Awesome video mate. I don't think I'll ever get sick of underwater footage. Despite the thievery, at least you have a better idea about how long to leave the trap down than everyone else. Must have been gutting watching them wander on and then off while you were editing. Cheers for more great content and it was lovely seeing the old boy come out for a fish and get the best one.
Loved this ep Sammy! Just an idea, try cutting some vinyl tube that's the same inner diameter as the ring around the trap. Slice it down the middle and feed it over the outer ring of the trap, might stop them getting scared of it 🍻
As the all the critters in that part of the world are eccentrically weird, why should one think Aussie rock crabs would look normal. they are certainly weird, and I’ll bet quite tasty. the weirdest part of this video is how they catch them. Does a flat mesh panel even count as a “trap”.
Here in the PNW, we use chicken innards that we leave in a plastic bag, in the sun. We pour it into old nylon socks and tie to the net. Stinks like heck, but the Dungeness absolutely go nuts. The other standby is canned catfood. We put lots of holes in the can and wire it to the nets. Good results.
You may have noticed the couple of pots that came up with more crabs had been sitting on the bottom with the food containers down. that gives the swimmer legs room to push through the net without letting them to touch the bottom and avoid getting caught. The old man used to make his pots with a larger square profile sides to help get the net off the bottom, he also had weights to make sure the bait was facing down so they had to dig in to get at it. he would love to see this video to see how his theories stacked up. Great content.
Yeah, we had two clips on the bait, and clipped it to the top and the bottom of the Crayfish pot. That way the crays couldn't sit on the outside of the pot and reach in and grab the bait and pull it towards them and feed from the outside without entering the pot. Dad also made his original pots bigger, six foot square and about 3 and a half feet high. I remember about 50 years ago when I was just about 7 or 8, going out with him to lift some pots, and it was all he and my older brother could do to pull one up, and when they did, the entire pot was full of crays. They had no chance of lifting it into the boat, and so dad had my brother hold it just awash, and we took it into shallow water off a sand beach, and dad started pulling crays out and dumping them over the side, because in those days you could only take 20 crays as a non-commercial fisherman. It took a long time, and I forget now how many the pot had in it, like 90 or so. I put a pot down in that same spot about ten or twelve years later, and got 19 crayfish in it. And the last time I was on the island, I put three pots out over four nights, and got just 2 crayfish.
Went on a charter. Spanner crabbing and fishing on the Banks. Charter dudes reckon turtles get into the crabs, but now we really know. Great vid Sammy!
I know you tried hard to get tis video out but was disappointed that this vid didn’t Havel subtitles. Although I enjoyed the video but I’m deaf and didn’t want to miss thing, hopefully it was only a one off. But I do know how hard it as to get this vid out and I was very please to see that you put something up earlier to explain it might be late. I alway can’t wait every till Sunday to watch your vids. Keep up the good work and I hope you did find someone to help you as advertised.
G’day James, really sorry to hear that mate! Just so your aware the subtitles are controlled/added by TH-cam not people posting the videos like myself. TH-cam generates them automatically. They could potentially just be taking a little longer than usual this time. Apologies again for the inconvenience though! 🍻🍻
Since the crabs were turning up at 15-20 minutes does that mean 25-30 minutes would be the best time to pull the trays back up? Another cracking vid mate. Love how you're always trying something new.
Hey Sammy, I noticed in the crab videos they get to the bait and attach the bait bucket but don’t like the feeling on the net or they start to swim away free I wonder if you had the bait on the underneath of the net then they would have to push through the net to get to the bait getting them stuck rather then escaping 🤔
Hey Sammy apology excepted,question do you think you've be put them down the wrong way,an upside down is the right way,as they can get full through the mesh🤔an they caught all the crabs that way
I reckon it’s something I need to do some tests on! It’s definitely got some evidence that’s it’s the way to do it hey, hopefully it wasn’t a fluke! 👌👌
I reckon if you had little feet on the underside of the pot to keep it a bit more off the bottom the legs would get caught easier because the one that was upside down had the most and it would have been slightly off the bottom due to the bait holders
Hey mate awesome vid again. If you swap out the white floats with some yellow 10 or 20L drums you can see them a whole lot easier and save some time if it get lumpy.
