Catching Lobster on the West Coast ?

[Scorcher]

Hi all,

I'm heading up to The Cape in June. Just wondering if anybody has tried using Lobster Pots in the reef areas just off Vrilya Point or further south?

[campdog]

Hi all,

I'm heading up to The Cape in June. Just wondering if anybody has tried using Lobster Pots in the reef areas just off Vrilya Point or further south?

I have seen the locals from Bamaga up that way diving for crays. We caught a couple in crab pots at Muttee Heads. We left our crab pots in the bay overnight and they were all destroyed overnight.

[Scorcher]

Thanks Campdog,

Trust me. There's NO WAY I'm diving in that water !!
I thought I would chuck a Lobster Pot in for this years trip, just in case I get tired of Eating Chilli Mud Crab & Cherabin.

Regards

Scorcher

[highlift80]

My next trip up the Cape when ever that is I plan to take a few lobster/crab pots with me I have been told they aren't something you leave in the water for to long as the crocs and sharks like to come looking for a free feed, so it's something I will be keeping an eye on when I do it.

[ant]

Okay,Dropping any sort of pot in the water in the Cape is like dropping your wife off in Kings Cross. No more needs to be said here........

If you want mud crabs- use either a net or spear (if using a spear, be aware of the regulations)

If you want crays, then dive for them or find someone who will dive for you.

Anything left in the water will be either raided by the crocs/sharks or by the land sharks.....

[Scorcher]

Thanks Ant,

I'm spending a week + at Vrilya Point this trip. Thought about dropping a Lobster Pot around the reef area's for something different.

I've already mastered the "2 thong" Mud Crabbing technique, but not too keen on diving out of a perfectly good boat just for the chance of scoring a lobster or 2 (way too many bities !).

I suppose the main thing is that there ARE Lobsters found around the reefy areas. I just hadn't heard much about them before, being a targetted species?

[campdog]

Spent 3 weeks at virilya last year and not one crab,year before the locals were coming down from Umagico and using torches and hand spears, waling around in the water up ot their armpits, they got heaps of crabs, no way I was going in there.
I also found an area with the best tasting oysters,and they were huge.Just cant remember where it was. I will have to remeber before my next trip.and that lovely freshwater creek with cherabin and barra, not far from the point.

[Scorcher]

Hey Campdog,

I've just been reading about your 2007 adventures on another forum (only up to page 28 so far). A great thread !

We've camped at "your spot" at Vrilya Point numerous times since 1987. A great place to either do everything or nothing ! We've been lucky with catching muddies around the rocks over the years, but I suspect that it gets hit pretty hard as it is a heavily used area.

I'm gathering that the "fresh water creek with cherabin & Barra that you refer to is the one on the track to South Vrilya Point??

We're planning to camp down towards the Cotterill River on this years trip, just to try somewhere different.

[campdog]

In 2007 we went to Virilya Point only and had a ball. We tried to get to the Coteral in May but the creek before the coteral was unpassable. There are some great camping spots on the beach south of Virilya. Our boat was too big to explore the cotteral and doudgboy River.
A few mates are heading up there in June fishing for 3 weeks, I missed out so I will wait for next year.

[Scorcher]

That'll just make you hungrier for your Cape York fix !

Likely that we will bump into them then. We'll be there by about the 2nd June for a good 10 days or so.

As for the original post, the reef areas directly off Vrilya Point & the next headland to the south look like a good place to try for a few lobster. Just need to find your secret oyster stash !

[campdog]

Sounds about the time they will be there. If someone drops out it will be hard not to grab a seat. We put pots out in the bay but found the water stayed out too long and we couldnt get back to the pots, there was nothing left the next morning.
As for the oysters,I let you know a bit closer to June, never know I might be looking for them myself.

[Lunny]

We are heading up for the first time in June 08 and I did not think it was possible to get sick of Muddys !!!

[Scorcher]

Sounds about the time they will be there. If someone drops out it will be hard not to grab a seat. We put pots out in the bay but found the water stayed out too long and we couldnt get back to the pots, there was nothing left the next morning.
As for the oysters,I let you know a bit closer to June, never know I might be looking for them myself.

I've always put my crab traps in pretty close at the point, tying them up beside the rocks. Always managed to get enough for a feed every few days. Just as easy to walk in around the rocks at about half tide or less,and catch them with my thongs!

[roverrescue]

ummm,
there is always an exception to the rules but the crays we get up north,
painted and greens are generally not meat eaters but weed and rubbish feeders... if you bait up a lobster pot you may get crabs but it will be a rare cray that will enter a pot... spear em or noose em...
steve

[campdog]

ummm,
there is always an exception to the rules but the crays we get up north,
painted and greens are generally not meat eaters but weed and rubbish feeders... if you bait up a lobster pot you may get crabs but it will be a rare cray that will enter a pot... spear em or noose em...
steve
Funny you should say that. At muttee heads we found an old metal crab pot and set it with a trevally as bait.
2 days running we caught a small painted cray but no crabs.

[roverrescue]

i guess all is possible, have a few mates who have caught green crays on pilchard... but generally its an inefficient method of catching em. that would be why the pro cray fishing on cape york is all hooker gear and not pots like down south.

gotta love fresh cray on the coals though.
s

[geoffjy]

Hi Guys,

Another spot that can be really good for crabs early is around Crystal Creek No.2. You will need access to a tinny but there are some gravel patches not far outside the mouth which muddies congregate on early on in the year.

I fished and crabbed there in April and there were lots of Barra and crabs available. There were millions of jelly prawns in the river and the barra were going nuts on them. Unfortunately, we didnt hook up on anything decent. Only rats.

Did try to get some mullet froma gutter with the cast net from the front of the boat. Didnt work either as i wound up with 15 juvenile barra from one cast of the net.

Maybe next year they might have grown a bit bigger.

[Scorcher]

Hi Guys,

Another spot that can be really good for crabs early is around Crystal Creek No.2. You will need access to a tinny but there are some gravel patches not far outside the mouth which muddies congregate on early on in the year.

I fished and crabbed there in April and there were lots of Barra and crabs available. There were millions of jelly prawns in the river and the barra were going nuts on them. Unfortunately, we didnt hook up on anything decent. Only rats.

Did try to get some mullet froma gutter with the cast net from the front of the boat. Didnt work either as i wound up with 15 juvenile barra from one cast of the net.

Maybe next year they might have grown a bit bigger.

Hey Geoffjy,

Your making us all VERY jealous with your stories from up that way !!

[plucker]

I know quite a few people who go around Maggie Island with a torch and spear and come out with lots of crays. Remember that this is an island a couple of KM's away from a city of 180 000 people.
I am sure that somewhere like Vrilya would produce the same if not better.

[Scorcher]

I know quite a few people who go around Maggie Island with a torch and spear and come out with lots of crays. Remember that this is an island a couple of KM's away from a city of 180 000 people.
I am sure that somewhere like Vrilya would produce the same if not better.

Plucker,

I wish I was that keen !!

More croc's than people up around Vrilya Point by my reckoning :o

Scorcher

[plucker]

Did I mention that they do it from the boat.

[Scorcher]

Did I mention that they do it from the boat.

Ummmm.......Nope !

That sounds a bit safer !

[ant]

I know quite a few people who go around Maggie Island with a torch and spear and come out with lots of crays. Remember that this is an island a couple of KM's away from a city of 180 000 people.
I am sure that somewhere like Vrilya would produce the same if not better.

Probably worth a mention that the use of a spear is actually illegal so please don't try it. I use a similar method but have a net instead, that way you can let the undersize and Jennies go without any real harm.