Prawns on the menu?
Not wanting to hijack Bodie's thread http://fishwrecked.com/node/19268 and responding to Ryan's
"miyagi way" comment.
Yeah, I forgot my prawn net the other night, so resorted to catching big blues. I spent most of the dive just following Soupster around.
Getting sick of watching these big prawns wandering around, I thought I would try catching them by hand. I picked out only the big prawns - 15cm long, thinking more to grip. My hand approached slowly to within 20mm of the prawn...grab, flick, gone; prawn settles into the silt with just his eyes poking out. Arh, your mine now. Hand over him, grab, flick...gone...WTF..these critters are quick.
I tried this on about 10 prawns. ME - 0, prawns - 10. Hmm, back to the crabs...much easier to grab!
Anyway, got me thinking. Besides us divers, does the humble prawn have any other predators in the river? Do the mullas eat them? If they do, then I would think that they would have to have a big suction action (like a barra boof) to capture the prawn.
I have previously sat and watched a flathead for 20 minutes on a dive hoping to see him hunt. A few prawns (smaller river prawns)came within range(well 5cm), but no attack. Maybe they have to touch the flattie...or maybe the prawns reaction time is just too quick and the flatties don't bother with them....or the flatty was hiding from me!
Have any of you Mulla fishos found prawns in a captured mulla?
Cheers Pete
Colin Hay
Posts: 10407
Date Joined: 23/10/07
Wax on wax off Pete
Interesting thread mate. I can't recall finding any prawns in the mulloway that I have caught.
I suspect the flathead would succeed where you failed because of their comoflague and their reactions are lightning quick.
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Bodie
Posts: 3758
Date Joined: 05/11/07
Cobler eat prawns, bream eat
Cobler eat prawns, bream eat prawns.
Blowies are too stupid to eat something thats alive. except your toes.
Pete D
Posts: 1681
Date Joined: 07/06/07
Wax on, Wax off!
Thanks Col. The tub is due a polish too! Hmmm, using an orbital polisher instead of my hands might defeat the purpose - Miyagi will frown upon me and my slack ways.
I don’t think predators in camo is a factor for the prawns. The prawns walk around bumping into anything in their way. Flick, and keep walking. I even put my hand in front of a prawn. He walked straight into it and stopped. I bought my other hand in to block and grab the tail – this was all slowly to within mm’s. Grab, flick out to the side!
Sure flatty camo for other fish. I’ve watched gobies avoid flatties off busso jetty one night (probably because my torch highlighted the flatty). But when I herded the gobies with my hand within 15 cm of the flatty….well bang, game over. Did this for several gobies – it was a great partnership.
Still think the prawns react quicker then the flatty.
Bodie - yeah they eat dead ones, but don't think they would have the speed to hunt a livey.
Cheers Pete
Bodie
Posts: 3758
Date Joined: 05/11/07
Ive seen bream, cobler and
Ive seen bream, cobler and few other species eat prawns in the shallows near the MAndurah bridge at night.
till
Posts: 9358
Date Joined: 21/02/08
How did forgetting your net
How did forgetting your net rate against forgetting your wetsuit? =0
I went down to wanbro and bagged out on blues with my brother, but that was all breathhold.
Pete D
Posts: 1681
Date Joined: 07/06/07
Kings
Should clarify. I'm talking King prawns, 10cm +. Gees, it would be good to see something catch one though.
Next night dive, I'll try to catch the little river prawn by hand, but I would expect the same score card.
Cheers Pete
Pete D
Posts: 1681
Date Joined: 07/06/07
Much better
Yeah, thanks Jamie.
My suit was in for dry cleaning that night...honestly. But was still keen for a dive.
You'll keep.
Cheers Pete
Colin Hay
Posts: 10407
Date Joined: 23/10/07
My suit was in for dry cleaning?
You have got me there Pete. Can you clarify?
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Pete D
Posts: 1681
Date Joined: 07/06/07
Hi jacker
Col
"How did forgetting your net rate against forgetting your wetsuit? =0"
Till; reminding me that I forgot my wetsuit a few dives ago.
Back to prawn hunters!
Cheers Pete
Ryan Thipthorp (not verified)
Posts: 16
Date Joined: 01/01/70
miyagi!
ha ha ......you are MR Organised and i still cant beleive it.....3 lashes
In the guts of my river mulla have been heaps of baitfish (southern hardy heads) and other small baitfish etc I reckon mulla would go a prawn that is escaping but they dont normally feed head down and not a sifter. They "prefer" to look up and chase baitfish & boneys etc As for flathead, i reckon the river prawns probably get a nudge!
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Kal
Posts: 160
Date Joined: 30/04/07
i reacon the flatheads are
i reacon the flatheads are quicker than the prawns ,as ive caught a few prawns by hand but them flathead are lightning quick.
till
Posts: 9358
Date Joined: 21/02/08
I saw an eel sticking
I saw an eel sticking straight out of the bottom down in wanbro last nite, could've bagged that by hand. I ended up poking it on the nose with my (gloved) finger.
GrahamM
Posts: 648
Date Joined: 19/01/09
Flatties are defenatly
Flatties are defenatly Quicker than prawns but cant say i have ever seen a mully take one although have caught them out deep on a prawn got a 5kg mully on a prawn in 110m out the back of rotto 3 months ago but i have been lucky enough to see a squid catch a prawn a pretty impresive sight just like a national geograph doco was amazing
Pete D
Posts: 1681
Date Joined: 07/06/07
You keep ya whip on yourself
You keep ya whip on yourself Ryse!
Arh, Ninga Kal.
Chasing prawns Jamie? heard they get pretty big down there.
Squid attack - like you said Graham, would be awesome to see...and have the camera rolling at the right time.
Cheers Pete
till
Posts: 9358
Date Joined: 21/02/08
I was just in the shallows,
I was just in the shallows, didn't see any prawns. I guess they like it deeper towars the middle? I wonder if there are scallops down there as well.
NOHA
Posts: 914
Date Joined: 24/06/07
I have caught mullas from
I have caught mullas from the sound after the first big flush from the river drives out the prawns.. They where full to the gills with big king prawns.
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