Crab pot theft

[birddogdad]

Wonderful weekend crabbing last week . People really REALLY do suck! Salsbury point launch Friday 6pm, return Saturday 8am to find 2 of 4 traps stolen. Pulled out~ moved toward home with remaining 2 traps, dropped in Olalla at 3pm, returned 2 hours later to find 1 trap stolen again!! So Sunday night I get a call from some character up in Bainbridge, who "found" one of my traps. (in other words, he was done using my trap and was kind enough to call me to return as I put phone number on buoys. His story really didn't check. I asked him why he would pull the trap and bring it in, said it was all alone in 200 ft of water "just floating along"....

Got 1 trap back though.

Question, should I turn in his phone number to WDFW for tracking?

[Shrimper]

Add more weight to your traps this will generally solve the "stolen" issue.

The tide and current are really good at "stealing" traps.

One way to tell if your traps are drifting is put the line and buoy inside the trap set in some shallow water like a pool and if the trap floats or sinks slowly they are drifting on you.

Below is a link to some great information to help become a more successful crabber.

http://nwstraitsfoundation.org/project/recreational-crabbing-resources/

[headshot5]

Question, should I turn in his phone number to WDFW for tracking?

Haha!  Someone does you a good turn...  They must be morally deficient, and thieves as well.  Better turn them in.   

[h20hunter]

I can't see a thief going to the trouble. Pulling them and dropping back, maybe. Taking, using, and trying to return....I don't see it.

[heronblu]

sounds like you didn't have enough weight or line or both and the current "stole" your traps.

[CP]

I see lots of “stolen” traps floating along in 700’ of water after a weekend of strong tides.  If your pots don’t weigh enough to stay put with the floats submerged they stand a good chance of being “stolen”. 

I usually just tow these “stolen” pots into shallow water and call the owner to give them the location.

[h2ofowlr]

I believe my traps are close to 30 - 40lb each.  Definitely pay attention to the tides as they will take your pot if not careful and if you are using the foldable metal cage traps those are way to light if you have any current.  I see lots of those drifting by when boating or until they get hung up on something.

Same thing happens with guys out shrimping.

If using the metal cage as pictured, I see these wrapped up all the time in kelp beds.

[CP]

If using the metal cage as pictured, I see these wrapped up all the time in kelp beds.

That yellow polypropylene line is big problem too.  If you use that be sure to weight it or it floats on the surface and tangles in boat props and any sort of flotsam that drifts by.  Boaters hate that stuff and many will just cut it loose if they tangle in it.

[jackmaster]

We add 10 pounds of lead to already heavy pots plus w use weighted line and 3 big buoys and we try to stay shallower than 150 feet, if you dumps them and didn hav enough line maybe your bouys are under water, maybe go back out on a low tide, if your out real deep you can get hung up on bigger boats and they can tow your pots a long ways.. Seaweed can play hell on a string of pots as well.. I really he you get your pots back, pretty cool of the commercial guy to call you, idk why you would want to turn him in

[Bronson]

Most likely he was telling the truth.  No reason for him to steal it and use it only to try to return it to you.  Sounds like one of the good guys out there who was trying to do the right thing by returning it.  Pickers will just pull your pot, steal your crab and then dump it back in the same general location. 

Maybe a thank you is in order instead of an accusation.

[birddogdad]

Question, should I turn in his phone number to WDFW for tracking?

Haha!  Someone does you a good turn...  They must be morally deficient, and thieves as well.  Better turn them in.   

so why would you pick up ANY pots during the open season hours, I could see if there on Tuesday or Wed.? how would you even consider this act acceptable to pickup on a sunday someones gear in the water? as far as turning in, was considering just the phone number as to allow data collection for wdfw. if this person does this as his routine on weekends, turning back over a trap to those who lost, its a hell of a way to crab with free gear and still look like the hero on the back side. trust me they seemed very VERY uncomfortable on the phone when I described the boat people saw pull it..  as far as weight , im fine, been fine, no drift, heavy, multi corks ect running around 75'  with lots of line... They were taken plain and simple.. I just hate people who cant leave your stuff alone..  I was crabbing near the port gamble lands .. I wonder how many traps get legs up there north of the HC bridge?

