Crab!

[HookedOnQuack]

Set pots out in area 9 last night for an overnight soak, 5 pots total. Pulled them this morn and had 9 keeper Dungies and 4 huge rocks in the first three at our usual location and depth and then blanked on keepers on the last two on prospect location and depth. It was great to see the look on my 3 year old sons face when we pulled up the first pot stuffed with crab!

[WAcoueshunter]

Three limits for us today in MA10.  Probably 10% of the pots out there as last weekend.  Relative to last Saturday, felt like we had the whole place to ourselves! 

[h20hunter]

Enjoy  it....up here  it is a desert .  I expect  a few weeks for  crab to be OK fishing once the tribes  are done. Just  can't  compete as a recreational  pot puller  with them.

[Gobble Doc]

Enjoy  it....up here  it is a desert .  I expect  a few weeks for  crab to be OK fishing once the tribes  are done. Just  can't  compete as a recreational  pot puller  with them.

I hope you are right. How does the crab recover in such a short amount of time?

[singleshot12]

Enjoy  it....up here  it is a desert .  I expect  a few weeks for  crab to be OK fishing once the tribes  are done. Just  can't  compete as a recreational  pot puller  with them.

They'll pull out once their contract is filled with China. I heard they're getting twice the price per pound sending crab over there. Crab fishing as we once knew it is over.

[NRA4LIFE]

I agree singleshot.  I don't ever remember when the tribes and commercial were allowed to crab during the sport season.  Jesus, we have only 2 months now, let us have it.  I can see no fall/winter season this year also.  Last week made me sick to my stomach seeing all those pots.

And to the A-holes putting pots in the river and mouth of the Snohomish last Thursday, you probably shouldn't have been out there in your puny little dinghy's anyway.  Get a clue!  I sure hope it wasn't any of you guys/gals.

[jmscon]

Non-tribal commercial crabbers haven't been out since March and won't be able to go again until the fall.

[Gobble Doc]

This thread is depressing me and is talking me out of spending money on a bigger boat. If all of this is true then it seems bleak for crab. I haven't read very much optimistic about the salmon season. I don't see needing an 18' boat to fish planters in the local lakes. Anyone got some good news here?

[h20hunter]

Nope! Sorry.

I do plan to give it a go this weekend.

[WSU]

This thread is depressing me and is talking me out of spending money on a bigger boat. If all of this is true then it seems bleak for crab. I haven't read very much optimistic about the salmon season. I don't see needing an 18' boat to fish planters in the local lakes. Anyone got some good news here?

Good news, crabs are cyclical and will bounce back.  Also, my family has been doing decent, but not great, out of Everett. 

Other good news: there will be lots of places to catch salmon this year.  Neah has fish now.  There will be fish to be caught in the sound, GH, Willapa, and Columbia with your 18' boat starting very soon.

[Bronson]

My FIL and I set pots in A9 over the weekend.  Saturday was a complete bust, 3 crab in 4 pots.  Was so bad I almost pulled the pots and boat and called it.  But we rebaited, moved the pots a bit and let them soak overnight.  Ended up with both of our limits.  We threw back 2 keepers and 4 softshells that were legal size. 

Side note, I spotted 5 pots floating in over 400ft of water on Saturday.  Tides were ripping this weekend which I also think slowed the crabbing. 

[lazydrifter]

We crabbed area 6 this last weekend.    Friday thru Monday.   We had 4 pots in and wound up with 42.  50 ft. deep.   Almost all Dungeness.  And we had more bigger crab than I usually see.
Hopefully things will continue to be this good for a couple of weeks.

[CP]

Quick pre-work crab run this am.  I had the place to myself, just me and the ferries.  I'm sure that is about to change in a day or 2.

Two hour soak results in 1 legal crab.  Dismal.   

But you can't beat the views and the boat ran like top.

[Stein]

Bummer, 1 crab is the worst.  Enough to get the boat and cooker dirty but not enough to do much with.

[Fishstiq]

I'm putting out pots again this weekend, fingers crossed for my first legal crab of the season.....