catch bags + glove advice?
Printed From: The Fishing Website
Category: Diving
Forum Name: Spearo's Corner
Forum Description: Free-divers & spearos chat about their sport
URL: https://www.fishing.net.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=18305
Printed Date: 04 Jun 2026 at 7:36am
Topic: catch bags + glove advice?
Posted By: DeKay
Subject: catch bags + glove advice?
Date Posted: 15 Jan 2007 at 10:01pm
Hey, Just wondering what you think of pozi catch vs spring loaded catch bags? I have been using a bit of sock and an upgrade is in order. So which one do you prefer? Also, whats better for gloves? leather? kevlar? thinking gathering and maybe some spearing soon? thanks in advance for your tips. dk |
Replies:
Posted By: ThomasW
Date Posted: 15 Jan 2007 at 11:13pm
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I brought a spring loaded bag off trade me. It seems to work fine, quality is not the best and has rusted a bit, and one of the springs falls off but it does the job fine. Easily holds most things I and I have never been 'worried' about losing anything from it.
With regards to gloves. I have tried rubber grippy stuff, Leather and kevlar. I find that leather offers the best general compromise. It offers decent protection to hold onto crays and kina, but still has great flexibility for when using a speargun. I brought cheap seapro ones ($30) and they have started to worn out after about 15 dives. I do not know how long a pair of gloves should last, they also do not offer much warmth. If I was only going to target crays I would probably wear Kevlar. Or maybe just cheap garden gloves. |
Posted By: Bull
Date Posted: 16 Jan 2007 at 9:15am
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For paua gathering I use a draw string bag that my booties came in. For crays I use nooses that are easy to make out of mono and crimps. This combination makes it really easy to tow through the water. The catch bags are like a big sail in the water and loaded up with some paua and crays and it is pretty tiring pulling it through the water.
I do use the spring loaded bag for scallops though as getting them in the bag easily is the most important attribute in this case.
As for gloves I use leather as well. When targetting crays you know you are going to get a few scratches when going for the catch but like you say they are not that bulky reasonably warm and offer reasonable protection. Even kevlar gloves you can go through pretty quickly as the thing that usually gives out is the stitching. Pain having $90 for gloves which fall apart quickly is the stitching gives out. The best way to look after the stitching is like looking after clothes. Sun and sea will persish the stitching so washing after use and drying quickly and leaving in a dark place will keep the stitching in better condition longer.
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Posted By: Snoop
Date Posted: 17 Jan 2007 at 3:51pm
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The Rob Allen Cray Net Bags are awesome, go to http://www.wildblue.co.nz - www.wildblue.co.nz to check out. They don't cause resistance in the water, and are great if you want to shark clip to the back of your float.
My dedicated cray hound buddies use the Waist Catch Bags which are great if you are in the shallows and working cray/paua spots. My only reservation about this is that it is weighing you down under water, and cray diving can be the worst when it comes to the shallow water black out potential (given the propensity to not rest up between dives etc)
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Posted By: ThomasW
Date Posted: 17 Jan 2007 at 3:54pm
| How durable are the cray nets? |
Posted By: Snoop
Date Posted: 17 Jan 2007 at 4:00pm
| Pretty durable. As I mentioned, I clip mine off to my float, so it isn't going to get banged around. The nylon rope has that coating that protects it. I was once, in a former life, a keen scuba diver (hung up the bcd in 2004), and wouldn't probably recommend this design for scuba because you'd need to clip it on by d-clip to your bcd and it is going to catch up on rocks when you are working them. But for free diving, where you ideally do not want to be physically connected to a catch bag, awesome. Key advantage being a net design is it does not act like a drogue (sail) like the old conventional fluruorescent "here I am" spring catch bag. |
Posted By: DeKay
Date Posted: 17 Jan 2007 at 9:45pm
Thanks for all the advice, it's appreciated. I am thinking that some cheap leather gloves are the go for me and I did wonder why catch bags come in the colours of an 80s ski suit  . Mesh sounds like the go rather than a solid bag, and I had not considered cliping the bag onto the float but it sounds like a great idea (especially for freedom of movement). Off to the retailer I head. I'll let you know how I get on with my new gear. Thanks again. DK. |
Posted By: ThomasW
Date Posted: 17 Jan 2007 at 10:20pm
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I always thought they were bright colours to make them easy to find if they were dropped.
The one I use is plan old black. It has mesh bottom, and nylon top. I normally thread it onto my weight belt and it does not bother me at all. |
Posted By: TheSnapperWhisperer
Date Posted: 18 Jan 2007 at 11:11am
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long lasting gloves are hard to find. I go through several pairs a year. Kevlar is longest lasting, but to maximise teh life of them even you need to put Aquaseal (A wetsuit glue, which you can buy from any dive shop) with a sprinkle of sand, on all the seams especially the finger tips. They will then last for quite a long time.
I like the Rob Allen waist bags too. An alternative, if you are using a float anyway, is to buy cray snares. This consists of 6 lengths of mono with a loose crimp that you can hok crays onto around the tail. They are secure and very low resistance. Here is a pic.
