Setting up Bauer prawn traps- poly rope?

the force

the force

Crew Member
Calling all prawnstars! I’m taking the kiddos for a trip up around Quadra and Cortes in mid august so looking to buy my first string of prawn traps.

I’ve settled on 18” Bauers for simplicity sake. Had a glance at his website, and priced a package from PNT ($400 for 2 traps, clips, line etc). Just want to get some perspective before pulling trigger.

Line- last month a fella in HC was telling me to run floating poly line for the bulk of the bottom end and only a short (100’) section of leaded line near the float or even just clip on a line weight. He said less chance of snagging the rope on bottom. Also lighter for the puller (I have an ace). PNT 5/16 3 strand poly rope is quite a bit cheaper (1/3 the price) than leaded line. Any cons to poly? I assume a pound or 2 line weight is easier than trying to spice?

I will run a weight infront if the traps to minimize float movement.

I assume I should anlso add the 5lb weight to the trap (pancake that fits in the Center compartment).

Also assume the 1/2L Scotty bait jar is big enough?

Thanks!
 
the force said:
Calling all prawnstars! I’m taking the kiddos for a trip up around Quadra and Cortes in mid august so looking to buy my first string of prawn traps.

I’ve settled on 18” Bauers for simplicity sake. Had a glance at his website, and priced a package from PNT ($400 for 2 traps, clips, line etc). Just want to get some perspective before pulling trigger.

Line- last month a fella in HC was telling me to run floating poly line for the bulk of the bottom end and only a short (100’) section of leaded line near the float or even just clip on a line weight. He said less chance of snagging the rope on bottom. Also lighter for the puller (I have an ace). PNT 5/16 3 strand poly rope is quite a bit cheaper (1/3 the price) than leaded line. Any cons to poly? I assume a pound or 2 line weight is easier than trying to spice?

I will run a weight infront if the traps to minimize float movement.

I assume I should anlso add the 5lb weight to the trap (pancake that fits in the Center compartment).

Also assume the 1/2L Scotty bait jar is big enough?

Thanks!
Click to expand...
Correct
 
I much prefer poly rope with a 1 lb clip weight to sink any excess line. Poly is cheaper and it handles way better because it's softer - falls easily into the bucket when you're bringing traps in. Leaded line is much more stiff. I tried it for a season on a new crab trap setup, and switched it out for poly because of the easier handling.

The Bauer 18 inch traps have room in the centre well for a 5 lb weight and a Scotty bait jar. They come with a halibut clip on the bridle for attaching to the main line. I streamlined the trap setting process by tying small loops on the mainline at trap and weight locations, and snap or clip into those. The knots roll through the Scotty trap puller just fine, but it occurs to me now that a few wraps of electrical tape would mark those key locations just as well. Main thing is not having to think about spacing between traps and weights when you're out there trying to set them on the chosen mark and depth, maintaining a little forward drift, watching for line tangles, and so on.

I've decided no more pellets for me, just cat food. The pellets seem to be irresistible to the local otters, they'll be aboard my boat during the night making a mess even though they're in a container with a secure lid. I spent this season running cat food only in one pair of traps and didn't notice any difference. I do squirt some fish oil in the openings of the can before dropping traps. The otters don't go after the fish oil as long as I'm careful not to splatter it around.
 
2 thumbs up is good enough for me, thanks for the detail Mr Sly!
Carlyle just tuna?
Improved rope storage is ideal as well, always trying to simplify and streamline!
 
the force said:
2 thumbs up is good enough for me, thanks for the detail Mr Sly!
Carlyle just tuna?
Improved rope storage is ideal as well, always trying to simplify and streamline!
Click to expand...
Tuna for cats is cheap. Get it at London drugs. Other guys swear on pellets only and not buying cat food

Tackle stores also sell square 5lbs weights to fit your bait jar or just use what you got
 
One more question, not counting my chickens before they hatch here but, in event that I get more than my 3 kids will crush for supper on the boat what is best for temporary storage until I get to a freezer?

Remove heads and put on ice I assume? We’ll be spending a couple nights on the boat so may be 2 days before I can get them into a freezer. Also, freeze in water or dry and vac seal? Would you still eat raw after being in the cooler for 2 days or better to do a quick poach/fry by that point? Food quality is a top top priority for me.
 
the force said:
One more question, not counting my chickens before they hatch here but, in event that I get more than my 3 kids will crush for supper on the boat what is best for temporary storage until I get to a freezer?

