DIY Crab Trap Modifications | How to improve your cheap collapsible / folding crab trap (Danielson)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 23 ส.ค. 2020
- We have used these Danielson Crab Traps/Pots for a long time while crabbing on the Oregon Coast, and over the years we have made several modifications and adjustments to make them more efficient and better and catching crab. With a few adjustments, and only a few dollars, you can really make these traps a lot better. Some of the gear you will need:
Danielson Crap Trap
Zip Ties
Pencil Lead
Wire Snips
Rope/Buoys
Rubber Twist Ties
1" PVC Pipe and caps
Sand
Hope you all found this helpful and it helps you get more crab in your traps! Enjoy the season and take care! - กีฬา
I am 75 and been crabbing off and on since 1968.you guys are rocking it. Thanks for your expertise and great video!
Thank you sir. Have a wonderful day.
7 crabs disliked this video apparently. Great video guys, this is exactly what I was looking for. 👍🏾
Thank you! Glad you found it helpful!
I've been crabbing for a number of years with Danielson pots and McKay's. This video still gave me some good tips I hadn't seen before. Thank you for the info.
Glad you found it helpful! Good luck out there.
This is how you make an instructional video. Thanks for the detailed, clear and concise video. First crab trapping for me in a few weeks this gives me the confidence to get started.
Thank you for the kind words, and we are glad so many people have found it helpful. Making a good, clear instructional video that doesn’t get too wordy is harder than you think.
I’m not a crabber, but that was very interesting and informative. Great demonstration and inexpensive upgrades. Thanks for sharing.
I’m guessing there aren’t many crabs in the Great Lakes... 😏 Hopefully some day you can experience dungeness crab, it’s delicious
Great tutorial. I like the pvc pipe with the sand.
Thanks Moo! Always appreciate you stopping by.
Very informative! Thank you for making this video, excited to get out on the water.
Good luck 👍
Thank you for these tips, I like the sand filled tubes for weight, they make for a neat installation. I been using pieces of cinder block broken to size zipped to the bottom.
Glad that you found them helpful!
That sounds a lot cheaper. Construction debris is free and also I’m not trying to throw plastic in the ocean
Love the weighted pvc idea. No rust-corrosion to deal with.
Yeah it works nicely. Good luck out there
i put some 1-2oz bank sinker inside the pvc
I'll be doing that to mine. Crab season will be here before you know it. First Saturday in November here in northern CA. Thanks for the tips!
Good luck Steve! Hope these tips help you out, there’s not much better than fresh crab
No need to wait until November unless you're strictly wanting to catch Dungeness crab. I've been going fishing and crabbing near G.G. bridge (preference) occasionally Berkeley and Richmond and coming home with plenty for dinner/s.
@@360revolucion8 Yup no need to wait. Red/rock crab are so so good
Great video, thanks for the tips guys! Exactly the type of video I was looking for.
Thanks! We’re glad you found it helpful!
great video, one suggestion is to check your regulation before using zip ties. in Canada, you will get ticketed if caught with zip ties on. the pods are designed to disintegrate if they are lost at the bottom
Where is this in the regulations about zip ties? Everyone I know uses zip ties.
@@DogwoodTT-hs8hv it’s in the regulations
Awesome tips.
Thanks PK! We are ready to put some crab in the boiler for sure!
GREAT ideas. TY for the upload
Thank you for the comment and we’re glad you found it helpful!
Thanks guys. Much appreciated.
No problem. Glad you found it helpful.
Some useful tips here. Thanks. Specifically I like the weight idea. I have a cannonball in one trap, and a rock in the other. I like this idea more. :)
Glad you found it helpful! Good luck out there.
What a setup, a bit too complicated for my crawdads but perfect for crabs, I don’t have any crabs. You are lucky you have them.
I bet they good eating. Nice tutorial.
They are delicious. Thanks for watching bro.
Outstanding video…much appreciated men! 🦀. Tight lines!
Thank you.
These are great ideas well done!
Thank you! Appreciate the feedback!
Nice job Brotha! Haven't been crabbing in years!
If you wanna trek out west, we can make that happen
@@NorthwestOpenSeason Oh heck ya! Would love to do that.
Perfect, only thing I add is using a carabiner or zip tie to affix the bottom of the hanging bait bag to the bottom of the crab pot to prevent it from swinging around, into a door or whatever. Great video
Thank you. That’s a good idea to fasten the bait bag at the bottom as well.
