How to tie a crab pot (pic heavy)

[Bait O' Eggs]

First my apologies if you have dial up :help:

There are lots of ways to build the frame and differnt ways to wrap the wire. This is how I do it, if it helps you great, if you do it different, no problem.

First I built myself a jig so I could repeat the frame on each pot. Nothing fancy, just something I could bend the rebar around and make the circle.

I wont show a lot of pics of the frame as it is pretty self explanatory. I like the crab doors welded in my pots, the other way to do it is to wrap the entire tunnel with wire and stretch 2 opposing doors to each other with wire across the middle of the pot, this makes it hard to empty the crab with the wires in the way in my opinion.

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c175/baitoeggs/cp1.jpg

Once the pot is built, there are only a few tools I use to wrap the wire. You will need a device to hold the wire, if you can weld up the frame you should be able to weld up the device. The tools are a pair of side cutters and a pair of linesman pliers are handy.

I used 3/8 rebar on this pot, but 1/2 inch makes a nice size pot that wont drift. My kids are little and I wanted these lighter so they can pull them.

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c175/baitoeggs/cp2.jpg

I make most of the pot out of rebar except the exposed pieces. I take a piece of stainless rod and bend an eye for the hinge on the big door then weld it to the rebar door. I also either put a piece of stainless across the top of the crab door, or as in this case I will bend stainless all the way around the crab door. I will make a couple door flappers out of 1/8 inch stainless rod. When I get the wire wrapped later it will hold the flappers in the middle of the door.

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c175/baitoeggs/cp3.jpg

You will need a couple 4 inch escape holes. I have made these out of stainless and welded them to the frame. I have done it in the past where I left them loose of the frame and just tied them in with the wire.

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c175/baitoeggs/cp4.jpg


Next you need to wrap the pot in rubber. I am using pond liner on this pot as it is suppose to be guaranteed to last 15 years, and I got some scraps for free. I usually use blown inner tubes I get from Schwabs.

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c175/baitoeggs/cp5.jpg

When I get to the end of the rubber strips, I tie them off with wire. Then I trim off the extra wire and bend the wire over so it doesnt cut somebodies finger. I like to use pieces of rubber about 1.5 inches wide and 3 feet long. I cut them on a razor blade in my vise by pulling the rubber over the blade, I have used scissors in the past and it takes a lot of effort

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c175/baitoeggs/cp6.jpg

When the pot is all wrapped in rubber it will look like this.

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c175/baitoeggs/cp7.jpg

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c175/baitoeggs/cp8.jpg

I wrap the crab doors first. You need to have a plan on where the wire will run on small openings. I want the wire to hold the flappers in the middle of the crab doors so I need to make sure I have wire across the stainless pieces to hold the flapper from drifting left right and creating an excape hole for the big crab.

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c175/baitoeggs/cp9.jpg

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c175/baitoeggs/cp10.jpg

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c175/baitoeggs/cp11.jpg

As I wrap the top of the door, I loop each wire under itself when I catch a previous loop. This creates a small loop that helps hold things in place until it all gets stretched at the last pass.

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c175/baitoeggs/cp12.jpg

Dont be afraid to wrap around the frame to get to where you need to be to get the right angle you want the wire to run.

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c175/baitoeggs/cp13.jpg

When I do the last wrap against the frame I dont make the small loop as I need it to slip against the wire on the previous loops and tighten all the loops up.

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c175/baitoeggs/cp14.jpg

When done the one hole should look like this.

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c175/baitoeggs/cp15.jpg

I then move right into the side with the same piece of wire and not tying it off

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c175/baitoeggs/cp16.jpg

Working down the side it looks like this

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c175/baitoeggs/cp17.jpg

As I finish up a side it looks like this

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c175/baitoeggs/cp18.jpg

As I finish up a crab door it looks like this. I repeated the process on the bottom and other side on this door.

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c175/baitoeggs/cp19.jpg

Time to start doing the side, as both crab doors are done.

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c175/baitoeggs/cp20.jpg

When I do a wrap at any point I use my hand to keep the loops the same size. I am not the best at wrapping wire, the more I do the better it looks. Some sort of guage (my hand) will make the loops look better when done.