 ------------- http://www.facebook.com/TheSnapperWhisperer |
Posted By: tom1
Date Posted: 18 Jan 2007 at 4:51pm
| If you like the cray snares deeekaay, just make one- it's a piece of piss and takes all of 5 minutes. Thus saving enough cash for at least 12 beers. |
Posted By: DeKay
Date Posted: 18 Jan 2007 at 8:52pm
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Great photo! Really nice to see the snare in action. So would you use about 100kg nylon and a double crimp with one end crimped and threaded back through the other crimp to create a noose, then tie the loose end to the float? I am considering a small waist catch bag with a mesh bottom as per wildblue and making a few snares for a float. I would be happy to fill even one snare at the moment. What about those cray lassoo things? Are they worth using? I think it might be nice not to have to stick your arm deep into small crevices. Can you DIY those as well? Thanks for your great responses. Great constructive advice. Appreciated.    DK |
Posted By: ThomasW
Date Posted: 18 Jan 2007 at 10:05pm
| Cray lassoo are technically illegal to use to get crays with. |
Posted By: DeKay
Date Posted: 18 Jan 2007 at 10:32pm
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Thanks for letting me know, I checked the MAF site found the advice I got at my local fishing shop was incorrect, and they read it to me out of the brochure they had! Checking the MAF site I realise they read the part about spears and puncturing the shell but did not mention "handgathering is the only harvest method available to divers". They mentioned that they had divers on charters with the devices. This was about 5 months ago. I saw a lasso device advertised on trademe a few days ago as well... here's a hook advertised now... http://www.trademe.co.nz/Sports/SCUBA-snorkelling/Other/auction-84536825.htm - http://www.trademe.co.nz/Sports/SCUBA-snorkelling/Other/auction-84536825.htm MAF info http://www.fish.govt.nz/en-nz/Recreational/Most+Popular+Species/Rock+Lobster/Getting+to+grips+with+handling+and+measuring+lobsters.htm?WBCMODE=PresentationUnpublished - http://www.fish.govt.nz/en-nz/Recreational/Most+Popular+Species/Rock+Lobster/Getting+to+grips+with+handling+and+measuring+lobsters.htm?WBCMODE=PresentationUnpublished Also, found the craysnare comic. Well done and thanks deadeye! This site is a great resource. cheers dk |
Posted By: tom1
Date Posted: 19 Jan 2007 at 8:21am
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I didn't mean a noose for catching them.
I mean a snare like in TSWs pic, for keeping rather than catching. It's not illegal to use a snare to keep them on your float as you don't damage them.
I find using a noose on a breath hold too fiddly, easier and less damaging to get them by tickling them forward with a hook or your spear, then go in for the grab.
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Posted By: TheSnapperWhisperer
Date Posted: 19 Jan 2007 at 8:31am
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DK, the snares are a simple loop with a crimp which fits snugly so you can pull the mono through with maybe a kg or 2 of pressure. Thicker mono will be less prone to tangling, but use whatever you can lay your hands on with the best fitting crimps. A torch can also be a good investment if you get very keen on crays, but not necessary. ------------- http://www.facebook.com/TheSnapperWhisperer |
Posted By: DeKay
Date Posted: 19 Jan 2007 at 3:49pm
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Thanks for your advice and help, I will be in the water tomorrow with any luck! Have a good weekend and happy hunting and gathering.
dk
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Posted By: Cray hunter
Date Posted: 27 Apr 2007 at 11:14pm
| deekay how did you go with sorting out a catch bag and gloves? Ive just loged on to this site and read your posting. I have done quite some diving over the years and went through gloves like no mans land and it is only in the past 9 months iv found and tested a glove that pro dive make stand up to the cray catching test. cost $59 and have not showed any real problems of coming apart. these gloves have handled a lot of bugs in the past 3 months and still look great. on the catch bag i use the pozi just because it is so tough and last a lot longer than any other bag. |
Posted By: DeKay
Date Posted: 28 Apr 2007 at 9:00am
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HI Cray hunter, I ended up with a pair of cheapie 3mm gloves which are starting to wear but are still up to the task. I bought a springloaded catch bag which I barely use now due to it's bulk. I have a small mesh bag (used to contain a parka) attached to my belt which fits about 4 paua. I think a waist bag like a pozi would have been a better choice. I made up a couple of cray snares to attach to my float and I have managed to use them! Pretty stoked for a beginner. It took me about 1.5 hours of diving a full crack to manage a decent cray tho, I think my technique needs improving.... I could often grap the feelers but not quite qet to the body for a good grip. Also, some of them wedged themselves into a hole and I felt like I would crush them if I tried to pull too hard. Any tips? cheers DK |
Posted By: G R
Date Posted: 28 Apr 2007 at 10:36am
| When they wedge themselves, i push them back a bit then pull quickly you might have to do this a few times but it always breaks there grip! we call it "punching" them out! |
Posted By: Rusky
Date Posted: 28 Apr 2007 at 10:56am
Yes it takes a while before you a comfortable enough that you will get a cray you see. Normally i go fast and deep under the body, then lift upwards so that they are wedged between the roof of the rock. Give a few shakes to loosen there grip and your away laughing all the way to the surface 
If you miss them, always go down for a second look, sometimes they dont have an escape route, and are just sitting there shlt scared.
Up North, get of the net and go for a dive man!!!! Stupid Metservice got the weather forecast wrong, about 10 knots outside, when they said 25-30 kts.
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Posted By: G R
Date Posted: 28 Apr 2007 at 11:25am
| Tomorow buddy,im waiting on a friend today!just scored a pair of new kevlar gloves of trademe for $29 delivered il give them a good thrashing over winter and report there durability |
Posted By: Cray hunter
Date Posted: 28 Apr 2007 at 11:32am
| good to here you are getting a feed. if you give them a good push and lift at the same time you will have a few more for the table. I have found over the years if you sit and look at them they will be hard to grab-as soon as you spy them hit them hard-try and come up under the horn as this lifts the cray at the same time and does not damage the cray. happy hunting |