wildwill
New member
I need to try to splice as well--everyone makes it sound so easy, as does the instructions on the link above, but when I look at the pictures, my mind begins to knot up.
Well how did everyone do on the shrimp opener?
- Thread starter akdube
- Start date
Bullelkklr
New member
Patrick - are you leaning over the side and pulling straight up? I first used a bouy/bucket combo and that ended up being so stressful for eveyone else on the boat that I started hand pulling. I bought a pot puller pulley that locks into my rod holder base - what a difference - that makes it easy (almost)...and they only cost about 35$.
We have a top over the rear deck of our boat. We pull by hand too and rigged a pulley to the frame for the top. Now we pull down on the rope in order to pull the pots up. Way better. We also don't put more than 2 pots on a string. You can spread your pots out more in a new area and home in on the honey hole (if there is one) in a few sets.
patrickL
New member
That is what I started out doing 3 seasons ago. Then I got a setup like you're referring to but now I use the buoy method. I pull the pots up using the buoy method but this is only good until I reach the knot attaching the drop line to the ground line. After that its the armstrong method to get the ground line and pots in. Its not terrible but does probably result in a few of the buggers getting out. Not to mention, pulling two strings with 5 pots total several times over the course of a weekend gets old quick.
I pulled by hand my first two seasons as well and bought one of these--a Scotty, I believe, that fits in the rod holder base. I thought it helped quite a lot and keep it on board as a backup in case my Brutus fails.
spoiled one
Well-known member
Another tip for pulling on the cheap is to use your tender and motor. Run the line over your gunwale, hand the buoy to the guy/gal in the tender and have them pull away. Give them the signal to drop the buoy when the pot is up. I would put a few wraps of red tape about 50' up from the pot as a warning or you might need to wear a helmet. It works!
Friends of ours used that technique. It was quite fun to watch from our boat. They never really got their signals down on when to stop pulling with the dingy. They gave that trick up after continually tearing things up.
Bullelkklr-
Where do I go to get one of the setups you are talking about? This would be the perfect for my boat until I can spring for a elec puller.
patrickL
New member
Try B&Js. They have them and are one of my favorite fishing supply places in anchorage. They have a bunch of stuff, decent prices and good knowledge. Lots of places in town sell the pulley you put into a the scotty rod holder base. I've seen them at Freddy's as well and sportsmans. I'd actually recommend getting the slider for pulling with a buoy. Its cheap and saves pulling the 600ft drop line. B&Js has the metal version which I prefer. Then you could use the pulley scotty makes for bringing the rest in.
Thanks Patrick. Its been awhile since I've been to B&J's. I have the setup for pulling with a bouy and had the same conclusions that others mentioned about the amount of shrimp lost, so the pulley setup in a scotty pole holder sounds like what I need to take some of the stress of leaning over and pulling 500'.
chico99645
Well-known member
What Depth are you guys setting your pots at? Last year second week of may, I was at 450 and doing ok. Might head out this weekend and curious on depth success. Thanks in advance.
Sierra Hotel
New member
Patrick, it looks like you've got an anchor winch on your boat - or is it a true windlass? If'n it's a winch, try using that?
Cheers,
John
Cheers,
John
Bullelkklr
New member
I think that I get more shrimp by hand than the bouy method. I am of the opinion that pulling the bouy all over the bay loses shrimp.
It would be interesting to do a test. Put 100 shrimp in your pot. Drop em to the bottom in say 300 foot. Pull em by hand, bouy, puller, yacht, and do your counts again. Anyone care to donate a couple hundred shrimp for my experiment???? LOL
I have a bad flavor with bouy pulling from one trip where we were very tired and I had a friend driving the boat - while I was in the back watching the line and providing directions (by screaming to overcome the engines). Well, the girls got upset because I was yelling (so that he could hear me) I didn't realize the first pot was up. The tension on that little rope is a LOT. The pot tried to pull through the slip fitting, broke off the pot, (string of 5), and luckily a couple hairs on one of the strands caught and held the other 4 pots. then we bent over the gunwhale and pulled the remaing 4 pots up by hand anyway.
I use two quick disconnect ganions on each pot. I haven't lost one yet, but this year I bought the little pegs. When a pot hits the back of the dinghy (zodiac) I grab it, pull it around the pontoon, jerk it into the boat and disconnect it. Hand it to the wife and start pulling again. It literally takes us about 15 minutes to pull a 4 pot string from 700 foot. A little arm workout never hurt anyone!
I find it much more relaxing to just pull them by hand - I have enough excitement in life I don't need it on the water.
It would be interesting to do a test. Put 100 shrimp in your pot. Drop em to the bottom in say 300 foot. Pull em by hand, bouy, puller, yacht, and do your counts again. Anyone care to donate a couple hundred shrimp for my experiment???? LOL
I have a bad flavor with bouy pulling from one trip where we were very tired and I had a friend driving the boat - while I was in the back watching the line and providing directions (by screaming to overcome the engines). Well, the girls got upset because I was yelling (so that he could hear me) I didn't realize the first pot was up. The tension on that little rope is a LOT. The pot tried to pull through the slip fitting, broke off the pot, (string of 5), and luckily a couple hairs on one of the strands caught and held the other 4 pots. then we bent over the gunwhale and pulled the remaing 4 pots up by hand anyway.
I use two quick disconnect ganions on each pot. I haven't lost one yet, but this year I bought the little pegs. When a pot hits the back of the dinghy (zodiac) I grab it, pull it around the pontoon, jerk it into the boat and disconnect it. Hand it to the wife and start pulling again. It literally takes us about 15 minutes to pull a 4 pot string from 700 foot. A little arm workout never hurt anyone!
I find it much more relaxing to just pull them by hand - I have enough excitement in life I don't need it on the water.
