Not many things excite fishers like the annual rock lobster whites run in the lead up to Christmas!
Here is everything you need to know to boost your odds of pulling in a heavy pot loaded with a feed of crays this summer.
What’s this ‘whites’ run all about?
A “white” cray is simply a freshly moulted cray with a new, soft, pale shell – unlike pre-moulted crays with their hard, dark red shell.
Juvenile crays settle inshore around seagrass and rocky reefs before migrating offshore once they reach maturity at three to four years old. They move in huge numbers, marching north-west toward deeper reef platforms.
And they can travel a long way – DPIRD research shows crays can walk up to 5 km a day, with some tagged at Rottnest later recaptured at the Abrolhos.
This migration – expected to begin anytime from now through early December- is prime time for dropping pots, as crays look for food and shelter along the way.
Hot tips for hot pots!
Keep your pots still on the deck for more crays: Crays are more likely to enter a pot if it is still and any movement will mean no crays in the morning. Cray pots that are well-weighted are much harder to pull up but sit steadily on the seafloor, meaning they are more resistant to swell, surge and storms and are less likely to have their ropes rub or fray against the reef. Plastic and metal pots need extra weight and can roll in rough seas, but timber pots are less likely to move.
Land’em on the sand: For the whites run, pots should be set on the sand on the western side of natural habitats such as reef or weed. This way, as they migrate to the north-west, they will walk off the reef, onto the sand and find your pot sitting there ready for them. Pots dropped on weed or reef during the whites run have a much lower catch success rate – but this tactic does work better for red crays.
Oil be back: The scent of oily baits are easier to detect from longer distances underwater for crays. Blue mackerel, tuna heads and orange roughy heads work well. The popular burley bricks lobster baits are also a great plastic-free, biodegradable alternative packed in cardboard ready to go into your bait basket.
Soak to not choke: As Recfishwest’s crayfish guru Matt Gillett says – “You should soak your new pots before you deploy them as they’re known to bubble for at least 24 hours as the dry wood soaks up the saltwater. Crays hate this and you are unlikely to catch while pots are bubbling, so soak new pots for longer.”
Keep your bait fresh: Fresh is best according to Matt – “Don’t let your bait go rotten in the basket. By changing them every few days at the very least, you’ll increase your odds of catching more whites.”
Go with the flow: As the migration flow of whites continues, keep dropping pots further out to sea, replace your baits, try spreading the pots out and check them every day during this period.
Say nope to bad rope: 11mm ‘pot line’ rope is what you need. As for rope length, figure out the water depth, then add 20 per cent extra and that is the correct length. For example, in a depth of 10m, you should put out 12m of rope. Second hand rope is cheaper and fine for recreational use, but avoid frayed rope. A small weight attached halfway down the rope allows it to hang vertically, reducing cut-off’s from propellers.
Don’t be a drag: 8-inch polystyrene floats are ideal. Any bigger than that means more drag, meaning your pot will move and deter crayfish. Avoid using drums or bottles as floats and mark your float and pots clearly with your ID.
Put the breeders back: Once caught, make sure you check the crays for dark tar-spots or eggs/berries underneath its belly. If these are present, put the crayfish back in the water quickly and safely. If your crayfish is of legal size (76mm), clip the tail of your cray as soon as possible and put them in an ice slurry to keep the crays in the best condition.
Safety reminder
- Do not retrieve pots in rough weather and keep an eye out for our Hazardous Fishing Alerts. If the weather is rough, wait until calmer conditions to retrieve pots.
- Make sure you always wear a lifejacket.
- Pots are heavy, so watch your back, have someone help you if possible and beware of swell and boat tilt.
- Don’t stand in the bight of a rope.
- If your pot gets stuck, let the rope go.
- It’s safer to handle rope and crays wearing gloves.
For the best tips on how to cook crayfish, check out our golden oldie video below! To see all the crayfish rules and regulations while on the water, check out DPIRD’s recreational rock lobster guide or download the Recfishwest app.
