Ace prawn pullers seem to only assist in the hauling of traps...ie they need human power to stop the rope from feeding back into the water if the operator stops excerting constant pressure on the bucket end.
Well I tried something the other day and amazed the crap outa myself....and it will now be how I roll on the ace from now on.
A tire tube from a lawn cart when cut in the exact middle, 2 inches wide, will fit perfectly on the drivewheel when stretched over it and allowed to lay in the groove. When used on the water the rubber grips the prawn rope ...stopping it from sliding back when the rope is released, alright...not only that, it still pulls from the bottom with no human contact on the boat end of the rope except to feed it into the bucket. You guys probably already know this but I figured it out on my own ...tryin to make an easy pullin job even easier....and I thought I'd share . Not even sure if I actually even need to use the bottom pulley at all...I still will if only to ease the load on the motor. I can use my prawn puller and pull 2 traps from 350 feet with 2 fingers used to coil the rope.....for a guy with a bad back I am surprisingly pleased.

Great idea!

very good tip, I'm going to try this, if its ok with you!!

Cheers,

Curious if you take the tube off to wash it down or simply leave it on. I would be worried about the salt water underneath causing problems over the long run.

Terrific idea. I think everyone who tries and likes this idea should pay you a royalty - perhaps a wobbly pop?