Yabbies or Crabs?

[LordHarold]

G'Day all,

I got my first bait pump today and wanted to try out pumping some yabbies. So I drove down to warneet on a scouting run during the low tide. Walked on the muddy flats next to the yacht club and stared at the holes for some time standing dead still. What I soon noticed was that a lot of crabs walked out of these holes. Well, almost half the holes. Carrying my curiosity, I drove up to Blind Bight, and then down to Tooradin only to find the same thing.

So my question is; how do I know which holes are crab holes and which ones are yabbies. Many have told me these locations are good for pumping yabbies but no one told me what to look for as a first timer.

[Sebb]

I have no idea, but if there are crabs there where you're fishing then I'm guessing it's as good bait as yabbies.

[LordHarold]

Thanks Sebb for the input. As per my understanding, you aren’t allowed to use a bait pump to collect crabs. And I have no experience in collecting these red shore crabs by hand because they are quite agile creatures. May be it’s time to get some research going about how to collect them. And what species they are a good bait for.

[Texas]

$2 shops sell "fairy" nets or butterfly nets
I use one for grasshoppers
Gra

[Seniorfisho]

Yabbie holes are usually smaller than crab holes I think, anyway, have you had a look on Youtube, plenty of info there

[Sebb]

Thanks Sebb for the input. As per my understanding, you aren’t allowed to use a bait pump to collect crabs. And I have no experience in collecting these red shore crabs by hand because they are quite agile creatures. May be it’s time to get some research going about how to collect them. And what species they are a good bait for.

Oh yeah that's true, I don't think we're allowed to collect crabs and other molluscs in tidal area. We're allowed to collect crabs by hand deeper than the tidal 'zone'.

[LordHarold]

Yabbie holes are usually smaller than crab holes I think, anyway, have you had a look on Youtube, plenty of info there

Thanks. That’s something I didn’t know before. I’ll keep that in mind the next time I go scouting.

$2 shops sell "fairy" nets or butterfly nets
I use one for grasshoppers
Gra

Thank you, I believe these are for crabs? I’m going to first get some yabbies because I already got myself a pump.

Oh yeah that's true, I don't think we're allowed to collect crabs and other molluscs in tidal area. We're allowed to collect crabs by hand deeper than the tidal 'zone'.

I’m sure we are allowed to collect in Western Port but the thing is these little things are very agile and they run away before you can take a good look at them

[Omer]

It's going to take some trial and error, but once you figure it out it's quite straight forward to get a few yabbies for bait. From experience, the yabbies are usually a touch closer to the water (when the water is low obviously). I mean I've never pumped from WP but they usually prefer really wet mud, almost to the point where the hole is still submerged in water. They don't go out and crawl around like the crabs (who can be more on the outskirts and survive in the moist, but not wet, sand). Yabbies need more water to survive during the low tide. Hope this provides some direction.

Make sure to wash down your pump also afterward and have fun baiting them up. It's the one part I don't enjoy.