Remove heads and put on ice I assume? We’ll be spending a couple nights on the boat so may be 2 days before I can get them into a freezer. Also, freeze in water or dry and vac seal? Would you still eat raw after being in the cooler for 2 days or better to do a quick poach/fry by that point? Food quality is a top top priority for me.
Click to expand...
Freeze in a Tupperware of water is the best way to keep them good. Head off for sure.

Just go catch some more if you want fresh ones to eat raw.
 
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Freeze them in clean ocean water asap if you can- they will last a long time this way ( if You aren’t chowing them down right away).Otherwise, clean them asap and put them in a ziplock within another ziplock that has ice( or anything with ice) for storage for several days.
 
Heads off and ice the prawns right away. Leave shells on until ready to cook. Best freezing is in sea water as others have mentioned.

Couple other tweaks on the traps. Use long zap straps to secure the lead weight so it doesn't flop around when you're emptying the catch. And another zap strap across the centre of each trap opening to impede entry of octopus. The prawns will have no problem swimming in.
 
Until you learn to splice, this knot will work. You should melt and seize or at minimum tape the rope ends.
I'd wrap some electric tape over the knot to try to secure and streamline it. You might have to muscle your trap when the knot hits the puller for a few feet .
www.101knots.com

How to Tie a Double Sheet Bend? Tips & Easy Step-by-Step Guide

The double sheet bend, also known as the double becket bend is a more secure variation of the sheet bend. It is mainly used to join effectively two ropes that have a marked difference in their diameters or rigidity. How to Tie a Double Becket Bend Advantage over the Sheet Bend Knot The addition...
www.101knots.com www.101knots.com
 
Thank you. This is very helpful.

Splicing braided poly to three strand lead seems tough. I will look for three strand poly and learn to splice

You guys out there on the forum are great. Thanks
 
If you can splice a big eye loop in each then put the coils of one through the eye of the other, you'll end up with a loop to loop join. I didn't realize your poly was braided. But it's pretty easy to splice an eye into. Or use the knot.
YouTube.
 
I have 18” Bauer. The bait tube in the middle is round. Fits cat food tins, does not fit a scotty bait jar. I have the danielson bait holder which is narrower. 5lb weight also won’t fit.
 
Pac Net & Twine sells specially cast 5 lb lead weights for the 18” Bauers. They’re like a hockey puck and fit the bait tube. Then use a Kufa 6” bait barrel for pellets, or nothing if using cat food tins.
 
Enzo said:
Pac Net & Twine sells specially cast 5 lb lead weights for the 18” Bauers. They’re like a hockey puck and fit the bait tube. Then use a Kufa 6” bait barrel for pellets, or nothing if using cat food tins.
Click to expand...
Yes, I picked everything up and put about 500 prawns in the freezer last week (family of 5). It was amazing. Raw in the back of the boat was a one of a kind experience and ceviche is deadly.

I put together 2 strings 450 and 500’ of 5/16 poly. 2 traps spaced 35’ each with a 4.5lb weight (local guy filled some tuna cans with lead for $2/lb), then a 7-8lb downrigger ball 35’ up. 1lb line weight 100’ down from the scotchman. We weren’t in any high current areas and this setup seemed to work well. The kufa’s fit well with just enough room on top for a tin of cat food if you remove the clip. Danielson also fit well, Scotty’s definitely not as Wondermere states. I marked trap and weight locations with a couple wraps of red electrical tape to make deployment super simple. Ace puller worked well though still takes some effort to get all that rope to cool nicely in a 5 gallon bucket. I only had one bucket so after coiling would run the tag end through the middle and tie up the coil for knot feee storage.

Thanks to @sly_karma for all the advice!!
IMG_6627.jpegIMG_6637.jpegIMG_6572.jpegIMG_6452.jpeg
 
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Wonderful! Kids get such a charge out of watching the traps come in, especially when they're full of orange.

Get yourself a bigger plastic tub for rope handling when retrieving traps. Something wider than a normal 5 gallon pail so you don't have to fuss keeping rope inside bucket. Get both sets of traps in the water then you just use the one tub for retrieving after that.

Example:

Gracious Living 67L Storage Tub with Handle, Assorted Colours | Home Hardware

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www.homehardware.ca www.homehardware.ca
 
tubber said:
If you can splice a big eye loop in each then put the coils of one through the eye of the other, you'll end up with a loop to loop join. I didn't realize your poly was braided. But it's pretty easy to splice an eye into. Or use the knot.
YouTube.
Click to expand...
Hi Tubber. How big of a loop is best for a loop to loop join? Does it run the through the Scotty puller ok? Is it best to electrical tape the loops after joined so the join stays smaller?

I run some 500’ lines for Prawning in some locations, but often 350’ of line is enough, so thought I’d cut by lines and then loop the two ends…

Thanks!
 
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