Yeah the old man and I were saying we needed some bigger floats, they just take up some much room on the boat! Worth it though so you can find them! 👌👌
I’m guessing someone has already noted the species of ray ,but if they haven’t it’s an Eagle ray common in SA Great footage Sammy really gives perspective to what you see on the sounder as well Cheers from SA
Yep. That’s an Eagle Ray. Lots of them in Hawaii as well. We also have what they’re calling “Spanner crabs”, which we call Kona crab. Very good eating but I’ve never seen them alive underwater. Didn’t know they could swim like that. Very cool. 🤙🏼
Epic footage! That ray was going nuts. The trays seem to work better upside down, I’m guessing cause there legs fall through the mesh more easily being spaced off the bottom by the bait cages. They moved pretty freely over trays when flat on bottom. I’d be rigging them with a bait cage either side to space it off the bottom whatever side they fall.
Cheers for the upload sammy, good to see you and the old fella getting out in a rare weather window. Looks to me like the culprit is a spotted eagle ray
Another great video Sammy! Looked like you did much better with the trays that landed upside down ... perhaps the bait trays stuck underneath raising the mesh off the ground helped snag more crabs? in that case, might be worth having a bait tray on each side as opposed to both on one side???
that underwater shot was awesome. always fun to see life underwater. interesting to see a few flounder visiting the trap as well. funny to see that crab pop up literally at 19:10 may not be an ideal moment but that fish did you a favor cause that footage came out awesome haha 22:31 those spanner crabs r like tanks but that ray just made it an easy snack!
That’s so awesome Sammy and Terry! Great to see you both out on the boat together again chasing some fish and crabs 👍🎣 That underwater footage was extremely interesting, love your work 😁
Greetings from the US. I've trapped the blue crabs here, and we use very different types of "traps". I am wondering....do your regs require you use those "flat" traps there? When viewing your vids, it appeared many crabs just "came and left", and if a trap that required them to enter, yet make it difficult to leave would be more successful? Also, it seems that without any sort of "canopy" or trap top, your bounty is overly susceptible to depredation, and your loss? I thoroughly enjoyed your video, and seeing a different way of crabbing!
Thanks for the advice. Our fisheries regulations determine what sort of traps we can use for certain species of crabs here. We use similar pots to you for our blue swimmers too.
hi sammy your resident fish nerd here i know im a little late but that ray is either a Ocellated Eagle Ray (Aetobatus ocellatus) or a Pacific white spotted eagle ray (Aetobatus laticeps), it is extremely if not impossible to tell the two apart by sight and the difference all comes down to genetics they also have a cousin in the atlantic simply called White spotted Eagle ray (Aetobatus narinari) and again the difference is only really genetics
Great vid Sammy! So funny, don’t know if everyone got the same but after you mentioned about being apprehensive about losing your cameras you said “Gotta risk it for the biscuit” and immediately an ad for Nutella biscuits came on!😂 Apart from that awesome footage and interesting to see a tray not a whole cage, and the ocean floor being quite flat there. Good stuff. Keep it coming.
Sammy, that was some of the best footage I have ever seen. I saw one comment, they said it was a spotted eagle ray, did you actually find out what it was? I have been working on a new camera for filming under water, but it is hardwired, so you would have to sit there and watch the footage live, but going on what your footage has shown it only takes about 15 minuted before the action starts, so it may actually pay off to not leave the drop site and watch out for the preditors.. i'll let you know how it goes after we finish our testing. Thanks to you and the Phantom for another great show.
Wow you got heaps. I’ve been try to find these off Yeppoon for the last 17yrs, but just like Spanish Mackerel, Spotted Mackerel, Cobia, Trevelly & most other fish, these don’t live here, shallow poor water quality, overfishing & just being shit prevents successful attempts here
.I scrolled down a bit reading comments but didnt read them all. So, I don't know if anyone answered, "What kind of ray?" Spotted Eagle Ray. I've seen them leap out of water like a flying fish. And I've heard they on occasion land on a boat and injure people. I'm guessing their ability to "fly" is what put "Eagle" in their name? Great video. I'm your newest new sub.
