Crab Pots??

[WoolyRunner]

So I cant find it in the regs. Can you leave your crab pots, say over night un-attended?? How long can you leave them soak?

[Dan-o]

I leave mine overnight quite often.

Of course they have to be out of the water certain days....

[hawksfan75]

Yeah, you can leave them overnight for sure. Just be careful that most areas are notorious for having your pots checked for you. Oftentimes you'll come back to empty pots or worse, you'll come back to no pots.

[NRA4LIFE]

You can leave them out overnight, you just can't set or pull them during the night.  See page 136 of the Regs:

No fisher may set, or pull shellfish gear from a vessel, in Catch
Record Card A reas 1-13, from one hour after official sunset to one hour before official sunrise. All shellfish gear must be removed from the
water on closed days.

[WSU]

I am convinced crabs come and go from nearly any pot.  I've used commercial pots, the cheap square pots, and expensive sport pots.  I think they come and come from all of them.  Perhaps not form the pots with the plastic ramps, as I haven't used those.  It would be interesting to know.

[RB]

Bait'em heavy let them soak overnight through the tide change and pull in the AM, re-bait and let'em soak till the next AM. Yes every now and then some Jacknut will pull your pot and stuff a peanut butter sandwich in your bait box, but that is life. I figure they will get there due someday and hopefully a big ticket too!

Many times I have pulled after soaking 24-36 hours and had nothing but keepers, the big ones will push the little ones out. 

[WSU]

I've had the same experience but also had the same results, in the same place at the same time, just fishing through a tide change.  I've also had times I know crabs got out.

[WoolyRunner]

Thanks forcthe help! 

[Stein]

I've soaked 24 hours and really don't notice anything more than a 1-2 hour soak.  Watch the go-pro videos on Youtube, if you are in a decent spot it doesn't take long.

Short soaks are nice because your pot doesn't disappear or magically get emptied out.

[WoolyRunner]

My buddy who is a commercial fisherman helped me rig my pots. I use a salmon carcass for hangin bait & then stuff my bait box with razor clams.

[Miles]

I go to Sam's Club and buy the big packs of bone in chicken thighs.  It's pretty cheap crab bait and usually works well for short/medium length soaks.  $10 in chicken has landed us 45+ keeper crab on weekend trips.

[L-ofalab]

 

I think chicken is best too but I buy whole chickens, breast em and cut off the legs for dinners, and use the remainder for bait. Freeze that into chunks so it will not be easy for the crabs to eat it all. 2 hours soak is all that is needed. Try to drop the pot so a door is pointed into the current because crabs are stupid and go straight towards the scent trail.

[DoubleJ]

I am convinced crabs come and go from nearly any pot.  I've used commercial pots, the cheap square pots, and expensive sport pots.  I think they come and come from all of them.  Perhaps not form the pots with the plastic ramps, as I haven't used those.  It would be interesting to know.

H2OHunter posted a GoPro video last summer that proved this.  Something like 30 crab came and went in a 1 hour soak.  You could see them escape when a new crab showed up or in some cases, just open the door themselves and leave.  They would come in and eat their fill and leave.