What do i need to know about blueys ?

[OLD SALTY 0]

Gday peoples my dad and i are keen as to try and get ourselves a feed of crabs this summer and i am wondering where to start. We normally launch from osullies and venture to brighton but we lucked out there last year and i swore to him we would get some next (this) summer. I know that that aren't targeted down south so i am prepared to launch my boat outta glenelg for the first time eva ill be launching nth of osullies :ohmy: :silly: Not after X patches just a nudge in the right direction. SO here's a couple of questions i got for ya 1 : Water depth? 20ft?? 2: Am i looking to drop nets in sand patches amonst weed or open sand? 3 : Does tide matter? 4: Any old fish for bait will do? Thanx in advance guys keen to get the old man , and myself a feed of blueys !Cheers OS

[OLD SALTY 0]

And yeah im aware that someone who is an OLD SALTY who can't catch blueys is kinda :blush: :laugh:

[jagger 24]

Mate the good thing about crabs is there is no hard and fast rule. Sometimes they are out deep - 40ft and some time they prefer 15ft, have a chat to the boys at the ramp to see where they are when you launch. Last year I was after a feed for a big family do (and south was slow) so I launched at glenelg. went straight out 400 mtrs and threw out the squid jags in a likely looking spot. After pulling a heap noticed the crabs on the move below so dropped anchor. Didn't move for 3 hours, bagged out on crabs and gar and even came close on the squid. Pot luck really !Normally peak summer me and the old boy go straight out 2km from Brighton Jetty in around 30ft of water. Find a nice hole and work the edges. Again, squid and gar entertain you while you watch the crabs walk into the pots on a nice clear day.When ever we launch at Glenelg ( hardly ever ) we normally head to 20 ft straight out front of AAMI stadium.. never missed !Good luck mate, see ya out there !

[OLD SALTY 0]

cheers jagger a few little tips can make the difference.

[Del 245]

might even drop a few nets over the side of the yak this year.. cheers for the info!!

[jagger 24]

Have seen them in the onk (including sullies ramp) and as far up the prt as the northern entrance to the westlakes (port side) as well. Nothing better than watching them walking straight into the nets in clear water... too easy !

[Jack. 10]

I guess we are lucky up northern end because seriously as long as there's enough rope for the crab net, the water depth seems to be okay.I only really pull a few crabs for snapper burley and bait. Although the mrs is keen to try a few recipe s this summer.Obviously I spend a lot of time north of north haven, so I'm probably not much help, although I would suggest dropping nets as a regular thing when your out fishing, same as a squid jig over the side on a hand line, you will soon notice some spots that produce well and work out a pattern of what ground brings success down there.Propably teaching you to suck eggs, but it's what I'd do down that way since it's relatively unfamiliar to me :)BTW half a bluey as snapper bait in the heat of summer is an absolute killa, gets past the pickers a bit too!

[Skudded 0]

might even drop a few nets over the side of the yak this year.. cheers for the info!!

I REALLY want to see you get a few stray crabs running around the Yak while your paddling in LOL!! Snap Snap!

[Del 245]

Skudded, i had that problem when snapper fishing wallaroo in the yak.. bloody blueies in the yak running everywhere!!! by catch on my baits.. was quite an interesting session.. hahahhaa

[Baker_24 1]

hey os iv found that carp works the best for in your nets!! if you are ever at saint kilda stop in at the boat ramp and pick up these black pots that clip into the bottom of your crab net awesome thing cost around 5 bucks!! the crab cant get the bait out of the pot so the bait lasts heaps long.. if you launch up there iv found that the out going tide produces some big blueys!! find a sandy patch that also has a little bit of weed around and you will do very well! just past the black pole to the left is an awesome spot to get them..Andrew

[chunky 0]

haey old salt anything oily will do for bait the other lads right try using the blk mesh holders that you can tie to the bottom of your pots,i also like to give them somthing to munch on after getting there attion,psst dont tell any one but try putting a couple hole in a tuna ,salmon or cat food tin,and tie that to the bottom of your net ,making or floowing tide does not matter,but id try looking for depressions or long things to place my pots ,good luck hope all this helps,be good

[OLD SALTY 0]

cheers guys appreciate the feedback i use bird netting sacks ive made myself to hold the bait in and they look like they might work pretty well, as u said chunky with the netting they'll be able to have a munch on the bait. Cheers baker ill have to hit up some carp soon. I must admit tho i was thinking along the lines of chunky;s thoughts was gonna load up on slimys and pack em in. Do u guys set a line of nets then go back over them or just drop em over the side of ur boat?cheers OS

[Ranger 48]

Try to keep it 20 foot and under as it's much easier to pull the nets.Out around St Kilda to the Black pole is a prime and fairly sheltered area, where you are only fishing in about 12 foot of water, and it's a very well known crabbing ground.Sand patches between the weed and you can watch them crawl in.Any old fish is fine.Tides dont really matter.It's dead easy when the crabs are in!

[rangfish 1]

From the section bank back to St Kilda how deep does it get there?

[Ranger 48]

12 foot-ish. Just head up the channel a bit further northwest to about the second marker (bout a kilometre from St Kilda) and you'll see the boats everywhere.Roughly half way to the Black Pole is plenty far enough.

[rangfish 1]

I always thought it would be really deep out off St Kilda. Might be worth a go out in the Hobie.

[afishyfish 4]

Best advice I can give is dont let the buggers bite you :side: :S