Loved the audio picking up whale sounds. The antisocial crab buried himself and then came out of the sand again. Great footage of the ray trying to eat your bait.
Crabbing for alien crabs with fly paper. Someday if I ever get to Oz I'll have to do that. The whale song was cool to catch! That ray was really cool too. Definitely a day for alien critters.
Love my spanner crabs, shame i no longer have a boat to do it. Yeah i check every hour or turtle and shark take them off. Bait doesn't matter if they are there they will eat anything. Before restrictions where in place id easily get 80 a drop of 8 pots Best on edge of shipping channels
You had as many as 7 or 8 crabs on the net. However, when they can't get to the bait they leave. Your trps would be more productive if you used traps that allow the crabs to get to bait and are captured and can't get away. Just a thought. Thanks for sharing.
You fed that Cownose Ray a lot. I don't understand why you use a closed crab trap. My brother is a fulltime fisherman in Norway and also catches King crab. His traps are flat with weight at the bottom and floating top edge that open up the trap in the water.
We use round "rings" but we bridle them so they come up flat as we haul them in. Fishing for Dungeness. Some of the camera footage from here in the Pacific Northwest shows if you fish rings you want to pull them every fifteen or twenty minutes max as the crab come and investigate then many leave.
Sorry it’s late legends!! Wanted to make sure it was perfect to do the footage Justice! Hope you enjoy it!! 🍻🍻🍻
Awesome video mate. I don't think I'll ever get sick of underwater footage. Despite the thievery, at least you have a better idea about how long to leave the trap down than everyone else. Must have been gutting watching them wander on and then off while you were editing. Cheers for more great content and it was lovely seeing the old boy come out for a fish and get the best one.
Best fishing show on TH-cam without competition in my eyes mate keep doing what your doing you should be very proud of your work
Loved this ep Sammy!
Just an idea, try cutting some vinyl tube that's the same inner diameter as the ring around the trap. Slice it down the middle and feed it over the outer ring of the trap, might stop them getting scared of it 🍻
Try salt n vinegar chips on your crab sandwich. The salt n vinegar are a great complimentary flavour but also a bit of crunch for texture.
As the all the critters in that part of the world are eccentrically weird, why should one think Aussie rock crabs would look normal. they are certainly weird, and I’ll bet quite tasty. the weirdest part of this video is how they catch them. Does a flat mesh panel even count as a “trap”.
Here in the PNW, we use chicken innards that we leave in a plastic bag, in the sun. We pour it into old nylon socks and tie to the net. Stinks like heck, but the Dungeness absolutely go nuts. The other standby is canned catfood. We put lots of holes in the can and wire it to the nets. Good results.
Pro tip. Stretch the netting a little bit (dont go overboard on it just enuff for a slight sag in it) New trays never catch well.
That’s not a bad idea! Will have to give it a go 👌👌👌
The crabs look like giant ticks from above. And that's fun to see a spotted eagle ray working up close like that.
Hahah they do don’t they!! Thanks for watching 🍻🍻
Alright you and the Phantom, your fishing channel is truly one of the best out there. Loved the underwater footage. Cheers mate.
Appreciate the kind words mate 🙌🙌🙌 thanks for watching!
You may have noticed the couple of pots that came up with more crabs had been sitting on the bottom with the food containers down. that gives the swimmer legs room to push through the net without letting them to touch the bottom and avoid getting caught. The old man used to make his pots with a larger square profile sides to help get the net off the bottom, he also had weights to make sure the bait was facing down so they had to dig in to get at it. he would love to see this video to see how his theories stacked up. Great content.
That’s great info thanks for that mate!! Always love hearing how other people adapt their methods from the norm 👌👌
Yeah, we had two clips on the bait, and clipped it to the top and the bottom of the Crayfish pot.
That way the crays couldn't sit on the outside of the pot and reach in and grab the bait and pull it towards them and feed from the outside without entering the pot.