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c175/baitoeggs/cp21.jpg

As I work around the side it looks like this

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c175/baitoeggs/cp22.jpg

When I get around to the other crab door, I switch back and wrap the other direction

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c175/baitoeggs/cp23.jpg

I have put the small crab escape hatch in the corners, in the middle on the top, I guess it doesnt matter, this is where I located them on this pot. Notice the angle at which the wire ties off to the escape hole. The object is to keep the wire in straight lines and this is pretty close, not perfect but close. Then I wrap around the loop to get to where I want to continue.

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c175/baitoeggs/cp24.jpg

Continuing around the sides

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c175/baitoeggs/cp25.jpg

When I get to the last row, I dont do the loops in the wire again so it will stretch tight as it slips against the previous row of loops.

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c175/baitoeggs/cp26.jpg

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c175/baitoeggs/cp27.jpg

As I finish up a side it looks like this. Not perfect squares, in perfect lines, but the crab wont be getting tru them.

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c175/baitoeggs/cp28.jpg

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c175/baitoeggs/cp29.jpg

When start on the bottom I pick a spot and make a short run trying to keep the bottoms of the loops even even though the pot is round.

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c175/baitoeggs/cp30.jpg

Since the pot is round, you need to pick up a loop each side as you wrap each row. Keep the bottoms of the loops even if you can, and use your hand to measure each loop to keep them the same size.

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c175/baitoeggs/cp31.jpg

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c175/baitoeggs/cp32.jpg

Just keep picking up loops all the way to the middle of the pot

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c175/baitoeggs/cp33.jpg

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c175/baitoeggs/cp34.jpg

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c175/baitoeggs/cp35.jpg

Once you get past the middle of the pot, you need to start dropping off loops.

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c175/baitoeggs/cp36.jpg

When you drop off loops, be sure and try to tie the wire in a straight line with the direction it is running from from the opposite side of the pot, in this case the top right of the pot.

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c175/baitoeggs/cp37.jpg

As you get past the middle of the pot, the loops will want to spread out and not be as deep (top to bottom) as the wire gets stretched tight when you drop each loop and pull the wire tight at each side. This will stretch out when you pull from the bottom of the pic.

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c175/baitoeggs/cp38.jpg

Though these are not perfect, you want to try and tie the wire off in a straight line, so tie off at each side in the line the wire runs from.

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c175/baitoeggs/cp39.jpg

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c175/baitoeggs/cp40.jpg

The pot will start to come together, be sure and stretch each time you tie off to keep it all tight.

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c175/baitoeggs/cp41.jpg

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c175/baitoeggs/cp42.jpg

Here is the bottom finished. The squares are not in a perfect line because I am only so talented :rolleyes: but they will hold a crab in. :wink:

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c175/baitoeggs/cp43.jpg

Repeat the same process on the other side. I would show pics but there would be so much wire in the background it would be hard to see. Just repeat the bottom and start at the top of the door. As you get past the door, tie the door shut so you can stretch the wire as you go and the door doesnt flip open and smack you. :smash:

It took more time to upload the pics and type this post than it did to wrap the pot :hoboy:

[wak'm&stak'm]

That is so cool....I tried something simular, but mine looked like crap. Thanks roy.

[Threemuch]

Very Cool Roy!

I would suggest a couple of bare rebar pieces across the bottom so that the pot grounds well and is bottom heavy and a 1/4-20 nut to screw a zinc in. Electrolosis scares crab and if you like to put your pots out fast and not use a bridle, having the bottom considerably heavier than the top is important..

[Birdman]

Thanks so much Roy!!!!!! For all the time and effort you put in on this subject. Your pic’s will certainly help out .I never could figure out the wire wrap process.Do you try to get enough wire on your wire wrappers to do a complet pot
Thanks again.

[Bait O' Eggs]

No I dont get enough wire on the holder to do a whole pot. I usually use about as much shown in the first pic with the pliers on the right.

If the holder gets to big due to, to many wraps it is hard to get between the holes of the previous tied sides when you get to the top and bottom.

You can always tie the end off at the frame and start a new wire at the same spot when you run out.

[PATRICK 11-14]

So how much ya askin' to build me a few of these??? :whazzup: :whazzup:
NICE work and thanks!!!!
:bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown:
:cheers:

[5-Cents]

BOE do you sell these... if so can you PM me with details... I might be interested in a couple. :cheers:

[Prawnasorus]

Nice job, I made a few round ones then went to square like king crab pots. The crab don'nt seem to mind.
I take the frames out in the boat with me springer fishing and work on them in between fish, last year I had plenty of time. also I bought my S.S. wire off ebay, got a 30 pound roll for $2.00 /lb total shipped. A local guy that builds pots said he pays $5/lb for wire.

