Any tips for lobster potting from a rib?

[Tim in Yorkshire]

I've my hobby shellfish permits and some traditional type pots, so now I've got the rib I was planning on launching a couple of pots individually this weekend.

So any tips for launching/recovery of the pots?

Bait tips?

How often to check them?

Anything else for a first timer?

[willk]

Don't take advice from Whisper

[whisper]

Yeah, he's a nobber

[ShinyShoe]

Tim. That means hunt down a monstrous thread from whisper about the subject. By the time you are 2/3 r the way through you will know every urban legend about what to do or not to do. Then in a rib.net n=1 study whisper managed to prove it was all lies by losing the pot.

Summary: Lobster fresh bait. Crab old. Bait needs secured well. Think about the poor critters if the pot gets lost. (Rope that rots and let's critters escape).
Well marked. Weight line to stop it getting chopped in prop. Contact details on pot/marker. Don't place where commercial guys do. Aim for sandy bit near rocks ideally shallow enough that big commercial can't get to it. Make sure it won't dry or be nickable from the beach by publics. Small ones and ladies go back.

Some areas have licences.

[Nos4r2]

Surprisingly, it's not that easy to find the thread so here it is:-

http://www.rib.net/forum/f19/the-lobster-pot-51096.html

[jyasaki]

Originally Posted by ShinyShoe

Summary: Lobster fresh bait. Crab old.

There's one there. Crab will eat most anything but will go after fresh bait before stale/old/rancid.

jky

[whisper]

Yeah I think that's the wrong way round as I remember it...

Lobster - old

Crab - fresh

But then again I've proved that I'm no expert

[Bigmuz7]

The theory is that if its old, and especially oily fish like mackerel .. the 'smell' is strong and will draw lobster from further afield. However I don't really rate that at all, because lobsters try to avoid getting in fights with each other, so , If there is a well known 'bad boy' an a particular spot , and a pot gets dropped near him, nothing else will move in looking for a fight, except perhaps a bigger lobster, but even that isnt too likely IMO. Because they are scavengers, they will check out anything in their area no matter how good or bad it smells, as long as there isnt too much competition for it.

A lot depends on how plentiful they are ofcourse, but IMV you are better using knowledge of the bottom, in tidal areas to get what you want. There are places near me that will only ever yield crab for example. Similarly, its quite rare for me to find a good size crab and lobster in the same pot, although I have caught 2 lobsters in the same pot often, but only if they are in abundance and food is short elsewhere.

Should also say that a period of 24Hrs is required for a good set... with my old pots, he'd have found his way out after that due to the crappy gates I have, and it is believed that they enter the pot most commonly during the evening and early night, so I set at 9AM ish and refish the next day at the same time

[Maximus]

Rough Ground with plenty of cover is a Must...and not on any Pro's Patch...they WILL spot any Pots from their Armchair be more than happy to add to their Collection.

[Tim in Yorkshire]

Thanks, been out before reading all of the above ^.

First tip is that dry pots are floatier than pots that have soaked for a bit, I had to raid one pot for extra weights to make the other sink!

No joy apart from a couple of small crab that went straight back in, better luck next time. None of the commercial potters in the village care about me and my couple of pots, they all think it's funny that I burn plenty of petrol to go get a lobster when it'd be cheaper to buy one off them.

I'll have a read of that potting thread posted, thanks.

[m chappelow]

Tin of cheap cat food with the label removed to make it shiney & a few holes punched in make good bait if no fresh baits at hand .also lasts a few days as they cant get into the tin eat it.
One advantage with a small rib or better sib you can often get into places where more traditional hard boat woulden't dare to venture near or into .
As said earlier you'll need to have an escape exit/door held with something that will rot to them escape should the pot be lost ( ghost fishing ) think in some areas undersize escape slots now have to be fitted too .

[hippyhunter]

All of the above plus:

Tinned dog food works well although the best day I've had was towing in a conked out creel boat who paid in lobsters.