I like the weight suggestion. Gonna do that. I typically use a section of floating line hooked to the crab pot then leaded line tied to the floating line to the bouy. I think the floating line on the pot helps keep it off the bottom. The other issue I have with these pots is getting the side door open. End up banging them pretty good to unlatch them. I may cut those hooks off and just use a clamp to keep them shut. I do the door weights too. The other idea I saw was tying a small anchor (1.5lbs) to a 4-5’ line to keep the pots from drifting in current. Last outing off Whidbey Isl I lost 2 pots. The pots were weighted too. Check the tides.
Great mods! Good thing I'm married... That's one sexy crab pot!
😂
Excellent video! I learned a lot.
Dana W - Thank you so much! Glad you enjoyed it and thanks for the support.
Nice setup 👍Thanks for sharing. We should go crabbing some time 😁
Would be fun 👍
Good job I had to learn this the hard way.
So did I… 😅
Thanks for checking it out.
Great video, taught me a lot
We’re glad you found it helpful. Best of luck out there.
I live in pricey California and for a whole crab cooked plate you’re looking at 40-50 bucks for 1 dam crab considering the spending you’d do for these few items to mod your trap totally worth it catch 500 bucks worth of crabs with that awesome trap, thanks dudes buying this on Amazon and following you’re instructions
Yeah, crab is not very cheap here in Oregon either, so every little bit helps. These pots can pay for themselves after one trip.
Cool video man!!
Thank you!
Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for watching!
I liked much of what you did. One thing to consider is how large the fixed opening is. Danielson makes a variety of traps and some have openings that are 4 inches ( legal in Oregon) and others are much larger. Good idea to check regs where you go and match the fixed opening to that area. I had some that were 4.5 inches and they were allowing legal crab to escape when I went in Oregon.
That’s really good to know that the fixed opening is variable. We’ve never bought them from online which is where the variable would probably come into play, but would definitely double check that in the future.
Zip tying a bungee cord with two zip ties in middle of bungee cord about 6 inches apart on top of opening door so you can use hooks on end of each side of bungee cord to secure door shut also works good on cheap Danielson square crab pots.
Awesome!!! Thank you!
You’re welcome!
Nice video guys. I like the little pipe weights at the corners. One suggestion for the rope would be to use electrical tape instead of the safety zip ties. I use it on my lines to secure knots and it does a nice job and is really clean looking.
Thank you! That’s a good tip about the electrical tape also. Appreciate the feedback.
Nice vid bro
Thank you
Just what I was looking for to upgrade my trap. Thank you for the video.
We’re glad that you found it helpful. Good luck out there and be safe.
Now I know what to do when I get my crab traps
Good luck!
Nice video. One suggestion, cut wires to the exact size of your keepers and zip tie them to the top of your trap. That way, as soon as you remove the crab from the trap, you can hold the crab against the wire and know immediately if it's regulation or short, saving you time from having to repeatedly reach for the gauge.
Interesting idea! Thanks for sharing
@@NorthwestOpenSeason -where do u get your crabbing supplies such as the weights?crab pots u can get anywhere but when it comes to modifying the traps I don't know who sells stuff
@@damagekids All of the materials we used we either got from a sporting goods store, or hardware store.
A pot that good, you want to put an Apple Air Tag into it just in case someone steals it or in case the tide takes it out to sea. Every time a boater comes near it with an iPhone on board it will report its location.
Informative
Thanks!
Yeah guys. I’m saving this vid for when I get my traps. Good ideas!
Thanks Troy
Catch em all
You know it
We use old commercial traps. Most people cut the rebar out because they are too heavy but if you really want to catch more crabs, leave them in and get a puller for your boat. Thieves don’t bother with them because it is too much work to pull them up.
Cant steal what you can’t pull 🤔
Thanks for the video. What are the round holes on top of pot for? Also, is it important to dedicate just one door instead of all 4? Thanks again
The round hole is to allow for crabs to escape if the pot gets stuck. Closing off 3 of the walls helps with keeping it together, otherwise it can collapse sometimes
May be next video teach us how to catch crab in your fancy crab net
I always catch small crabs at the pier, I wonder if you make the door heavier with weights if itll allow the bigger crabs to push with enough force while leaving the small ones out
That’s an interesting idea. I also wonder how easy they would give up trying to get inside though if they felt any resistance.
Add water to the sand after filling the tubes for more weight!
Good idea!
@@NorthwestOpenSeason Another option is to wrap the perimeter of your trap with lead-filled rope like is used for gillnets. It protects your traps from rocks like we have on the West Coast and it will add weight for those extended soaks that go thru tide change. Walking pots are empty pots!
Solid improvements! Have you guys used any other types of crab traps? Or just the foldable Danielson ones? I used to use some heavier round ones, but I haven't crabbed from a boat for a while now.
