Prawning Structure

[Salish Seadog]

There's so much information here but I searched and didn't specifically find anything.

I'm wondering if you guys can post chart photos of the kind of structure to look for setting prawn traps and where exactly you're trying to hit when you set them? I've read and read and read about steep drop off onto a bit of a shelf, 220+ ft give or take time of year and area but I'm just not having consistent luck. I do "okay" prawning but other people will limit out in generally the same area or some of my traps will have only a few vs others doing better and I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong. Setting uphill vs downhill? Across? Weights in the wrong spot?

I'm not looking for any secret spots or identifying marks on the pics. Just looking for what I should be looking for. I'm fishing in Campbell River area if it helps.

 

[Dogbreath]

Look for a dropoff and set just over the lip-unless you're setting overnight when everything comes up shallower.

 

[Foxsea]

220 feet is too shallow. Weight your traps and allow plenty of line from the Scotsman. Keep your traps reasonably close together for a bigger scent field. So, avoid strong currents and big tide changes. Don't overthink it - they are prawns. After a 2 hour soak, if you don't see much, move on.

 

[Redfisher]

220’ may not be too shallow. Depends totally on where you are fishing.

Look around for other gear and take note of their depth and structure. Then go look for similar settings for yourself. No need to set tight to someone else as those bugs are everywhere and they move up and down at night. Think of crevices as prawn trails and set the bottom of them.

 

[Rain City]

220’ may not be too shallow. Depends totally on where you are fishing.

Look around for other gear and take note of their depth and structure. Then go look for similar settings for yourself. No need to set tight to someone else as those bugs are everywhere and they move up and down at night. Think of crevices as prawn trails and set the bottom of them.

I love 220 in some areas.

 

[Sea Chaser]

I love 220 in some areas.

What areas please be more specific

 

[Rain City]

What areas please be more specific

The areas where the prawns stack up at 220

 

[salmonkiller01]

I like drop offs. Find an area with a bit of a shelf 330-390 deep. I use 5lb ball at end of rope then 2 traps 75’ apart then an 10-15 pound weight Each Trap has a 3lb ball. Once on bottom I stretch out the line and let sit

 

[Kasiks]

My experience would also indicate that bottom substrate is rather important, as they need places to hide from predators, so I have also done well in flat areas, provided that were rather rocky, and hence would have lots of little crevices to hide in.

Which is probably why the steep bluffs and ledges work so well as that topography can only be rock.

And trap movement while fishing is very bad

 

[sly_karma]

Perhaps I can join in with a related question about bottom structure for prawning. My most reliable spot is a steepish slope that runs down to an extensive flat area ~300 ft deep. I idle across the flat toward that upslope and aim to set right at the transition from flat to angled.

My question is about tactics for later this month when the commercial season is in progress. That flat must be prime prawning for them. How/where do folks go when the commie boats are in full swing? I don't want to get into conflict with working guys trying to make a living in a short opening, nor do I want to lose my gear.

As I understand it, commercial boats drop strings of 30-40 traps along a 500-700 m base line. This would suggest they need a largish area of appropriate depth. Is it safe and productive for me to drop in places where the 300 ft water tails out into a little canyon? (This is based on the idea that there's not enough room for a full string of commercial traps). Or is it just set anywhere, law of the free oceans?

 

[salmonkiller01]

In

Perhaps I can join in with a related question about bottom structure for prawning. My most reliable spot is a steepish slope that runs down to an extensive flat area ~300 ft deep. I idle across the flat toward that upslope and aim to set right at the transition from flat to angled.

My question is about tactics for later this month when the commercial season is in progress. That flat must be prime prawning for them. How/where do folks go when the commie boats are in full swing? I don't want to get into conflict with working guys trying to make a living in a short opening, nor do I want to lose my gear.

As I understand it, commercial boats drop strings of 30-40 traps along a 500-700 m base line. This would suggest they need a largish area of appropriate depth. Is it safe and productive for me to drop in places where the 300 ft water tails out into a little canyon? (This is based on the idea that there's not enough room for a full string of commercial traps). Or is it just set anywhere, law of the free oceans?

How long you drop for and amount of risk. The commercial guy pull once every 24 hours. They will not intentionally drop on top of you but as we know tides, current push scotchman around and you can have their string lay on top of yours, good luck retrieving. If you see there scotchman, in between is a no go being courteous. Find another spot. They fish for 3-4 weeks.

 

[RiverBoy]

being that they are essentially long lining with traps it doesn’t matter too much if they miss their mark a bit. if they have a smaller landing zone they will zig zag back and forth while they carpet bomb the area. not a lot of sportys fish deeper than 400’ but they can and will.

 

[sly_karma]

In

How long you drop for and amount of risk. The commercial guy pull once every 24 hours. They will not intentionally drop on top of you but as we know tides, current push scotchman around and you can have their string lay on top of yours, good luck retrieving. If you see there scotchman, in between is a no go being courteous. Find another spot. They fish for 3-4 weeks.

I typically time my drop for an hour and a bit before high tide, then go fish that slack. Pick up traps on the way home, so 2.5 - 3 hr soak. Clear traps and drop a bit shallower for an overnight soak, repeat daily. I might have to re think that overnight session while I'm there at the end of this month though. It would actually be good if I see a pair of comm floats in an area I like to work, then I could drop safely away from their line and not worry about being in the way.

 

[Squire]

Perhaps I can join in with a related question about bottom structure for prawning. My most reliable spot is a steepish slope that runs down to an extensive flat area ~300 ft deep. I idle across the flat toward that upslope and aim to set right at the transition from flat to angled.

My question is about tactics for later this month when the commercial season is in progress. That flat must be prime prawning for them. How/where do folks go when the commie boats are in full swing? I don't want to get into conflict with working guys trying to make a living in a short opening, nor do I want to lose my gear.

As I understand it, commercial boats drop strings of 30-40 traps along a 500-700 m base line. This would suggest they need a largish area of appropriate depth. Is it safe and productive for me to drop in places where the 300 ft water tails out into a little canyon? (This is based on the idea that there's not enough room for a full string of commercial traps). Or is it just set anywhere, law of the free oceans?

As per the screenshot above, with no other prawn buoys around in commercial season I would drop near the + in the little canyon/gulley there. If a commercial boat dropped near there before I could retrieve my trap I’d expect them to be in a line along the contour just out side this gulley.

 

[sly_karma]

Thanks, that's exactly what I was thinking of.

 

[Redfisher]

A string of commercial gear is usually 50 traps and is often zig zagged following along a certain depth line but they can be any where down there. I suggest you stay away from their gear and set in smaller areas where they are not there. Sporties usually lose in a gear tangle and it really isn’t necessary as we can fish elsewhere or make short sets.

 

[CR Bill]

I don’t know of any spots around Quadra, Marina, Twin etc where you’ll catch much in less than 300 feet of water. I target 350-400 feet and use 600 feet of line and lots of weight.

 

[trophywife]

set steep from deep , say 300', up to 220', find the depth trap that hit, then set along that depth contour.

i do like the bottom edge of structure where it meets the mud.

 

[Squire]

The previous two posts just reinforce that they’re where you find them and everyone’s experience can vary. I have found that going just a bit too deep results in more squat lobsters than spot prawns. Muddy bottom near Bowen Island meant more shrimp than prawns while Stuart Channel mud has produced for me.
It really is ‘fishing’ in that your level of success can vary even when you start to think you’ve got it dialled in.

 

[Haymaker]

Also remember they react to light conditions at times. I've found overnight soakers in shallower water was extremely productive.