think this is a good issue for the SFAB Invertebrate Committee to take forward for further investigation with DFO rather than all of us on this forum speculating hoping to find a suitable solution. Derby is the SFAB Invertebrate Committee Chair, and would be best placed to take this forward.

 

[Whole in the Water]

I may wait and see what the manufacturers and SFAB come up with. Or I may just cut out a 11x11cm square in the top or one of the sides of my Bauer traps and tie them back on with rot cord. Seems pretty straightforward to me.

 

[searun]

Agreed, thinking it makes most sense to wait for something the SFAB works out with DFO in terms of the simplest way to get the Bauer traps to comply with the regulation. Less is more in this case as SV suggests.

 

[sly_karma]

I may wait and see what the manufacturers and SFAB come up with. Or I may just cut out a 11x11cm square in the top or one of the sides of my Bauer traps and tie them back on with rot cord. Seems pretty straightforward to me.

Why cut a hole in the top of your Bauer? The dumpout portal is over 4" x 4", so it meets the 11 cm requirement. Adding a piece of rot cord to the bungee would make it compliant. Unless it's required to drop down under gravity...

 

[Whole in the Water]

Here is one reason - not sure if this method will work?

So replacing the hinges on Door closure with rot cord would work? Once the hinge rots the door will fall off.

No really, as it is meant to open by gravity or currents, upon the rotting of the cord. Given the removal doors are an L shape and slightly larger than the opening in the trap, it would most likely just sit there. Also, becomes. PIA while fishing traps if you loose the door due whatever might happen.

Another option to my original idea would be to cut a hole on an opposite corner and build and oversized in-swing door with hog rings on one edge and lace the opposite site with cord.

 

[SpringFever552]

I've been doing this prawn fishing all wrong, I have **** poor luck sometimes using excellent bait and get no prawns

I'll try no bait next time to see how many prawns I get if these lost traps continue to fish that well that this new rule has been put in place

Unlike crab traps that have "doors", don't prawn traps already have up to 4 permanent openings in them, if prawns can't get out of those , how well would they get out of another hole in top of trap..smh

 

[Whole in the Water]

Good point - this requirement for rot cord on prawn traps seems less effective as it is for crab traps.

But hey, DFO doesn't make regs based on good science as much as they do based on what will gain the govt. better public perception of what 'looks like good resource management'.

 

[ziggy]

It seems to me this may be another restriction put forward by the other sectors. Part of make it tougher and maybe they go away. Kind of like reducing the daily limit in a fishery they Trump as sustainable every commercial season. So sustainable it needs a 37.5% reduction for public fishery

 

[Wax]

Looking for ideas on how best to modify my Bauer prawn traps to meet the regulations that came out Aug.30/24

3. No person shall fish with an octopus trap that is made of open mesh or with a crab or shrimp trap unless the trap has a section in the top or in a side wall that has been laced, sewn or otherwise secured by a single length of untreated cotton twine no greater than grade No. 120, which, on deterioration or parting, produces a rectangular opening with a minimum size of 7 cm × 20 cm or a square opening with a minimum size of 11 cm × 11 cm.

I have a couple of ideas, but would be very interested to see what anyone else had come up with

 

[Wax]

Material arrived today from Aqua Pacific Wire Mesh in Nanaimo. Here’s a few pics of trap #1. Time was about 15 minutes, mostly looking for parts and tools. The SS hog rings were installed loosely and the door does swing open freely with gravity

 

[Corey_lax]

Material arrived today from Aqua Pacific Wire Mesh in Nanaimo. Here’s a few pics of trap #1. Time was about 15 minutes, mostly looking for parts and tools. The SS hog rings were installed loosely and the door does swing open freely with gravity

Maybe put a little lead weight on the new door so that it definitely hangs down once the rot cord disintegrates. Similar to what guys do on crab trap doors to keep the doors closed

 

[SpringFever552]

No need for hog rings? just use rot cord,
Be 5 holes in modified trap for prawns to get in after it gets lost lol
crazy reg for these kinds of traps

 

[Tips Up]

I dont see how this is different than replacing the hog rings on the clean out door with rot cord. The bungee end would pull it off if the rot cord did its job.

 

[Wax]

It seems to me this may be another restriction put forward by the other sectors. Part of make it tougher and maybe they go away. Kind of like reducing the daily limit in a fishery they Trump as sustainable every commercial season. So sustainable it needs a 37.5% reduction for public fishery

No need for hog rings? just use rot cord,
Be 5 holes in modified trap for prawns to get in after it gets lost lol
crazy reg for these kinds of traps

Lacing the door with rot cord is a bit of a pain, so I figured the hog rings would save me time when I replace the cord every 2 years. Agreed on the crazy reg for sure. It’s better to deal with this as opposed to further fishing reductions and restrictions

 

[Wax]

From factory the prawn removal hatch is L shaped and sits on top of the trap, and the bungee cord runs from below the hatch to the clip which attaches to the top of the trap. The regulation is requiring that the opening is to open by gravity or current action. Even replacing the installed hog rings would leave the door sitting on top of the trap.

I’m just trying to tick all of the boxes within the regulation.

 

[searun]

Material arrived today from Aqua Pacific Wire Mesh in Nanaimo. Here’s a few pics of trap #1. Time was about 15 minutes, mostly looking for parts and tools. The SS hog rings were installed loosely and the door does swing open freely with gravity

Best solution I've seen by far. That said, probably a good idea to let the SFAB Species Chair confirm with DFO if this solution meets the intent of the new regulation before everyone runs out and modifies traps (unless you need to fish them now).

 

[the fog ducker]

ive left my traps( Ladners ) out a few times over the years out west , usually due to bad weather in the winter mostly ,our traps usually fish quite well , as most out in the area , upon return to pull them , when the weather would lie down ,traps were always empty , no remains , just clean empty , , they esacape eventually guys ,trust me , has happened to a few of us over the years , so.... why all the changes ? am i missing somthing ?? such a tiny dent on casualuties , if any at all .... another head scratcher....
JM2B