crab bait

In the interest of saving our native species, and getting rid of a introduced species, I would try CATS.

Ros,
I do like the suggestion a bout cats, I'm in favour of anything that removes those vermin from our land.

My suggestion is tinned cat food. Punch a couple of holes in the tin with a nail so the water can get in and flush out the scent.

Make sure it's tied to the trap good and tight as a big muddy will shred the tin like a can opener.

Pick the cheapest you can find at the local supermarket and away you go.

Tinned stuff is great to take on say a Cape York trip as it keeps forever.

Sorry to hear about your Musk Lorikeet they are a lovely native bird. I do suspect though the Musks and all its cousins are in more danger from cats than pythons!

Hope all that helps,

Geoff

They say Rabbit is good

lorikeets Mate couple of them and ya will have crabs for days.

Hello

As others have said we have been successful with tin cat food - we tend to use one with oil like tuna, we have also tried chicken carcas or chicken necks.

Cheers

I find that some spleen is a good thing over here in wait awhile'
Cheap as chips and keeps frozen for ages.
It works on the blue mannas but dont imagine the big tasty (drool mmmm mudcrabs) fella's you have over/up there will be much different.
I will send through the address so any excess can be dealt with promptly (drool .... mudcrabs).

Rabbits, European Carp or any roadkill. Don't know about crabs, but shrimps in the Murray love Velvet Soap.

Louie

Perhaps some of the "colourful identities" in the news in Sydney and Melbourne recently could advise on baiting crab pots, they've been one of their tools-of-trade I understand.

Any old "road kill" fresher the better.....for you putting it in the pot that is.....the crabs don't mind how old it is hehehe

So long as you can stomach eating something that has been pigging out on 5 day old road kill you should enjoy many a feed with this bait.

Cheers, Trevor.

I think it's an offence to use birds or mammals for bait in SA. Don't know about other states. I always use European Carp.

A few years ago i was talking to some professional mudcrabbers, who had worked all along the top end of Oz, from Queensland right over to the East Kimberley.They said that the best bait was actually ''Horse''. They worked for 4 weeks then offloaded the crab in darwin and would go out onto stations and shoot the feral horses that werent wanted. They said it was by far the best bait. Also Donkey was too but beef wasnt. Up here myself and friends only ever use fish carcass or lamb necks. Lamb(rosettes) necks are excellent bait, muddies love it and there easy to wire in the pot and last a long time in there. Cheap too. Tried the cat food trick and wasnt as successful as the lamb necks, but it does work and is a very good,clean cheap and easy alternative when travelling. If only i could get me hands on a horse....

Ros

For mud crabs try donkey and camel.

Ros.

Just try the cheapest tuna in oil that you can buy.
Probably cheaper than cat food and seems to work well.
Makesure that it is in oil not water.

Rob

thank you very much the tin food sounds great, and the chicken carcus that would otherwise be thrown out and maybe a spleen or too.
I must admit we did laugh at the sarcastic answers as well and I knew they'd be coming......
regards ros

Do Australian waterways a BIG favour and use Carp.