Crab Trap Riggin'

I think you guys are talking about 2 different kind of traps. The danielson ones are rigid steel. I have them as well for my PB and they have 'flopper' doors on each side. You need to weight them so they don't leak crab AND you need to add weight (I use re-bar) to the floor so it doesn't walk. The yak ones are Promar and they are plastic mesh and they have wedge style 'ramps' on the short sides. The can still fish upside down however if you hang your bait and they land upside down you may have bait issues. Since most yakkers don't do overnight soaks loosing pots is less likely.

How are you guys tying the harness/bridle on these TR102s?

Sin went corner to corner (basically made and X) with enough slack so I could gather the lines a couple of feet above the pot and tie in a loop so I could just clip in the line. Make sense?

Eric -

Are you, Ben and the guys using the ChuckE DIY pool noodle float design he describes and has pictured at:

http://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/index.php?page=18

BTW, any idea on what Chuck has placed in the middle of his pool noodle floats? If you look closely you'll see some sort of insert that's flared on each end?

Jeff (a.k.a. Steelerhead)

it looks like hard clear plastic sheet(s) rolled up and stuffed through the center hole of pool noodle.  both ends of the plastic are opened up by applying heat to prevent slipping out.  my guess is that the plastic acts like back bone keeping the pool noodle from bending and deforming.

Chuck, am i right?

That's funny I didn't even notice it. I used a 1/2" PVC piece. I stuffed some strips of noodle in the PVC and capped both ends. Before I did that I added an eye hook to the bottom cap so I have a place that I can clip the float to the line. It also will add some ballast so the noodle will float upright making it easier to see. I can post some pics if it doesn't make sense.

i have not been working on mine at all, but i was planning to put pvc pipe in the middle of mine as well.

Yeah, I'd love to see some pics of your float rigs!

Jeff (a.k.a. Steelerhead)

Here ya go. The noodle part is about 12". The PVC is just long enough to add the caps. So maybe 14". You can't see it but there are couple of zip ties around each noodle since the noodle is pipe insulation (with a slit).

Cool, thanks E! Looks good

Jeff (a.k.a. Steelerhead)

those look good

i got a few traps at outdoor pro shop today , the ones with the rings for 19.99

I just use the pool noodle cut into about 14"-16" lengths.  I run the rope through the noodle and tie it togather then roll it up.  When you put out your trap you unroll it to the depth you need and tie it off with a couple of half hitches.  If I use them at night I stick a glow stick in it and the hole noodle glows.

Tip when pulling in your trap just throw the float over your yak and pull the line in with one hand as you play it out on the other side. This way you do not have a tangled bunch of rope in toyr lap to snag stuff as you set it again.

Anyone checked these out?? http://www.stow-b-low.net/  If they weren't sooooo expensive, I'd love to have one...

Lind of nifty but a little pricy.  You could lose a lot of hoop nets for that price.  I kind of like the excitment of pulling up a hoop net full of crabs and setting them on my lap and catching them before they crawl over the sides. 

Is there a spot in santa cruz i can get a crabin set up, Alameda is too far, and id rather buy local then online, plus no shipping?

thx

Dont know first hand, but would think Bayside Marine would be a place to check.  Dont know many other spots in SC myself, maybe the Capitola tackle shop?  FW has lots of the danielson traps, over in SJ if thats not too far.