Was your crab traps empty at Willows

[Dr. Reelgood]

Yep for sure. Except my gear was down before the crabber came into the inlet. Not sure why you guys are so quick to jump on someone for replying to a post.
I dropped my trap, set my GPS, And left. I came back to same GPS coordinates next morning and my trap was moved and a commercial crabbers pot and end float were in the exact and I mean exact spot I’d left my trap. Looked to me like a commercial crabber moved my trap. End of story.

 

[The Green Bastard]

Don’t know about the spot being discussed but commercial crabbers definitely pull traps. Had one move one of my traps a 1/2 mile and drop one of his in my spot in port renfrew. Moved trap was empty and my 3 unmoved ones had crabs in them.

how much weight is in the one that was in different spot?

 

[tinboatrobb]

Not jumping on your post at all. There are many reasons why a trap is not where you dropped it. I have been dropping pots in oak bay area and sidney area for the last 30 years and all kinds of weird things can happen.

 

[Kildonan]

I dropped a couple traps at Esquimalt Lagoon one time. When I was pulling the traps, the commercial guy who fishes there was watching me. There were a lot of undersized crabs in my traps. The commie yelled over to ask how many keepers I got. I told him none. He called me over to his boat where he dumped 8 nice Dungeness crabs in my boat or me and my buddy.
Pretty nice of him.

 

[Last Chance]

Not jumping on your post at all. There are many reasons why a trap is not where you dropped it. I have been dropping pots in oak bay area and sidney area for the last 30 years and all kinds of weird things can happen.

Not calling anyone a liar at all. Just saying that the commercial crabber is the usual bogeyman when a crab trap moves or goes missing. I make my living on the water as a guide and have had several of these discussions around the table. No one has seen a commercial crabber move a trap or haul one. Some people have had a guy set on top of them, me included. But I am willing to bet that out of 50 people who's traps were lost, fewer then maybe 2 traps lost weighed less then about 50 pounds.

I am not calling anyone out at all, but often when good expensive gear goes missing, or that one free weekend we have to chuck a trap in and take a shot at getting crabs gets ruined by gear going missing, your fellow mariner is far from the most likely culprit.

Several hundred people read this thread, and no one has seen a commercial guy fish a sport trap.

My point is we need less divisiveness on the water more then ever as the bozos in Ottawa continue to wreck our fishery.

 

[MadJigga]

I currently am building a custom cabin on Sidney island. I catch the crew boat everyday on the commercial dock in Tsehum Harbor. All or most of the boats there are crabbers. Good bunch of dudes other than their choice in beer (Old Milwaukee)! Not one of them strikes me as shady or a thief. They’re a bunch of hard working guys that love what they do. The people that I suspect for raiding traps in that area at least are the live a-boards. Lots of small zodiacs running out and checking everyone’s traps in that area. My first guess when a trap is gone is big tides and currents. Unscrupulous sporty’s. But that just a guess. Buy the big commercial traps, run a line that’s extra long, and have an adequate float. See if your traps keep moving around d on you. I doubt they will......

 

[Last Chance]

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[habberdasher]

I seemed to open a can of worms but and I am sure that most commercial crabbers are honourable nice people but my friend just told me that he has just checked ALL the traps off willows beach

 

[habberdasher]

I seemed to open a can of worms but and I am sure that most commercial crabbers are honourable nice people but my friend just told me that he has just checked ALL the traps off willows beach

 

[MadJigga]

I seemed to open a can of worms but and I am sure that most commercial crabbers are honourable nice people but my friend just told me that he has just checked ALL the traps off willows beach

Bad apples in every bunch. No matter the trade/business, some people are just thieves.

 

[Oakbayfishin]

I’ve lost a crab trap at willows with a large white bumper for a float, not the best colour for a float but it’s what I had at the time. Name might be faded off but it’s attached to a large commercial size trap. Any info would be great, if you find it please pull it

 

[Cuba Libre]

I’ve lost a crab trap at willows with a large white bumper for a float, not the best colour for a float but it’s what I had at the time. Name might be faded off but it’s attached to a large commercial size trap. Any info would be great, if you find it please pull it

I’ve lost a crab trap at willows with a large white bumper for a float, not the best colour for a float but it’s what I had at the time. Name might be faded off but it’s attached to a large commercial size trap. Any info would be great, if you find it please pull it

Felt markers are cheap.... just saying...

 

[eroyd]

I’ve lost a crab trap at willows with a large white bumper for a float, not the best colour for a float but it’s what I had at the time. Name might be faded off but it’s attached to a large commercial size trap. Any info would be great, if you find it please pull it

Where abouts? Any other identifying features. I'm heading out their this afternoon. Wouldn't want to pull the wrong trap.

 

[CRGreg]

Dont forget that DFO and the RCMP will pull your traps if the floats arent clearly marked with your name. Sometimes they will seize it and sometimes they will label it as "Not in Compliance " Dump it out and send it back down open and not baited. Most DFO Offices have compounds full of "unidentified " gear.

Greg

 

[Rockfish]

Dont forget that DFO and the RCMP will pull your traps if the floats arent clearly marked with your name. Sometimes they will seize it and sometimes they will label it as "Not in Compliance " Dump it out and send it back down open and not baited. Most DFO Offices have compounds full of "unidentified " gear.

Greg

So True. You can sometimes bid on them in larger lots at the govt. disposal auction site. I also understand RCMP Marine unit guys will pull and remove them if they are considered a hazard to navigation such as being put down on a tight channel travel route etc.

 

[fogged in]

So True. You can sometimes bid on them in larger lots at the govt. disposal auction site. I also understand RCMP Marine unit guys will pull and remove them if they are considered a hazard to navigation such as being put down on a tight channel travel route etc.

I did see the RCMP boat off Willows Beach the other day and it did look like he could be looking at traps???
Didn't pay too much attention to him, so can't say for sure.

 

[Oakbayfishin]

It was outside of the main navigational channel, closer towards willows beach and Mary tod island in roughly 40’ of water. I do use a felt marker to mark with my name, phone number etc but this time it was mostly faded off and I didn’t have another one with me, my mistake. My hopes of getting it back aren’t high but it’s a large commercial size trap and I would be stoked if it was found. Just a hope. Thanks guys

 

[Fish Camp]

It was outside of the main navigational channel, closer towards willows beach and Mary tod island in roughly 40’ of water. I do use a felt marker to mark with my name, phone number etc but this time it was mostly faded off and I didn’t have another one with me, my mistake. My hopes of getting it back aren’t high but it’s a large commercial size trap and I would be stoked if it was found. Just a hope. Thanks guys

death at Op's.welcome to squad.fhisherfolk helping fisherfolk.

 

[eroyd]

I did find a couple of derelict traps. Pretty clear the had both at one time been at Willows or Cadboro as they were stuck on the first outbound adjacent reefs. Pretty weeded up and traps ripped open. My traps, to my surprise were all but empty. Thought I had the crabs dialed in!

 

[Ghostprof]

Someone out there definitely pulls up rigs off Willows -- we've come up empty a few times with the zap strap cut (good way to check) and once had a whole rig -- commercial trap, rope, and float -- go outright vanished. That thing was heavy and the water doesn't move that fast in the bay.