[fish vacuum]

Thieves don't return stuff.

[bulldogs40]

Question, should I turn in his phone number to WDFW for tracking?

Haha!  Someone does you a good turn...  They must be morally deficient, and thieves as well.  Better turn them in.   

so why would you pick up ANY pots during the open season hours, I could see if there on Tuesday or Wed.? how would you even consider this act acceptable to pickup on a sunday someones gear in the water? as far as turning in, was considering just the phone number as to allow data collection for wdfw. if this person does this as his routine on weekends, turning back over a trap to those who lost, its a hell of a way to crab with free gear and still look like the hero on the back side. trust me they seemed very VERY uncomfortable on the phone when I described the boat people saw pull it..  as far as weight , im fine, been fine, no drift, heavy, multi corks ect running around 75'  with lots of line... They were taken plain and simple.. I just hate people who cant leave your stuff alone..  I was crabbing near the port gamble lands .. I wonder how many traps get legs up there north of the HC bridge?

If I was doing the right thing and trying to return someones pots to them and they were giving me the 3rd degree I would get pretty uncomfortable too (maybe even a little pissed off). It doesn't make since for someone to steal your pot and then return it to "look like a hero". Who do you think they are trying to look like a hero to? Somebody stealing from you doesn't give a crap what you think about them. Put more weight in your pots.

[birddogdad]

you guys are missing the point, I thanked his wife and left.. no negative interaction with them. this is right in line with game cams being taken. hey, your camper was just parked there, so I brought it home, if you want to get it come on over.......a pot isn't going to FLOAT 6 miles, past 2 islands with 10#s of weight in it, within 30 yards of the other set at the same depth (which didn't move) in less than 2 hours. been doing this a while and all of a sudden I have won the lottery with light fingers all in one day! you guys are fixated on weight, did you not read that people saw it pulled and taken right, boat description and all right?  . Just because he turned it over doesn't mean I have to give him a buy and they returned it way away from any boat. Its easy to do the math, just pointing out what may be a common practice to move and use others gear when the summer weather is nice out and for this one, maybe too near crowded areas for boating...

had a friend have the same thing happen in Discovery bay last week, found his trap moved a couple coves away and reset...

[Hilltop123]

you guys are missing the point, I thanked his wife and left.. no negative interaction with them. this is right in line with game cams being taken. hey, your camper was just parked there, so I brought it home, if you want to get it come on over.......a pot isn't going to FLOAT 6 miles, past 2 islands with 10#s of weight in it, within 30 yards of the other set at the same depth (which didn't move) in less than 2 hours. been doing this a while and all of a sudden I have won the lottery with light fingers all in one day! you guys are fixated on weight, did you not read that people saw it pulled and taken right, boat description and all right?  . Just because he turned it over doesn't mean I have to give him a buy and they returned it way away from any boat. Its easy to do the math, just pointing out what may be a common practice to move and use others gear when the summer weather is nice out and for this one, maybe too near crowded areas for boating...

had a friend have the same thing happen in Discovery bay last week, found his trap moved a couple coves away and reset...

I pulled a pot out of the middle of the shipping channel off of Foulweather Bluff, when I contacted the owner he stated that he set that pot south of Edmonds. So yes they can float along ways.

[Stein]

I have pulled pots drifting by during the weekend because I am a nice guy and ghost fishing doesn't help anything.

I use weight and have been doing it for 20 years and had two drift over a mile last year out of the blue.  It happens - get the depth wrong, a log comes by, monster waves, another pot drifts by and hooks it.  Stuff happens in the ocean.

[bulldogs40]

6 miles of drift in 2 hours is a drift rate of 3 mph... that's not unheard of especially in the right tide and wind

[Encore 280]

I've crabbed the P. Gamble area for quite a few years and it's not uncommon for a pot or two to come up missing and not from the tide, current or kelp either. After I set mine (with a 10-12' trailing buoy) I sit on em and never leave 'em over night. I know birddogdad and I'm sure he knows what he's talking about. I have found one floating in the middle of the canal though and called the number and brought it home and they came and picked it up. Had a big orange float on it with less than 50' of poly line and zero weight so no wonder it was floating out in the middle. The people didn't have a clue.