Dad also made his original pots bigger, six foot square and about 3 and a half feet high. I remember about 50 years ago when I was just about 7 or 8, going out with him to lift some pots, and it was all he and my older brother could do to pull one up, and when they did, the entire pot was full of crays. They had no chance of lifting it into the boat, and so dad had my brother hold it just awash, and we took it into shallow water off a sand beach, and dad started pulling crays out and dumping them over the side, because in those days you could only take 20 crays as a non-commercial fisherman.
It took a long time, and I forget now how many the pot had in it, like 90 or so.
I put a pot down in that same spot about ten or twelve years later, and got 19 crayfish in it. And the last time I was on the island, I put three pots out over four nights, and got just 2 crayfish.
Didn't think I was going to, but really enjoyed this one! Cheers
Spotted Eagle Ray.
Nice footage there. That’s pretty cool.
Cheers mate, came up a treat! Definitely not what I was expecting when I put the cameras down!!
Feels good being in WA where this isn't late
Haha yeah mate, had a few upload issues this week!
This video was unreal!! Something different to usual but so so cool, love ya work Sammy 🍻
Thanks mate! Yeah always awesome to see what’s happening out there hey!!
Love the CHANNEL SAMMY 🤙🏽
How good is it seeing what’s going on around the tray down there 🤩
Very interesting footage Thanks Sammy & Tez
One of the best videos you ever done ! The crabs where hilarious and interesting Ty so much ❤
Thanks mate!! Glad you enjoyed it! 🍻🍻🙌🙌
Went on a charter. Spanner crabbing and fishing on the Banks. Charter dudes reckon turtles get into the crabs, but now we really know. Great vid Sammy!
I’m sure the turtles do as well, I reckon a few different things like a free feed of crab! I thought the shark was going to have a crack at one stage!
Eagle ray Sammy - I'm sure somebody has already named it. fantastic underwater footage. They're funny little fellas those spanners.
That was awesome you learn so much with the camera
Thanks for a very pleasant Sunday afternoon. Excellent show, as always.
No dramas at all, thanks for tuning in mate! 🍻🍻
Good to see the Phantom back!!!
Was great to get back out with him!! 🍻🍻
Thanks for the effort you put into your vids Sammy! They are always great to watch and put a smile on my face❤. Love it Sammy keep it up🎉🎉
Glad you’re enjoying them mate! Cheers 🍻🍻🍻
awesome video Sammy! Thanks for making the effort to show us how it's done!
Thanks for watching mate! 🍻🍻🍻
25:23 stingray eating a Crab🎉🎉🎉
That was the most amazing footage
Thanks Sammy
Thanks for watching 🍻🍻
Amazing footage captured from the bottom
Thanks very much!
That appears to be an Eagle Ray. The spotted variety.
I know you tried hard to get tis video out but was disappointed that this vid didn’t Havel subtitles. Although I enjoyed the video but I’m deaf and didn’t want to miss thing, hopefully it was only a one off. But I do know how hard it as to get this vid out and I was very please to see that you put something up earlier to explain it might be late. I alway can’t wait every till Sunday to watch your vids. Keep up the good work and I hope you did find someone to help you as advertised.
G’day James, really sorry to hear that mate! Just so your aware the subtitles are controlled/added by TH-cam not people posting the videos like myself. TH-cam generates them automatically. They could potentially just be taking a little longer than usual this time. Apologies again for the inconvenience though! 🍻🍻
The wind blows your hat into the sea ? …..how funny would that be 😂 ( for us )
Great vid champ thanks
I wondered what eagle rays ate.. we had them outside our hut every morning in Belize.
Hahah well there you go! Turns out they love a feed of crabs!
at 24:21 the three of them was like nobody move
Enjoy every moment with your dad. He won't be around forever. X
Always do mate 👌👌
Since the crabs were turning up at 15-20 minutes does that mean 25-30 minutes would be the best time to pull the trays back up?
Another cracking vid mate. Love how you're always trying something new.
Yeah could be mate! Definitely a shorter time then we waited on the first pull would have been the go 👌👌
Awesome video, especially liked he underwater video. Truly great job.
Appreciate the support mate! Cheers!!
Fantastic
🍻🍻
Here in NZ the rays steal the Flounder out of our set-nets, bugga to see they pinch the Spanner crabs off your trays.
