Kayak Fishing for Shellfish

For some time now, I have thought how great it would be to use the kayak to occasionally fish for shellfish as opposed to just fish.  Initially, I thought about buying a commercial shrimp and crab pot however, I soon realised on a kayak there could be potential problems.  The weight of the pots could make it difficult to pull up and the size could be a storage problem.

I wanted two pots, one for shrimps, and one suitable for lobsters, velvet swimming crabs, and larger crabs such as brown crabs and spider crabs.

For shrimps, I needed a pot with small entrance holes of about an inch.  This would ensure crabs would not enter the pot and make a meal of the shrimps!  Searching the internet, I came across an Eagle Claw Minnow Trap.

Although advertised as a minnow trap, the two entrance holes are only 1" diameter therefore, ideal for shrimps.  The pot is lightweight and measures only 16" x 9" therefore, no problem to carry on the kayak.  It has two equal halves that clip together held by a sprung clip.  Baiting up would be a matter of releasing the clip, and inserting the bait into a mesh bag or stocking.

To make sure the shrimps cannot crawl up the inside of the mesh and find their way out, I cut the tops of a couple of plastic salad dressing bottles and using the thread of the bottle, screwed into the entrance holes.  The thread holds it in place.  This should make it more difficult for the shrimps to find the entrance holes and escape.

With the addition of a piece of cord, an SMB divers reel, a marker buoy, and a couple of weights, the shrimp pot was ready to go.

My biggest dilemma was finding a suitable pot for lobsters or velvet swimming crabs but in particular, larger crabs.  The majority of hobby pots available are more suited to small crabs, or freshwater crayfish with entrance hole sizes to suit as shown below.

Although lightweight and collapsible, the entrance holes on this pot are only 6cm, which would be fine for velvet swimming crabs and possibly lobsters but not edible brown crabs and spider crabs.

Commercial crab pots have much larger entrance holes of about 20cm however; they are much too heavy and bulky to manage on a kayak.

Eventually, I came across a collapsible pot supplied by Castnets.

This trap has a full width walk in one-way soft entrance measuring 55cm x 35cm at both ends therefore, no problem with the entrance being too small for larger crabs.

The pot is not small, the collapsed measurements are 109cm x 55cm x 35cm however, I found it no problem to store on the kayak.  I can position it behind my seat secured with a piece of bungee cord and a carbine hook.

The weight is about 2kg, which is about the same as my anchor with chain therefore, no problem to haul up from the depths.  Of course, in the unlikely event that I may fill the pot with sweet spider crabs, there should be no problem hauling the pot up with a few crabs inside.

Once again, with the addition of an SMB divers reel, a marker buoy, and a couple of weights, the crab pot was ready to go.

The next step was to work out how and when to set the traps from the kayak. I could paddle out, set the traps, leave them for a day, and come back to pick them up but I did not really want the hassle and the commitment. For me, it would be far more convenient to set the traps when I planned to go out fishing for the day and collect on the way in.

In addition, I needed to learn the habitat of the species I was targeting.  There is a great video on YouTube produced by Seafish that gives an insight into UK commercial shellfish fishing with plenty of useful information on the various species.

Before actually using the traps, I wanted to check with the Cornwall Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority any rules that may apply to non-commercial shellfish anglers.  Although there is no limit to the number of pots a hobby angler can use there are regulations as follows:

• There are the usual minimum size limits. 
• A maximum of two fish per day can be landed from the following species: lobster, crawfish, edible crab, or spider crab.

A maximum of two fish could be two lobsters, or one lobster and one edible crab, or one edible crab and one spider crab etc.

Additional rules apply to lobster and crawfish (spiny lobster) as shown on the minimum size limit chart as follows:

• The removal of berried lobsters and crawfish is prohibited.
• V-notched lobsters and crawfish must be returned, and any with a tail flap which is missing or mutilated unless specific permission has been granted by Cornwall IFCA.

This year each time I go out fishing for the day, I will be taking the pots with me and will post later on their success or failure. Apart from the possibility of adding shellfish to the dinner table, collecting the pots after fishing will be an exciting added interest to the day.

Update June 2014:

Since writing the above post I have experimented with the pots and below is a video about kayak fishing for shellfish.

Kayak Clothing - Winter Socks

When out on the kayak in the winter, there is one thing I suffer from badly and that is cold feet!  I have no problem keeping the rest of the body warm however; it is always my feet that succumb to the elements first.  I have tried all the usual layering such as, a pair of liner socks followed by a couple of pairs of high toggle rating thermal socks however, I still come in with numb feet caused by the cold.

I admit keeping your feet warm in the winter on a kayak is not easy.  The feet are in a stationary position with toes pointing upwards encouraging blood to flow away.  Another problem is water getting into the neoprene boot, which usually happens when wading in to launch the kayak.  Although the stocking feet of immersion suits are waterproof, any amount of cold water surrounding the foot is not conducive to keeping your feet warm.

After trying several different types of socks advertised as Arctic or extreme cold weather socks without success, I had just about given up on the possibility of going out on a winter’s day for six to eight hours fishing and coming in with feet I can walk on!  However, I then came across a pair of Lorpen Trekking Expedition Polartec Primaloft Socks.

These socks certainly looked and felt different from any other socks I had tried.  The manufacturer Lorpen describes the socks as follows: "the ultimate sock for the true expedition experience designed for hard shell mountaineering footwear and extended cold weather.  Two layers of Polartec Power Stretch fabric sandwiching PrimaLoft Footwear insulation in a left and right foot anatomical shape put these socks on the cutting edge of warmth technology.  Tested above 8,000 meters these socks are as good as it gets".

With a retail price tag of £55.00 I was hoping they were "as good as it gets".  Fortunately, in the New Year sales I picked up a pair for £32.97, which is still expensive.

It was unlikely that these socks on their own would be enough therefore; my layering plan was as follows:

A pair of 65% Marino wool liner socks.
A pair of Lorpen Trekking Expedition Polartec Primaloft Socks.
A pair of toggle rated four thermal socks.
The stocking feet of my immersion suit.
A pair of Crewsaver 5mm neoprene wetsuit boots two sizes bigger than my feet.

Despite all of the above, I did not expect the luxury of coming in after eight hours fishing in the cold with toasty warm feet however, if I could at least cure the tingling numb feet I could hardly walk on I would be pleased.  I am happy to report that is the case.

I have had two winter trips since purchasing the Lorpen socks and they have definitely made a difference.  My feet stay comfortable all day and when I come in and walk; my feet no longer feel numb.  The only improvement I feel I could make is a pair of longer neoprene boots that come up to below the knee instead of above the ankle.  This may stop some of the water getting into the boot.  To date, I have not been able to find a pair big enough (UK14) to have enough room for all of the layers and still maintain some important airflow!