We pretty much have only bought this style. Between the abuse, seal attacks, and theft, we’ve always found it difficult to spend a lot of money on pots. Plus they usually go on sale on Black Friday for about $11
@@NorthwestOpenSeason Ahh that's fair. My most recent crab trapping has been along a private beach, so I didn't have to worry about theft or anything. Too bad that's something we need to consider in most waters... :( And 11 bucks! Where did you get it for that much? I'll need to pick up a few.
Fish and Forage - watch BiMart ads. Maybe we can get you out crabbing some day.
@@NorthwestOpenSeason I'm in! :)
where did you get the pvc threaded pipe? Did you use 1/4" or 3/16 pencil lead? Thanks for the great ideas!
We bought the treaded pvc at Ace Hardare, but you should be able to find it in most hardware stores. As far as the pencil lead, I believe is was 1/4”, but it really doesn’t matter that much. As long as you add something to the door to keep it from swinging in the current, it will help
Hello my friends 👍
Thanks for watching John!
have u guys thought about using lengths of rebar and zip tying them in for weights? alot easier/cheaper. also , use zip ties for door to make it harder for somebody to steal ur crab. try zip tying a few legs to the outside of bait bag and bottom of trap too.
The reason we don’t use rebar is the possibility of creating electrical current around your pot. You might be able to rubber coat them or something, but the point we are trying to make is that no matter what you use, it really helps to add weight to those cheap folding pots to keep them from drifting around.
Looks like the PVC pipes you used are pre cut with threads on the ends? Where did you buy them?
You are correct. We bought them from Ace Hardware along with a bag of playground sand
When you cut your Zip Tie turn it Parallel with the Trap less chance for the cut end scraping your Arm or Leg and cutting you or cut the tag end off close with a Razor Knife .
Good idea
Good stuff to know! If u guys need a water boy while out crabbing let me know 🚰🥤
🎶Water sucks, it really really sucks. 🎶 We’ll let you know. That would be fun.
What size of PVC pipe is that? Cant tell if its 3/4" or 1" diameter. Great video guys, most of my friends suggested going the Danielson route which brought me to your video.
Can’t remember what diameter the pip was, either 3/4” or 1”. Whatever you can find will work just fine though.
Cool video fellas I'm just asking man people say they don't do good with blue crabs can you catch blue crabs with that cage people say they come out through the big squares I don't know That's why I'm asking y'all fellas is that cage good for blue crabbing
Not sure about blue crabs. We live on the west coast and have never seen a blue crab.
Excellent! I just picked up 4 of these off Marketplace for $40. I’ve got a place in Oceanside, Oregon and see folks crabbing in Netarts all the time. Any idea if the crabbing is better in Tillamook Bay vs Netarts Bay?
PS, I know nothing about crabbing or fishing but I got a boat (Raider 185) last month and the mentioned crab traps to get me started. Any tips are appreciated! Chicken sounds like it’s the go to bait around Netarts. Is that universal?
@@stoweman34 - Crabbing can be good in all the bays, and the best times are generally months with an ‘R’ in them. Netarts can be good for sure, but it also gets a lot of pressure and it’s not as big as Tillamook. Make sure you look at aerial views of the bays to find the channels, they both have a lot of shallow sandy areas that could run your boat aground if you’re not careful. Chicken is a great bait and readily available, but we have found that shad is the best. Mink and other fish carcasses will also work, but be careful using salmon carcasses because seals will tear apart your traps to get to them. Try to crab during incoming tides, and tide exchanges that are less than 4’. For example, a tide exchange that goes from Low 0.0’ to High 8.0’ will be a lot of water moving and the crabs will bury themselves and not move around as much. Also after heavy rains, the crabs might move out to the ocean to find saltier water. This is another good time to crab Netarts because it doesn’t have any fresh water rivers running into it. These are all general guidelines. Hope this helps, be careful and good luck!
Northwest Open Season Excellent info! I appreciate your time and expertise! I’ll definitely check the charts before heading out. Thanks again!
@@stoweman34 you’re welcome. Best of luck!
Where do the crab like to go once they’re in the bays? Do they prefer being deep or shallow. Where’s a good place to drop traps?
Was the harness buoy successful? It’s seems like it’s going to take away from what your pvc weights are doing, leading to more weight being needed. However, the reasoning is sound. Thoughts?
The purpose of the small buoy is to keep the harness from collapsing on the trap. It really only floats up the small metal ring, it’s not big enough to actually lift the trap at all. As far as we can tell, it works perfect.
@@NorthwestOpenSeason awesome I added some to my pots because of your video! Appreciate it.
@@DJtheFisherman no problem. We’re glad you found it helpful!
