The Panel Pot has been carefully designed to have a very smooth finish inside and where the catch can sometimes get stuck in the corners of other pots, there is no mesh, for the catch to cling to, in the corners of the panel pot thus minimizing the damage to the catch. The pot has a built-in mesh of 10 mm square allowing small prawns to escape, The smooth surface at the start of the entrance cone stops the entry of small crabs and hermit crabs that would otherwise eat the bait and damage the catch. As a result, the cleaner catch reduces the sorting time. The importance of maintaining catch quality is crucial to getting the best price per kilo.
Although the Panel Pot is very robust there will eventually be wear and tear and even storm damage. The simplicity of the design allows only the damaged panels to be removed and replaced quickly and economically. Therefore after a damaging gale which in the past destroyed whole fleets, pots can be repaired with new panels or by recycling the salvaged write-offs.
Although the Panel Pot was originally designed to catch the Common Prawn it can be used to catch other species such as shore crabs (Carcinus maenus) by increasing the diameter of the entrance hole. Eels can be caught in single or double traps bolted together.
The ready to fish Panel Pot merely needs the drilling of holes to attach the pot to a bridle and add some weight in the form of steel rods or rings.