Keep your gear in your eye sight..

Tip...

Cheers All,

As reported earlier by Sculpin I had two sets of prawning gear stolen off Flat Tops during a charter today. Each set had two commercial prawn traps spliced to 500' of 5/16" along with a kellet down 80'. Total value of the gear was in excess $500.00 Both sets were on Polyform A-1 floats - clearly marked with my name and phone number in huge script - and set in 350' of water.

Sad thing is this charter was a re-do from 3 weeks ago when this client was out and we watched our traps being taken in front of our faces. We never got there in time and we never got them back.

So...in 2 trips lost close to $750.00 in gear! Does anyone want to know my opinion on thieves? Or the comments of my guest: Are all Canadians thieves?

Tomorrow morning's chore: splice up another 4 new prawn traps. Oh...and we didn't catch any salmon as we ended up spending an hour searching all the traps in the area. And I have to provide a third charter for my guests.

Hey Fishing Guide I had know idea this was you I was talking to today. I wish we had met under better circumstances. I feel big time for your loss and I would like to know who the boat was 3 weeks ago that took your gear. Do you have a description of it etc or what you saw right in front of you. I always look for suspicious stuff on the water and pass info on to others as best I can.

The float you showed me today was VERY well marked with your name etc. on it. It would stand out like a sore thumb.

Commercial crab guys in the Nanaimo area are off the water for at least 6 months now. If it is anything like last year, crabbing should be spectacular in a few weeks.

I would like to see some descriptions of suspect vessels posted. The red Lund tin boat in the Departure Bay area is noted. Information not shared is useless. I keep a camera onboard to assist in identifying these guys. Even if the info goes no further than ourselves, it would nice to know who these goofs are. Doubtful court action will be an option anyway, so political correctness may be unwarranted.

If we have to watch our gear every time we splash it I for one will be watching with a telephoto lens. We all lose enough gear through natural causes to be happy with theft. I also think most gear lost by newcomers to fishing is through natural causes, not theft as is so often touted. But when I hear of accounts by experienced fishers like Fishing Guide, their claims I will take seriously. We can either sit back and watch repeated thefts happen, or get pro-active, organized and figure out a way to combat it. I believe it is do-able, we simply need to put our collective heads together and come up with a solution.

You guys have been talking about having gear stolen. I spoke with a Sechelt friend about it and he mentioned that his two brothers ere fishing herrng off Nanaimo and they put out some prawn gear. They came on someone lifting it but were too slow to catch him. Funnily enough they saw him the next day picking up someone else's gear and this time, as he was mid pickup, they were able to get alongside. Their gear was still in his boat. They took it back. I've asked him to get a description of the boat and the thief and I'll post it.
Cheers

there won't be any political correctness from me if I ever catch someone messing with my gear...

Prawning has been awesome off the flat tops the last few weeks. 350 feet with frozen fish heads brings up to 200 per trap in a couple of hours. I have never figured out the dungeness in the area. Anyone willing to share some tips for the Silva Bay area?

gees correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought prawns were closed from Entrance to Balanaes Is, till March 31st?

Could be why he's doin so well eh?