[bigtools]

Thats great I`ve been wanting to make my own. I`m going to get started on making a jig and some traps thanks for the time and effort. :cheers:

[Smeltdipper]

The pictures are no longer displayed. Is this just me or did they go away ?
Thanks

[PapaHog]

The pictures are no longer displayed. Is this just me or did they go away ?
Thanks



All I see is little red X in a beautiful square box. Kinda cute but not very informative.

papa

[Lip Rip'r]

looks like the pics were hosted on http://www.traskrivertackle.com/ which is no longer responding.

LR

[P Stewart]

I remember seeing these pics not to long back... anyone happen to have saved them that can upload or make available... sure appreciate it.
Thanks-
Patrick

[South Paw]

Ant way to get these pics back. They were great.

[Bait O' Eggs]

I deleted my personal webpage and dont have the ability to load 43 pics into ifish's gallery as it fills up before I get them all loaded.

Sorry, I have no place to host the pics to link them to. :depressed:

[Jettin' Fool]

Try photobucket.

JF :wave:

[Gundog]

BOE,
Open a free account with Photobucket.com.
http://photobucket.com/
Mike

JF that is funny we were posting at the same time great minds think alike. :cheers:

[Bait O' Eggs]

Deleted the double post of pics,

Thanks Ruth :cheers: :cheers:

[STGRule]

All fixed.

[Smeltdipper]

Good job. I like it. Whats a good source for the stainless wire ? All the wire I have found is too hard and brittle.
Thanks
Tim

[Bait O' Eggs]

I got my wire at Englunds Marine

[The Bad Fish]

$30.00 worth of wire will make 3 pots with alot left over.
I got the innertubes at les schwab for free
and I think we spent $60.00 for all the materials to make 3 pots.

[diamondfish]

Just curious, how long does it take to make one???

[Bait O' Eggs]

It takes me close to an hour to weld up the frame, 1/2 an hour to wrap the rubber, and a little over an hour to wrap the wire. Close to 3 hours complete +/- Your milage may vary.

[RAVEN]

Hey Roy
That is great !!Thanks for the picture.

[chrispucci]

Just got pointed at this thread...

Couple quick questions -

1) How did you bend the rebar, just some heat from an Oxy/Act torch or did it bend by hand (3/8")?

2) What diam. stainless rod did you use for all the doors and such (And where did you find it)?

THANKS!!!

[Bait O' Eggs]

I heat the rebar with an oxy/act torch since I am not tough enough to do it by hand :wink: A bender would be nice but I dont have one :shrug: I have pots with 3/8 and some that are 1/2 inch. I made the lighter ones so my kids could pull them since they are still little.

I use what ever I can get for the doors, I get it at Clackamas Steel in the scrap pile since it is the cheapest I can find. Something around 1/4 inch works good, some of my pots are 1/4 inch +/- stainless tubing on the doors.

Post a pic of a finished pot when you are done, show me how a good one looks :flowered:

[CamasFisherman]

that looks like fun trying!

[OB1]

Roy,
Nice instuctions on how to make a crab pot.
Thanks for the shrimp pots I bought from you earlier this year. Let me know if you need anything at all on my end!
OB1

[chrispucci]

I heat the rebar with an oxy/act torch since I am not tough enough to do it by hand :wink: A bender would be nice but I dont have one :shrug: I have pots with 3/8 and some that are 1/2 inch. I made the lighter ones so my kids could pull them since they are still little.

I use what ever I can get for the doors, I get it at Clackamas Steel in the scrap pile since it is the cheapest I can find. Something around 1/4 inch works good, some of my pots are 1/4 inch +/- stainless tubing on the doors.

Post a pic of a finished pot when you are done, show me how a good one looks :flowered:




Thanks!

I figured it was Clackamas Steel --- the writing on your jig give you away. I love that place - except the mean/bitter office lady.

We will be sure to post up some pics if we get one built.

[Ethical hunter]

I'd put some weight in the bottom so that sweet looking trap doesnt get swept away.

EH :cheers:

[Tri-Fecta]

:yeahthat: