Video One:  This was filmed on a boat off Barmouth North Wales.  The pots were weighted internally with bars and  attached by a rope at one end.

Video Two:  This was filmed on a boat off the Isle of Wight,  Hampshire.  The pots were weighted with leaded rope wrapped around the pots at both ends and attached at both ends.

Each method has its merits and all fishermen will find their own ways of fastening and weighting their pots which serve them well in the conditions they fish.  It is often trial and error that will give them the best results for their area.  In the case of the Isle of Wight, fishing this way has been successful

However, most fishermen prefer the pot to be fastened with a bridle at one end for the following reasons:

The pot can swing easier in the current spreading their scent further thus extending their fishing area.  As the water flows past the pot, a vortex forms around the end cone giving protection from the current thus maintaining at least one open entrance at all states of the tide.

Also as the pot is fishing there are often prawns on the outside of the pots and as the gear is hauled up these prawns can often be seen clinging on to the outside and those on the front cone fall in giving an extra bonus for the fisherman.

The first video showed the pot being attached at one point but experience has shown that a short bridle is much better as it steadies the pot in the current creating smoother conditions for the prawns.  Catches with a bridle are higher than with a single attachment.

Weighting the Pot

 The pot fishes best if it is off the ground away from crabs and whelks which can block the entrance holes, eat the bait and damage the captive prawns.  The amount of weight needed will depend upon the area fished.  Muddy areas with slow currents will need less weight than areas with faster currents.  In the end the fisherman will have to experiment with the amount of weight needed until he gets it right.

Over years of trial and error off the coast of  North Wales it has been found that the ideal weight is about one kilogram in the form of by metal rings fastened either to either the inside or the outside of the pots.  The inside rings have the advantage of being protected from damage.  Both types can be supplied by us.

In faster currents and rougher waters some fisherman have put two 10 mm round bars inside the length of the pot but in the end it will be up to the fisherman to establish the amount of weight needed for his area.

Bait  Oily fish are the popular types of bait used and it is advisable not to throw old bait out every time the gear is lifted.  The bait tube has been carefully designed to allow a free flow of water through it thereby stopping the bait going rotten too quickly.  Also it is only the bait which keeps the prawns in the pot.  They will very efficiently remove the flesh from the old bones.

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