Red Potatoes

[Dreampixels]

Ok I am going to stick my neck out here a bit. Has anyone ever tried Red Potatoes for crab bait?

Now if the Three fellows who told me of this works are now LTAO enjoy - I bit OK.

Each one added to the story and backed the others up - it just might be the best snooker they ever pulled.

However I am going to get it a wee try and just see what happens.

The story goes you must cut them in half so the starches seep out.

This will either lead to a whole bunch people LTAO or some very High Prices for Red Potatoes.

[Ronster]

 

I know a guy who pieces of dollar store sponges in bunker oil for bait.... 

[KennyCainJr.]

I'd like to hear how that works out... Possible they may be giving you the business?   

[Dreampixels]

I know a guy who pieces of dollar store sponges in bunker oil for bait.... 

Exactly Ron, I have been thinking of some method to slow release an attractant, a frozen sponge has been in my thoughts. I still remember the day I deeply cut my toe and soaked it in a cold creek to slow the blood flow. With in a few minutes there was a small army of crayfish moving up stream.

I am sure it would work, just need that slow release over time.

[Ronster]

Exactly Ron, I have been thinking of some method to slow release an attractant, a frozen sponge has been in my thoughts.

That's exactly what this guy does.   He freezes them before he goes out and calls them "baitsycles."

[Dreampixels]

That's exactly what this guy does.   He freezes them before he goes out and calls them "baitsycles."

How are his results......?  I understand the crabs must be there, just trying to attract them into my baits.

[Ronster]

He says he catches crabs with his special sponges.   He's an older guy who usually crabs from a bridge or stationary using four or five traps on his boat, which I don't think he takes out more than three or four times a year.   To him, a lot of crabs is 20 or so...

[Dreampixels]

The problem would be so much testing with so many variables accurate results would be nearly impossible. Like to day its hot tomorrow its not.

[Ronster]

Put out 30 traps and bait every fifth with a potato.   If the other traps are catching crabs but your potatoes aren't, you'll know the deal. 

[jack1747]

Thanks for the headsup.  Gonna hoard up on red potatoes.  Won't be any to be found now that it's been on the BCA...

[Chef Lar]

I know what'll be in the garden section next year. Look at my crab bait. It's almost ripe. Seriously though. I often thought about putting one of those .25c cans of catfood in the freezer the night before. Use a church key on it and attach it to the trap. As it thaws and melts away, I'm thinking it would act as a chum slick.

[olclamman]

   back  in the  day   WAY  BACK     there was  a crab  and  fish  supplier  whose name  was  Indian tom
   the story  goes that  one  year  the  crabs  were  not too plentiful   and  his  business was very  slow 
    low  and  be hold  his  wife  died  and    as the  story  goes he  anchored  her  out  off a point 
    BINGO       lots  and  lots  of  crabs  -  a  lot of  the real  old  timers  do not  eat  crabs  to  this  day 
                                                                             oc

[CRABGUY]

Ok I am going to stick my neck out here a bit. Has anyone ever tried Red Potatoes for crab bait?

Now if the Three fellows who told me of this works are now LTAO enjoy - I bit OK.

Each one added to the story and backed the others up - it just might be the best snooker they ever pulled.

However I am going to get it a wee try and just see what happens.

The story goes you must cut them in half so the starches seep out.

This will either lead to a whole bunch people LTAO or some very High Prices for Red Potatoes.

IM LAUGHING RIGHT NOW JUST IN CASE

[dfran]

   back  in the  day   WAY  BACK     there was  a crab  and  fish  supplier  whose name  was  Indian tom
   the story  goes that  one  year  the  crabs  were  not too plentiful   and  his  business was very  slow 
    low  and  be hold  his  wife  died  and    as the  story  goes he  anchored  her  out  off a point 
    BINGO       lots  and  lots  of  crabs  -  a  lot of  the real  old  timers  do not  eat  crabs  to  this  day 
                                                                             oc

And this has WHAT to do with "red potatoes"

[olclamman]

   really  not  a thing   but  it  was  about  crab  bait    sorry  if  it was not  about   the  red  potatoes

[tugcapt]

I just googled "potato bait" and a ton of stuff comes up about using it for fishing and carp bait.

[Ronster]

I just googled "potato bait" and this thread was the only one related to crabbing that came up.

Fixed.   

[tugcapt]

Fixed.   

They use potato, fruit and sweet potato for crayfish traps. Crayfish are closer than carp to crabs. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZt2rfQnQRc

[tugcapt]

I will be in OC all next week crabbing, so I will try some in the crab pot at the house I'm renting. I will report back with pictures. 

[Dreampixels]

Food Preference:

    Blue crabs are opportunistic bottom-dwelling predators and will feed on a variety of live and dead fish, crabs, clams, snails, eelgrass,sea lettuce, and decayed vegetation.
    Adult blue crabs generally feed on clams, soft-shelled crabs, SAV, fishes, oysters and anything else they can successfully capture or scavenge.
    They will even eat other blue crabs that are still soft from a recent molt.
    Blue crab larvae and post-larvae probably feed on rotifers, worm larvae, copepod nauplii and adult copepods.

As you can see they are not strictly meat eaters - I will be testing some myself.

[jack1747]

Why red?

[Dreampixels]

Why red?

Good question. I asked the fellows the same. They said they believed it has to do with the amount of starch, ya know them reds ones are sweeter and seem milkier. But again could be a snooker, not diving into this like OH BOY OH BOY OH BOY!

But it can't do much harm in trying - Besides I think Russ needed a good laugh..........

[Dreampixels]

A Google search says the Red Tator is lower in starch the brown ones

[Dreampixels]

I hope this doesn't break any forum rules because it is a link to another forum, but I found this interesting about potatoes for bait.

If it does just delete..........

http://ausfish.com.au/vforum/showthread.php?111552-best-red-claw-bait

[jack1747]

What's a fish frame?