Crabbing (Jetties and Surf)
Crabbing
is a popular way to have a delicious seafood meal at low cost.
Sand crabs are the bane of any angler's life as they seem to
appear in their millions as soon as there is any bait around and strip
it from the hooks with impunity, only the clumsy ones get tangled in a
hook and line every now and then.
Drop Nets
First thing is buy a proper net. These should have natural fibre netting and not the plastic netting. Many of these crab nets are lost every year on snags and natural fibre nets on steel hoops will break down. The fibre rots and the steel corrodes. The synthetic plastic nets just make a hazard for all the other animals and are just another source of snags for fisher men.
Tie some meat, like chicken as bait into the center of the smaller hoop and throw it off a jetty. The popular jetty is the Sandblasting Jetty on Bullock Island, Lake Entrance. It has strong currents and right in line with the lakes opening to the sea, so plenty of crabs lurking around there. Just throw it far enough to clear any snagging the jetty migh cause, wait a while and pull in the haul.
Surf Netting
Buy a fish keeping net and a net used for prawning. Put the meat (old fish heads or carcasses will do eg left over chicken) into the fish keeping net and take it a little way into the surf (waist deep is enough, do not go in too far, these waters are dangerous), such as at Lake Tyers, and drag it about on the bottom over a small area to attract the crabs in. Have your partner armed with a net with a handle on it about the length of a broom handle, (plus goggles help as well) to scoop up the crabs off the bottom. A third person with a bucket will speed things up as well.
Regulations
However while they are seen as either as pests by some and a great meal by others they do have government rules and regulations.
Drop Nets
First thing is buy a proper net. These should have natural fibre netting and not the plastic netting. Many of these crab nets are lost every year on snags and natural fibre nets on steel hoops will break down. The fibre rots and the steel corrodes. The synthetic plastic nets just make a hazard for all the other animals and are just another source of snags for fisher men.
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Tie some meat, like chicken as bait into the center of the smaller hoop and throw it off a jetty. The popular jetty is the Sandblasting Jetty on Bullock Island, Lake Entrance. It has strong currents and right in line with the lakes opening to the sea, so plenty of crabs lurking around there. Just throw it far enough to clear any snagging the jetty migh cause, wait a while and pull in the haul.
Surf Netting
Buy a fish keeping net and a net used for prawning. Put the meat (old fish heads or carcasses will do eg left over chicken) into the fish keeping net and take it a little way into the surf (waist deep is enough, do not go in too far, these waters are dangerous), such as at Lake Tyers, and drag it about on the bottom over a small area to attract the crabs in. Have your partner armed with a net with a handle on it about the length of a broom handle, (plus goggles help as well) to scoop up the crabs off the bottom. A third person with a bucket will speed things up as well.
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 In the kitchen and ready for the pot! |
Regulations
However while they are seen as either as pests by some and a great meal by others they do have government rules and regulations.
- Only 2 hoop nets per person (the person must have a fishing licence, or be exempt e.g. aged over 60)
- Net must have the owner's name and address on a tag attached to the net.
- Closed season from 1 September through to 15 November, except Port Phillip Bay, Western Port Bay and Gippsland Lakes.
- There is no size limit, but each net owner can only keep 30 crabs maximum (throw back the little ones!).
- Maximum net size is 50cm diameter hoops and 50cm for depth of the net.
- Yabby Pots or Opera House Nets are banned.
- Crabs cannot be sold, only commercially licensed fishermen can sell their catch. Good luck and have Fun!!!
Official DPI Website on Fishing Regulations