Patent Dipper

[Crabslayer]

I just got off the phone with a comm on the ES. He said if you keep your line to 2,000' or less it is not a problem. The problem occurs when you run 5,000' in one shot.

Jer, you hit the nail on the head as usual![wink]

Dale, I know. It is a serious concern of mine.

[Durado]

.....next time your at the narrow's, take a ride down and count how many crab boats have dippers and how many don't. It's a bout 75% with dippers and you know most of them delivering right to United shellfish right there. Dipping gets tough, on your knees and elbows. The autodipper is worth it's weight in gold, and like everything....takes some getting used to, but they work and catch alot of crabs. Try it, if you don't like it, you can sell it very fast. 2x2 Galvanized basket and davit weights about 60 lbs, stainless a little more. Aluminum will bend. JMO Good Luck!
Chris

.....all good points above, with a lot of years experience and alot of truth. Just weigh your options and run with it. I'm not home at the moment, but when I do...I'll send you a pic of mine.[smile]

[mikie]

T.H. - There is a drawing in the book "Harvesting the Chesapeake", along with an account of their use. Some rigs today actually dispense with the "net bag" and use strictly a basket made of aluminum or stainless.
Having done both, if I were looking strictly to make a living - I'd go with crab pots. More of a capital expenditure at startup, but more crabs and more consistant catch over the season. My wife and I could "fish" a pot every 45 seconds. Most crab boats use 3 people which cuts the time even farther. Trotlining is a much more "cutthroat" business, day to day, jockeying for a good lay and fighting the other crabbers. It's not as care free as it might seem from the outside. Just my observation.

[Durado]

.....I agree with mikie. Good money to be made with pots, but alot of overhead maintaining them. Also, unless your lot is zoned commercial, you may get a visit from the county about having 300 pots stacked up in your yard, or even 50...that's still alot. Your gonna need a bigger boat and spares. IMO, The best way to get going is to sit down and talk to people like Capt. Dale and Rj....who have been around and tried everything in the book. If there's a simpler and more effective way to do it, they know....I'm still a greenhorn, so I'm always listening! JMO

[rrr]

So how long should your line be if you are using a dipper? Im gonna make one for myself this year.

[Capt. Dale]

Mikie
I too agree with what you said. But IMHO potting is a young
mans game. Also you'll need a minium of a 300 pot license
and as you say start up cost are very expense + the fact
of 20% loss of pots due to weather !!
Would't it be nice to find a 5000' lay durning the season
all to yourself [smile]
I use to have to argue with two different boats from Tilgman Isl.
for my lousley 1800" lay. in the South River If I got there at 3:30AM The next day one of they was there at 3:00.[sad]
Capt Dale

[Capt. Dale]

3R's
It's more fo a question of how mush area to you have to work in
exemple: say there's a triangle area you can fish of 3 sides of 1200' each you are set. Or am L shape of 1800' X 1200'
Or straight line of 3000' make it two 1500'
Good Luck
Capt Dale

[mikie]

You're right Capt. Dale, crab potting ain't for sissys. That's why most of these guys hire 2 young bucks to do all of the hard part, the Capt. ends up steering and hooking the pots. True, there is a certain amount of loss every year, depending on where you set the pots. But, that's a part of doing business, and you can write it off on your tax return.
As far as argueing over decent lays, it happens everywhere. These guys that have known each other all of their lives still fight over spots. You can imagine how they treat a "newbie" who gets in a place where they've been working?

[Capt. Dale]

Mikie
The point of Writing it off
I wrote off every thing related to Fishing & Crabbing
in the Day [smile]
That was the best part of a Guide & LCC license [grin]

[John Yurch]

I was on the Severn one day and pulled up to a guy running a big commercial boat from the Eastern Shore. I got to see this patent diper in action for one pick. He had a nice load of crabs in the basket but I knew there were a l;ot of whitebellies having crabbed the day before. I just thought that if light crabs have a problem making it when they are just plucked off of a trotline, what chance do these crabs have after being in a net for the time it takes to run a couple of thousand feet of line, then get hoisted up with all the weight of the other crabs on it, then dropped into a calling box in a way that was anything but gentle.
We as trotliners have the luxury of throwing that whitebellie back to be caught another day, but even if that waterman wants to throw that crab back what is iit's chance of survival. Just my 2 cents. Good luck in whatever you choose.