Hahah they are crafty the old rays! Always keen for a free feed!!
That sting ray looked like a cows head up top , super long tail too , almost doubles the size of body
crabs do walk forward!!!!
That appears to be a Shovel Nosed Ray.
Hello, how long on average before bringing up the crabs?
Not sure if you call them something different down under, but in the states that’s an eagle ray eating your crabs
Yeah I reckons that’s the one mate! Cheers 👌👌🍻🍻
Great video what weight jig head were you using?
We were using 1 ounce mate 👌
I never saw a fish straighten out a hook before. Wow!
It happens. They don't use terribly strong steel in jig heads and a fish with a strong bony jaw can bend the hook out.
Hi mate awesome footage! How many crabs did it take for that beauty of a sandwich?
I reckon there’s 1.5 on there. Loaded it right up!! 🤤🤤🤤🤤
You gave that one fish a fuzz too much pressure!!!
That's unreal footage
Thanks very much!
Great show mate loved the under water footage i have one question and that is how long do you steam your crab for ?
Hey mate, thanks for watching! I don’t have a set time as it changes depending on the amount of crab your doing. Very much just go by look!
I believe that was a spotted eagle ray
Hey Sammy, I noticed in the crab videos they get to the bait and attach the bait bucket but don’t like the feeling on the net or they start to swim away free
I wonder if you had the bait on the underneath of the net then they would have to push through the net to get to the bait getting them stuck rather then escaping 🤔
Yeah, we were thinking that lifting the trays should catch better. 👍
Yeah definitely going to try a few different things next time to see if it helps with the catch rates 👌👌
Interesting, I thought Spanner Crabs live in DEEP fast running water. So they are all over the place
Yeah certainly seems that way!
Sweet underwater footage 🤙
Thanks for watching 🍻🍻
Hey Sammy apology excepted,question do you think you've be put them down the wrong way,an upside down is the right way,as they can get full through the mesh🤔an they caught all the crabs that way
I reckon it’s something I need to do some tests on! It’s definitely got some evidence that’s it’s the way to do it hey, hopefully it wasn’t a fluke! 👌👌
Looks like a spotted eagle ray
👌👌👌
I'm pretty sure that ray is an eagle ray
I reckon if you had little feet on the underside of the pot to keep it a bit more off the bottom the legs would get caught easier because the one that was upside down had the most and it would have been slightly off the bottom due to the bait holders
Yeah I reckon you’re right mate! Got a few things I want to try next trip 👌👌
Was that out at Harry’s or further up
Further up 👍
Great stuff Sammy 🤘🤘🤘
Thanks mate! 🍻🍻
Spotted eagle ray is what it looks like at 25mins in
Cheers mate! 🍻🍻
was an Eagle ray .....
eagle ray
Suprised at how many flounder were down there
Yeah so was I actually! Especially considering you don’t catch that many offshore 🤷♂️🤷♂️
the crabs look like toads
What was that shark, a gr8 white?
Nah I think that one was a bull shark or some kind of whaler 💁♂️
Did u every find out what sort of ray it was
Spotted eagle ray seems to be the most popular mate 👍👍
How far do you need to go out of Morton to get Morton bay bugs?
I just go to the 50m line mate 👌👌
Manta ray
Wow. That was so interesting. I really love camera views underwater like that and the whale call was so beautiful.
Thanks very much! Glad you enjoyed it! 🍻🍻
Hey mate awesome vid again. If you swap out the white floats with some yellow 10 or 20L drums you can see them a whole lot easier and save some time if it get lumpy.
Yeah the old man and I were saying we needed some bigger floats, they just take up some much room on the boat! Worth it though so you can find them! 👌👌
Well that was worth the wait.
Awesome footage from the bottom.
Loved the whale song dance that the spanners were doing 😅
Can't wait to do it again.
That's some epic underwater footage mate. Keep up the Good work Sammy!
I’m guessing someone has already noted the species of ray ,but if they haven’t it’s an Eagle ray common in SA
Great footage Sammy really gives perspective to what you see on the sounder as well
Cheers from SA
Yep. That’s an Eagle Ray. Lots of them in Hawaii as well. We also have what they’re calling “Spanner crabs”, which we call Kona crab.