Where did you get those PVC pipes from? Were they already pre cut and threaded?
Ace Hardware
Maybe use WISS wire cutters instead of the standard wire cutter, they make a clean even cut. The standard cutter leaves a sharp burr that can be filed down, but is just more work
Thanks for the tips
Thanks for sharing cheers 👍
Thank you!
It is better to do as the old timers did with their pots and put your weights (window sash weights were used often) on the bottom of the pot. Danielsons especially are so light they will tip over on their side with any pull from the buoy so you want to try to keep them horizontal on the bottom by keeping the center of gravity as low as possible.
We have not experienced any movement with placing the weights upright, but these pots are definitely susceptible to moving or “walking” if not weighted. Not sure why, but we did notice placing weights on the underside of the pot did not produce as well. Can’t imagine a pot sitting 2” off the bottom would make a difference, but something deterred entry.
@@NorthwestOpenSeason I have and have always seen the weights inside the pot.
@@NorthwestOpenSeason PS: I am in SE Ak where there is much more tide and wind to deal with and we use buoy bags for floats which have more drag also but are more visible.
@@douglasthompson2740 That makes sense. We typically are crabbing in 20 feet or less in the bays, and we try to choose softer tides. Thanks for all the feedback on this topic. It’s nice when people engage.
Question regarding rebar use. If you were to use epoxy coated rebar would you have the same issue
Probably not. I think it is just an exposed metal issue. If it’s completely coated, there would be no reaction to salt.
@@NorthwestOpenSeason awsome thanks I'm not too experienced with pvc and I saw this coated rebar at home depot for a couple bucks. Great video btw learned alot for my first trip in a few weeks.
@@ds-sj2bm thank you. Good luck out there!
Lead weights will work Alot better than sand weights. Its archemedian. The density of sand is only 45% to 100% more dense than water. Meaning that the added weight to the pot is only 1/3 to 1/2 the weight of the sand you added. Meanwhile lead is 1,000% more dense than water, so 92% of the weight of the lead is added weight to the trap. Don't forget we are working underwater here....
but more toxic
@DogwoodTT-hs8hv Not in any way that matters. You're not going to make any difference against all the other dropped sinkers out there (centuries worth), if there even is a route of exposure.
Did you buy the pvc like that or cut it to length?
Bought it like that in 12” lengths with threaded ends and matching caps. It’s more expensive that way, but more convenient. I’ve also just cut sched 40 to length and glued caps on in the past. Both methods work
Thanks for the quick reply and awesome tips! Going to upgrade my crappy pots now. 😂
Just curious why not buy those round 30 inch traps that weigh 16 pounds and no modification is needed?
Because they are a lot more expensive.
how much do those pipes weight with sand in it? seems like 1lbs or less? thanks
At least a pound, probably not 2 though. It adds quite a bit of weight
it just an idea , you can add what ever you want like lead or metal
@@dinhchieunguyen684 idea? in not a idea ...I seen people ad sand and like NOS said, those pipes can ad about 8lbs to the weight of the pod that already might weight 15 lbs plus any crabs in it ,so maybe picking up 23/25 lbs each time , try to ad more lead and can easy weigh over 30lbs per trap and wet gear picked up from at least 40ft below by hand over hand from a sitting position on a kayak , sounds like a breaking back chore when it is supposed to be fun the more weight is added.
excellent tips......
here are a few more tips.......the glue type pvc pipe/fittings is a lot cheaper to work with, so that larger pipe can be used for more weight without costing more money.... use "COTTON" string to lace the escape holes closed more, because legal crab can get out these holes if they find them.... (if blocking the escape holes, only COTTON string is allowed by LAW, so that if the pot is lost, the string can rot away and allow the crab to escape)..
the hard-lay rope you are using is way overkill on these light pots, but may be easier on the hands when pulling pots, BUT the hard-lay line is nice if you are using a power pot puller, and its sinking line, so it doesnt float on the surface to be cut or fouled in propellers... a "HOT POT" wont catch as many crab, but it takes a lot of metal showing to create enough of a "charge" to chase the crab away.... NEVER use ALL stainless steel to make crab pots, as the stainless steel creates an abnormally hot pot.... the effects of the stainless steel wire covering the round traps is negated by the mild steel frame of the pot, which is a less noble metal.... the older style doors on these square traps are not very secure, but what you have done in the video will improve the catch rate as well as the "keep" rate, as once the bait is gone, or found to be inaccessible by the crab, they will be looking for a way out... and they will find it in one of these type of traps that has not been modified.. the pulling rope should be a sinking type line, and only be about 50-75% LONGER than the depth of the water where you crab... myself, I have my pots rigged with 25ft of line, which has loops in each end of it, which then can clip to the pot bridal, and the buoy clips to the other end, then if im crabbing in deeper water, I can quickly remove the buoys, add another length of line (25ft, already made up for the purpose) and clip the buoys on to it...