[birddogdad]

6 miles of drift in 2 hours is a drift rate of 3 mph... that's not unheard of especially in the right tide and wind

check the tides, for Saturday 3pm in Olalla, 5 pm in Bainbridge (on and incoming tide) sure in a backwards universe... tide would have sent it to the narrows bridge ..... TIDE WAS STILL NOT A FACTOR...

[rasbo]

Im thinking drift also,I used 10lbs weight and my last 50 feet of line was leaded and I put a weight on there to keep it below my bouy,I crabbed 200 ft in the canal..

[headshot5]

Off topic,  but I always thought it would be pretty funny to get a movie prop hand (looks severed) or something that looked realistic and put it in a crab pot.  I wonder what someone pulling your pots would do...   It'd probably shake them up a bit at least.      

[jay.sharkbait]

6 miles of drift in 2 hours is a drift rate of 3 mph... that's not unheard of especially in the right tide and wind

check the tides, for Saturday 3pm in Olalla, 5 pm in Bainbridge (on and incoming tide) sure in a backwards universe... tide would have sent it to the narrows bridge ..... TIDE WAS STILL NOT A FACTOR...

There are parts of Colvos passage where the current is always running north.

[bulldogs40]

Off topic,  but I always thought it would be pretty funny to get a movie prop hand (looks severed) or something that looked realistic and put it in a crab pot.  I wonder what someone pulling your pots would do...   It'd probably shake them up a bit at least.      

I had friends that use to throw pots off of the pier next to the naval academy in Maryland. I always wanted to put some giant snow crab in there and watch them freak out when they pulled it haha

[Miles]

Good God, someone returns something and they're the bad guy.   

May all your future pots float away or get destroyed...

[heronblu]

you guys are missing the point, I thanked his wife and left.. no negative interaction with them. this is right in line with game cams being taken. hey, your camper was just parked there, so I brought it home, if you want to get it come on over.......a pot isn't going to FLOAT 6 miles, past 2 islands with 10#s of weight in it, within 30 yards of the other set at the same depth (which didn't move) in less than 2 hours. been doing this a while and all of a sudden I have won the lottery with light fingers all in one day! you guys are fixated on weight, did you not read that people saw it pulled and taken right, boat description and all right?  . Just because he turned it over doesn't mean I have to give him a buy and they returned it way away from any boat. Its easy to do the math, just pointing out what may be a common practice to move and use others gear when the summer weather is nice out and for this one, maybe too near crowded areas for boating...

had a friend have the same thing happen in Discovery bay last week, found his trap moved a couple coves away and reset...

You don't think pots can float long distances because they are heavy?  You do realize that huge pieces of debris from Japan regularly end up on WA shores right?

[fish vacuum]

Thieves won't call you to return your stuff!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What planet are you from to think they do?

[singleshot12]

Most thieves would not call to return loot. But there are some for whatever reason that would - - "guilt" or they just plain get their "kicks" from doing it.

I would say about half of missing pots are stolen by humans and the other half taken by the tide. If the OP thinks his pots were stolen then they most likely were,most people just know when their property is stolen so cut the guy some slack. Crab pot thieves are everywhere

[seth30]

I return a few every year.  Find them out duck hunting and usually the same answer, they thought they were stolen. 

[singleshot12]

That doesn't mean the thieves didn't drag the pots out to deeper waters,then pull the pot and rob the crab. I watched one guy cruise buy a pot at a slow speed hook the rope with a line hook and keep going.

[seth30]

That doesn't mean the thieves didn't drag the pots out to deeper waters,then pull the pot and rob the crab. I watched one guy cruise buy a pot at a slow speed hook the rope with a line hook and keep going.

I caught a boat pulling one of my pots once, since then I sit on my pots and fish for dog fish pull them up in two or three hours and limit out

[singleshot12]

Yeah you almost have to these days But I do miss the over night soak. Just too many low life thieves around now.

