Crab Trap Queries

What is the best type of trap to use to collect peeler crabs, tyres, piping, rocks, etc.? What are the best ways to set them up and where are the best places to put them ? Obviously its a bit early for them yet but does anyone have any other tips they would like to share.

I have found tyres to be the best . The only problem with tyres is that they are more noticeable than piping and do get raided by other anglers . As soon as the water starts to heat up I will be starting to check old traps and seting new ones . The best way to find the best spot for your traps is at first set them at different places until you find the most consistant spot and then you can concentrate all your traps at that spot.

Tyres are good but the visibility is a problem, not only because other anglers nick the crabs, but also because they can be seen as a visual pollutant. Word has it the coast watch survey group are not to happy about tyres appearing along our coastline and may get local authorities to prosecute offenders!!!!!. Lets hope not.
I have found the best place for tyres is in sheltered muddy estuaries. Put some holes along the rim of the tyre and place semi-submerged in mud. Fill in a inch or two of soft mud. The holes prevent air becoming trapped and the tyres lifting on large tides. However a storm has removed about 20 tyres on me over the winter, completely dissappeared. In April and in Sept around the south coast, 50 tyres can get you as much as 23-30 peelers per tide, but it usually only lasts for about 2 weeks before this get quite.

Tyres are good but the visibility is a problem, not only because other anglers nick the crabs, but also because they can be seen as a visual pollutant. Word has it the coast watch survey group are not to happy about tyres appearing along our coastline and may get local authorities to prosecute offenders!!!!!. Lets hope not.

Yes, I hear coastwatch Ireland are not too happy at all-they are particularly unhappy about the number of tyres in some of the South Wexford wetlands-eg Bannow Bay..
[img]http://www.boards.ie/photopost/data/3025/710stephenlug2.jpg?1802[/img]

The report is [url=http://www.coastwatch.org/irlsurveyresults2002.pdf]here[/url]

extract

A new secondary use for tyres first appeared in 2000 and is rapidly expanding: the
crab trap. Rows of tyres are set into intertidal mudflats beside seaweed and boulder
areas known to harbour crabs. Crabs appear to prefer what seems an extra protected
home in the rim of the tyre and move across from the boulders. Collectors then check
the tyres one by one and pick the crabs, especially the ‘peelers’. Bannow Bay Co
Wexford is such a site. The tyres arrived in dozens in 2001, now in 2003 there are over
1000 on the North side alone.
Men collecting the crabs noted that the work is becoming unproductive as less and
less crabs are caught in total despite of more and more traps being set. This has lobster
pot echoes. But will the traps be removed? Trying to move one half full of silt suggests it
would not be easy.
At least in areas checked, these traps are not licensed under Foreshore or
Aquaculture law and there appears to be an ambiguous relationship to crab trap
ownership.
Government officials regularly visit the area to monitor expanding aquaculture, but
not the tyres one can view from the sea road.
The area is protected under EU and national law as Special protection area for birds
(SPA) and Special Area of Conservation (SAC). All new activities should first be vetted by
the NPWS. That is laid out in the letter landowners receive to inform them of the
designation. However those setting the traps may not be local land or foreshore owners;
so they would not have been notified. There is no notice to inform the public A draft
protected site management plan was produced but not published, so there is little
knowledge of the protection status of the mainly marine site. Other coastal and marine
sites are in a similar position.
At the same time, there is a growing incentive to get rid of used tyres and used tyres
set out in a new suitable place will yield lots of crabs, until the crab population crashes.
Then one can just leave (without tyres of course as one can get dry stacked ones
anywhere).
It is a classic short-term win-win for a few and loose loose for Nature and wider
society.
When coastal zone management finally comes on stream it should be easier to pick up
such issues and resolve them early, as the local informed public will feel empowered to
protect their communal resources.

I can't believe this, we have complained for years against the activities of commercial netting/fisheries and over exploitation, campaigned against litter, encouraging anglers to remove all traces when they leave. Now we are apparently promoting the use of discarded tyres for trapping crabs!!. I have come across these eyesores on several occasions and would never consider placing them - no matter how 'easy' they make bait collection. If this is the attitude of the majority of anglers then we need not complain when the gov is forced to introduce some form of controlled licensing system for bait collection - if only to ensure that this rubbish is removed after use. If you really want to catch fish - then be prepared to collect the bait the hard way, otherwise why waste time - visit the fish mongers!

I must admit that the tyres when first put down can be an eyesore, however they are quickly covered in weed and appear to provide an environment for other shell fish and marine life. I know for a fact that chained tyres have been used in other parts of the world to create artifical reefs, which I am sure most people would think is a good thing. The amount of crabs removed by shore fishermen in this way is minimal to the amount which are taken by commercial inshore boats who since 2000 have been targetting the common shore crab. In Youghal tonnes are removed over the winter, no licence required and quess what the shore angler gets blamed. Guys are buying boats not rowing boats but trawlers to carry out this, what profits are they making. This is going to be an ecological nightmare if allowed continue unchecked, but please don't target the anglers. Has anybody scientifically evaluated the crab population (I doubt it), has any checked to see if tyres might be enhancing the marine ecosystems or polluting waterways (I doubt it). I would like to see facts and before everybody goes to arms. The commercial guys will move on once they have decimated the local populations and target another component of the marine food chain.

I think a big problem is peeler harvesting in concentrated areas (cf bannow bay above). I am also aware that tyres were used to build artificial reefs.
They may have a use in shore protection schemes I'd guess.
I think we should thread carefully here, in the absence of some hard facts.