Very nice. Thanks for the additional information.
good idea. Just clip another section of line on. I'm a newbie, but I've been thinking of doing that same setup. Not always going to drop traps at the exact same depth.
Did the leaded line float with buoy???
The leaded line sinks down, but the buoys stay afloat.
$16 bucks cool. man I really wish I can find some this cheap the cheapest I have found so far $39 and I still have to buy Lin’s and bouy. Where do you find these? How many feet of line 100ft?
Fishermans marine has them on sale right now for $17. fishermans-marine.com/smi-collapsible-crab-trap.html We typically use 50’ of rope because we never set pots deeper than about 15- 20’. But if you were to set in 30’ or deeper, you’d want 100’ to account for the line angle when the tide starts moving.
You should catch those door snips so you can mow the lawn without harming oneself
how much do the pipe weigh once they are filled with sand?
About 2 lbs each we think. We've never officially weighed them, just went off of how they felt. It adds significant weight to the trap and that's all we were hoping to accomplish. Hope that helps.
@@NorthwestOpenSeason I'm a big crabber, although my boat needs a new transom, so, I've missed the 2020 season for summer, but have a friend who said he'd take me out for the winter season. Cool!
I have never heard of a hot pot, but as soon as you explained it, it made sense. So maybe I'll switch my weights. If you have hot pot, does that shock the crab or just keep them at Bay, like a danger field they can sense?
Also, I use leaded line as you guys do. It seems to me, you'd be defeating the purpose of leaded line if you add 10 or 12 ft so it floats.
The whole point of leaded line is so it doesn't float and get caught in props?
Why the floaty line? Makes no sense to me.
worthfulmusic - The way we understand it, is the electric current can just keep the crabs at bay and from entering your pot. Also, we just add the floating section between the buoys essentially, so the only part that is floating is still visible to other boaters, but you can grab the line easily. The rest of the rope sinks out of the way. The dangerous part is when people leave 100’ of floating rope across the surface that other boaters might get caught in their props.
Not sure about your state law, but Washington state requires biodegradable line to hold the main door. This allows the trap door to open when the line rots away if you ever lose your pot. Your current pot setup would trap crabs in there forever.
There is biodegradable line on the escape hatches for that exact reason. Thanks for watching.
@@NorthwestOpenSeason Ah ok. I just saw the rubber twisty.
where did you get that trap for $16?
In our area, Fisherman’s Marine or BiMart will have sales on them for less than $20 a couple times a year.
They are on sale now so I suggest ordering them and having them shipped to you
Unless your pot has a biodegradable cord as part of the setup for holding the top or side closed, it isn't legal to use in Washington State and it may get you a citation from DFW.
Yep. These are general guidelines and ideas, you have to do your research on rules and regulations. Thanks for the feedback.
Aircraft Stainless lock wire is permanent compared to zip ties, they’re brittle after a few years,
😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄
Thank you for watching!
what are the green fasteners called holding the doors on? Id like to replace those on mine but I dont know the name of them to search for
Try plastic sleeve. Not really sure though, I think you can buy replacement doors that come with them on.
www.amazon.com/Danielson-Weighted-Glow-Sleeve-Crab/dp/B003XPEROY
That twist tie wouldn't be legal in CA. Have to use untreated cotton twine #120 or smaller .
We have to leave the escape hole intact with dissolvable twine. That’s why it’s good to know the regs for each state. I’m not sure what WA requires either.
Good video. Except one thing. You made this crab pot illegal .
You can not ziptie the pot how you are.
Crab pots are designed with those cheap pig clips so they rust outvand fall apart if a pot is lost or forgotten.
This is so after a 1 or 2 years it falls apart instead of killing sea life for a decade.
Zip ties get brittle and break as well. But thanks for the heads up, I’ll look into it for future reference.
now can you do the same video without the annoying musical interlude?
No
Skeptical about your upgrades. Why not put them to a test and show what you catch. Any more or less crab catching than before the modifications or no difference in 'improvement'?
All of our pots are set up this way, so if we make a crabbing video they will all have modifications. These are things we have added or changed over the last 15-20 years when we would discover some of the issues.
Geez……….and if you have 15 traps it will cost you $600 and take you 15 hours to make them better
Actually $600 for 15 pots would be a great deal! That’s only $40 per pot. You should be able to make all these changes in 10 minutes or less. If that doesn’t make sense to you, you might be better off just buying the $150 pots and using them as is.