Very good eating but I’ve never seen them alive underwater. Didn’t know they could swim like that. Very cool. 🤙🏼
Thanks very much mate! Glad you enjoyed it 🍻🍻
YUP, BEAT ME TO IT
Spotted Eagle Ray 💯 It must have thought it had found a "Swim Through Takeaway" 🤣🤣🤣
Epic footage! That ray was going nuts.
The trays seem to work better upside down, I’m guessing cause there legs fall through the mesh more easily being spaced off the bottom by the bait cages. They moved pretty freely over trays when flat on bottom. I’d be rigging them with a bait cage either side to space it off the bottom whatever side they fall.
I reckon you’re onto something there mate. I have a few plans for next time I’m out chasing them to see if I can increase the catch rate a little! 👌👌
Cheers for the upload sammy, good to see you and the old fella getting out in a rare weather window. Looks to me like the culprit is a spotted eagle ray
Yeah I’d say you’re right there mate! Cheeky bugger owes me some crabs!!
I'm glad the video was playing at 400x times normal speed. Those crabs looked like they were partying like it was 1999!
Another great video Sammy! Looked like you did much better with the trays that landed upside down ... perhaps the bait trays stuck underneath raising the mesh off the ground helped snag more crabs? in that case, might be worth having a bait tray on each side as opposed to both on one side???
I was thinking the same thing. How can we snag more crab flippers?
Your solution is way less complicated than what I was dreaming up. 😂
Yes indeed mate! Phantom and I were both thinking that actually. Some testing to be done in the near future I reckon!! 👌👌
that underwater shot was awesome. always fun to see life underwater. interesting to see a few flounder visiting the trap as well. funny to see that crab pop up literally at 19:10 may not be an ideal moment but that fish did you a favor cause that footage came out awesome haha 22:31 those spanner crabs r like tanks but that ray just made it an easy snack!
Hahah so true mate! The Ray made very short work of them! Thanks for watching 🍻🍻
That’s so awesome Sammy and Terry! Great to see you both out on the boat together again chasing some fish and crabs 👍🎣
That underwater footage was extremely interesting, love your work 😁
Cheers Will!! Yeah mate the long awaited return for the phantom. Got some big summer plans for him this year 😉👌👌
@@SammyHitzkeFishing Sounds awesome mate, I can’t wait to see what you have up your sleeve! 👌
Thanks Will.
Well thank god for that. I was hitting the TH-cam refresh button many times around 4:01pm, 4:02pm, 4:03pm thinking, what, no Sammy Sunday fix 😭😂
Hahah better late then never they say!! 💪💪
Unreal alienlike creatures. Dunno if they worth the work though. 😂🙌
Haha definitely worth the work! Probably need a few more next time though 😉😂
Very nice day! The underwater footage is awesome!!
Thanks for watching! 🍻🍻
Greetings from the US. I've trapped the blue crabs here, and we use very different types of "traps". I am wondering....do your regs require you use those "flat" traps there? When viewing your vids, it appeared many crabs just "came and left", and if a trap that required them to enter, yet make it difficult to leave would be more successful? Also, it seems that without any sort of "canopy" or trap top, your bounty is overly susceptible to depredation, and your loss? I thoroughly enjoyed your video, and seeing a different way of crabbing!
Thanks for the advice.
Our fisheries regulations determine what sort of traps we can use for certain species of crabs here.
We use similar pots to you for our blue swimmers too.
Yeah mate we can only use these trays for them. They do work well though as the crabs feet get caught up in the mesh.. well at least some of them do!!
You and phantom have nailed it. Great to see father and son fishing adventures .cheers 🍻👍
Thanks mate, appreciate the support 🍻🍻
Finally..
I held back on the 8am beer just waiting for this..
The missus was pleased.. 😁
Hahah well there you go! 8am beers always hit different though 🤣👌👌
hi sammy your resident fish nerd here i know im a little late but that ray is either a Ocellated Eagle Ray (Aetobatus ocellatus) or a Pacific white spotted eagle ray (Aetobatus laticeps), it is extremely if not impossible to tell the two apart by sight and the difference all comes down to genetics
they also have a cousin in the atlantic simply called White spotted Eagle ray (Aetobatus narinari) and again the difference is only really genetics
The ray thanks you profusely from the bottom of his heart.
