crabs versus bouyancy

[baitmaster]

with fishing from spring and knowing that bait robbing crabs are about

do anyone use little cork/poly balls to keep the bait up off the bottom away from crabs or does this not make any difference in them being able to reach the bait
also how long would you leave a bait out before checking whether the crabs have stripped it 15min /20 mins ect or longer ?
sorry to keep asking these questions but i want to learn please

tightlines
baitmaster

[FlyingFox]

Hi mate

The only time i tend to use them floating beads is when im fishing for bream or gars from a beach such as selsey or summit and i normally use a long rig and long snoods and with a string of beads on the hook length.....to lift the mack strip higher into the water. as for the time between casts....... not realy longer then 20 mins for me but all depends on what the water conditions are like and if there is much weed/tide run or crabs and what fish your after.

Ollie.

[big guy]

if the crabs are about they will take a bait that is 2ft + off the bottom, if you fish higher in the water than that the fish aren't there.

use crab on the hook is the best way to get away from the crabs, velvets are best and common hens being the most likely to be eaten by crabs. but any crab bait will last longer than worm/ fish.

[MRG2000]

Better off fishing on the bottom,and rebaiting every 20 mins me thinks,and also fish are attracted to small groups of crabs feeding so in a way they can be agood thing as well as a pain in the bum.....

[Rob M]

Originally Posted by Charter Skipper

Better off fishing on the bottom,and rebaiting every 20 mins me thinks,and also fish are attracted to small groups of crabs feeding so in a way they can be agood thing as well as a pain in the bum.....

Thats what I do too. If the crabs are attacking the bait, my rods get reeled in every 5-10mins. When that tides moving, there's not a minute to lose

Rob

[PUFFIN]

Crabs are good swimmers, and can easily get 4 to 5 foot off the bottom I'm a scuba diver and have watched them. Also even bottom fish will come high in the water if the bait is good enough, have pulled fish from 40feet below me while on a safty stop with a pork sausage (cooked) broken up in the water, interesting as you get mobbed by them. Just a thought. How about a zig rig for bass?

[cod head]

how about drying the crab shell of alive hard back, then super glueing it to
your hook or hooks. and every now and then twitching it so that it dose not bury its self too deep into the sand.

[PUFFIN]

Interesting idea but it will more likey look for cover under a rock or in a crack, perhaps a running large float below a heavyish weight over fished to depth so crab could swimm around at 6 foot below the surface would work, have to cast it all out of a bucket though, no pendulems here, though would love to watch sombody try!!!

[cod head]

has been tried on our beach with small crabs worked well
it cant move far with 5oz of lead attached to it.