[hiway_99]

They make times releases for the float.  I believe there called galvonic timed release. I've never tried one but they look interesting if you suspect your pots are getting stolen or checked by someone else.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

[rodell]

I lost one this weekend off Shilshole breakwater. There were boats running all over the place. I dropped the pot and then fished with the ring about 3/4 mile away. When I went back three hours later it was gone. I hunted for two hours.

A brand new one, too.

[WAcoueshunter]

Here's a thought...maybe someone pulled the pot and dropped it in too deep of water, and your buoys were big enough to float the weighted pot?

I once pulled a "floater" in about 400 FOW off the Edmonds crab grounds north of the ferry.  This thing was a tank, had rebar on all the seems, must have weighed 40 lbs, and it probably had 150' of weighted rope.  But it also had a huge buoy setup, apparently enough to float 40 lbs of rebar out to the middle of the channel!  No number, I dropped it back closer to shore, figuring that was the best chance to get it back to its owner.   

[lokidog]

Question, should I turn in his phone number to WDFW for tracking?

Haha!  Someone does you a good turn...  They must be morally deficient, and thieves as well.  Better turn them in.   

 

Better call and turn me in as well....   

I picked up a pot on Tuesday for a guy who lost it either Sunday or Monday, he dropped it and it vanished.  I've found pots out here from as far away as the Vancouve ferry dock and Point Roberts, they move sometimes. I even pulled a line two weeks ago that had been in the water since last year, nice score of a crap load of mussels, the trap was gone though the owner will get his line and buoy back after I'm done with the mussels this summer.   

Yes, there are dirtbags who will grab a pot, but they will not usually call you to get it back to you.

A reminder, put your cell number on your pots, not your home number if you want to get it back while you are still in the area.   

I always call before I rescue a pot and at least leave a message with my number. It is pretty easy to spot the lost ones, bobbing in 200 feet of water, line covered with a week or two's worth of slime, in a weird locatipon where no sane person would crab, or out there on a closed day.

I know of close to a hundred people that over the last ten years were happy that I pulled their shrimp or crab trap for them and they got some closure on what happened to it/them, as well as getting their gear back.  I just wish my lost shrimp pots had made it home....

[WAPatriot]

I typically crab in 180 to 240 feet of water not don't touch my pots just cause they are in deep water sometimes you gotta crab deep cause the Indians clean out the shallow areas

[WSU]

I found one last weekend that had floating rope and a cutoff buoy.  I just happened to notice the rope floating as we went by.  Nice, brand new pot too.

[lokidog]

I found one last weekend that had floating rope and a cutoff buoy.  I just happened to notice the rope floating as we went by.  Nice, brand new pot too.

That's a good score, maybe next time the guy will weight his floating line like he's supposed to.

I typically crab in 180 to 240 feet of water not don't touch my pots just cause they are in deep water sometimes you gotta crab deep cause the Indians clean out the shallow areas

Key word in my description... bobbing, as in not touching bottom.     I must be doing OK figuring it out as not a single person has been POed about getting their pot back.   

[Ellensburg]

This is my favorite thread from 2016.

[cougarbart]

well I have a new blue pot lost just north of bangor this weekend! family crabbing trip usually end up losing a trap or so! Saturday morning lost 3 sunday found 2 of em! We also found out that even with weight on doors the tide will open doors and let crab out! This was found out after two years of us yelling "we have been jacked" well jacked by the tides!

[rodell]

I lost one off Shilshole last week. First time I ever did. I think I dropped it right on the ledge with not enough line and it got pulled over. Expensive lesson.

[luvmystang67]

I lost one off Magnolia for 3 weeks.  Water was always a little rough, pots were too light.  It had been drug away from its original location a little bit, but DEFINITELY had been in the water for 3 weeks straight.  Covered in slime and goop, all the bait gone, not a crab around.  I dont know if it was covered or what, but it had definitely been in the water.

I lost another.

Or... They were both stolen and one was returned after someone kept it in their saltwater pool for 3 weeks.  Wonder what they did with the other one?