Great vid Sammy!
So funny, don’t know if everyone got the same but after you mentioned about being apprehensive about losing your cameras you said “Gotta risk it for the biscuit” and immediately an ad for Nutella biscuits came on!😂
Apart from that awesome footage and interesting to see a tray not a whole cage, and the ocean floor being quite flat there. Good stuff. Keep it coming.
Hahah they timed that too perfection!!
Thanks very much for watching, glad you enjoyed it! 🍻🍻
hey sammy that ray is called a egle ray i see them alot on the eastern coast in the reefs
Cheers mate! 🍻🍻
Sammy, that was some of the best footage I have ever seen. I saw one comment, they said it was a spotted eagle ray, did you actually find out what it was? I have been working on a new camera for filming under water, but it is hardwired, so you would have to sit there and watch the footage live, but going on what your footage has shown it only takes about 15 minuted before the action starts, so it may actually pay off to not leave the drop site and watch out for the preditors.. i'll let you know how it goes after we finish our testing. Thanks to you and the Phantom for another great show.
Keen to hear once it’s done mate!
I think the general consensus was that it was an eagle ray that one 👌👌
I wonder whether there is some static current that builds up in the aluminium and when the crab touches or sences it, it backs off?
Yeah, I'm with you on that.... or maybe the camera noise or its EMF?
Yeah definitely could be hey, there were times were they touched it and headed for the hills!
Wow you got heaps. I’ve been try to find these off Yeppoon for the last 17yrs, but just like Spanish Mackerel, Spotted Mackerel, Cobia, Trevelly & most other fish, these don’t live here, shallow poor water quality, overfishing & just being shit prevents successful attempts here
Nice work man. You need to seriously do some voice overs on the crab footage. Definitely some quality content in there 😂
😉😂😂😂
.I scrolled down a bit reading comments but didnt read them all. So, I don't know if anyone answered, "What kind of ray?" Spotted Eagle Ray. I've seen them leap out of water like a flying fish. And I've heard they on occasion land on a boat and injure people. I'm guessing their ability to "fly" is what put "Eagle" in their name? Great video. I'm your newest new sub.
Love the footage @SammyHitzkeFishing and that Eagle Ray raiding your pot was epic.
Thanks mate! Crazy to see how they do it 😳😳😳
Loved the audio picking up whale sounds. The antisocial crab buried himself and then came out of the sand again. Great footage of the ray trying to eat your bait.
You have two snapper!
Yum!!
Isn’t there a ban on snapper in some SA water zones until 30 June 2026?
Are you in the south east fishing zone?
It's an Eagle Ray, to answer your question. Whereabouts in Australia are you? Your crabs look a lot different from ours, here in the UK
Crabbing for alien crabs with fly paper. Someday if I ever get to Oz I'll have to do that. The whale song was cool to catch!
That ray was really cool too. Definitely a day for alien critters.
Hhaha that’s pretty well the long and short of it isn’t it! 😂😂
Love my spanner crabs, shame i no longer have a boat to do it.
Yeah i check every hour or turtle and shark take them off.
Bait doesn't matter if they are there they will eat anything.
Before restrictions where in place id easily get 80 a drop of 8 pots
Best on edge of shipping channels
You had as many as 7 or 8 crabs on the net. However, when they can't get to the bait they leave. Your trps would be more productive if you used traps that allow the crabs to get to bait and are captured and can't get away. Just a thought. Thanks for sharing.
You fed that Cownose Ray a lot. I don't understand why you use a closed crab trap. My brother is a fulltime fisherman in Norway and also catches King crab. His traps are flat with weight at the bottom and floating top edge that open up the trap in the water.
We use round "rings" but we bridle them so they come up flat as we haul them in. Fishing for Dungeness. Some of the camera footage from here in the Pacific Northwest shows if you fish rings you want to pull them every fifteen or twenty minutes max as the crab come and investigate then many leave.