Crab Pot Limits

[gallion_t]

Hello all,

I went crabbing for the first time since I was about 4 on Sunday. I had a blast and am not looking into doing it more. I just went with my girlfriends dad so he provided everything and knew all of the regulations. I am not looking at getting my own stuff. My question is about crab pot limits. I see that you are allowed 2 pots per person. I would be going out after work, dropping the pots, then coming back in and waiting for the girlfriend to get off work and get there then go back out later and pick them up. I guess my question is would I be allowed to drop 4 pots knowing that there will be 2 people when it comes time to pull them or can I only drop the 2. Im pretty sure im limited to the 2 pots but was wondering if there was a weird loop hole that I couldnt find in the regs. Thanks for the help. Also any advice for a rookie would be much appreciated.

[CP]

It is illegal to set someone else’s gear.  You are limited to 2 units of gear – see page 136 of the regs.

[h20hunter]

Well....if you say "i had a blast and am not looking into doing it more" then why ask?

I'm just giving you a hard time. Yes, the limit is two pots per license. If you are heading out solo with four pots you "could" be questioned. Now....since you haven't dropped any pots it shouldn't matter how many you have. If you are caught fishing all 4 without your gf in the boat then that is another matter.

My advice for a rookie is to keep your pots moving and find the crab. Use fresh bait, salmon, chicken, flouner, that kind of thing.

[gallion_t]

Grammar has never been my strong suit. Thanks for the advice. Where Ill be going is the same place I went on Sunday so I have a decent idea of where to drop some pots. We had some pretty decent luck and I know about the depth to look for. We were using chicken and a can of cat food with holes punched in it. It seemed to work for.

[h20hunter]

No worries....like I said...just messing with you. Skip the cat food....I dont' think it helps one bit. Catch a few flounder and put them in....will work much better than cat food. Sounds like if you are catching them you are doing good enough. Be safe and post some crab pics!

[coachcw]

go to the grocery store and get salmon scraps , I found that it caught more males and bigger crab hands down .

[gallion_t]

Will do. Ive gotta get the boat from my Dad some time this week. Im thinking Sunday will be the first time Ill be able to get out. Now comes the not so fun part though. Buying all of the gear.

[Fishstiq]

Will do. Ive gotta get the boat from my Dad some time this week. Im thinking Sunday will be the first time Ill be able to get out. Now comes the not so fun part though. Buying all of the gear.

Garage sales are your friend in this regard!  You can pick up crab pots all set up for less than half of what you would pay new. 

[gallion_t]

Ive looked on craigslist and havent found any great deals. I did find one store in woodinville that has the pot, buoy, and 100' of rope for $34. That seemed like a pretty good deal to me. Still have to get the bait holder and attach everything but i figured for $50 or so i should be able to get a full set up.

[Fishstiq]

That sounds like a pretty good deal!  Shoot, get into a good spot, and with the price of crab right now you could pay for the whole setup in one soak.

[coachcw]

there is a guy that hits the sportsman shows from P.A that has some nicwe pots . they are round with a center bait tube and center weight they are the best pots I've ever used .

[gallion_t]

Well ive got 2 pots set up and ready to go. All in its ~$58 a pot. I sprung for a 2nd buoy on each one to make it a little more visible. Now the question is do I go crabbing or bear hunting on Friday after work.