It’s almost Crab time!

[CP]

Got out the gear today to make sure everything is in order for the opener.  The pots are pretty rusty but they should have another season or two in them.  They look so nasty nobody will want to steal them.   

[Stein]

Funny, I just drug the junk out of the shed and was going to post something.  Crab is my favorite thing to eat that I can legally pull out of Puget Sound, hot crab dripping down your arm is the best.  Can't wait, hopefully we don't have the softie problem like last year.

[WSU]

We caught a bunch a few weeks ago camping at Westport and had a big crab boil. It was delicious after not having any since last summer!

[MADMAX]

The commercials were out in force Monday on the Hood canal
Good luck

[metlhead]

Super excited to get on the crab this summer and jig up some kings. Oh wait, no go for south sounders. Hard to recover something when the only spawning area is pounded by tribal fishers. At least let us pull Rocks. They eat fine. Prolly don't trust us heathen license buyers to toss back the few we do catch. May you folks up north have a banner year.

[WSU]

Super excited to get on the crab this summer and jig up some kings. Oh wait, no go for south sounders. Hard to recover something when the only spawning area is pounded by tribal fishers. At least let us pull Rocks. They eat fine. Prolly don't trust us heathen license buyers to toss back the few we do catch. May you folks up north have a banner year.

It’s *censored* they don’t open it for rock crabs.

[jay.sharkbait]

Super excited to get on the crab this summer and jig up some kings. Oh wait, no go for south sounders. Hard to recover something when the only spawning area is pounded by tribal fishers. At least let us pull Rocks. They eat fine. Prolly don't trust us heathen license buyers to toss back the few we do catch. May you folks up north have a banner year.

It’s *censored* they don’t open it for rock crabs.

Fifty different versions of salmon harvest and that’s manageable but a couple different viable crab species can’t be?

We focus on red rocks in the south sound and were looking forward to it.

[Stein]

We’re running a ridiculous 6 pots for the weekend, then down to 4.  The other two will be for sale here on Monday, hopefully with pics full of fatties.


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[blackpowderhunter]

I'll likely be out Thursday.
Question for all the south sounders.
What boats do you have? No trailers?
I simply ask because everyone losing their mind over 11 and 13 being closed can't make it north?  I fish ares 6/7 all the way down through 13 and don't live that close to any of them.  It's a 30 minute drive WITHOUT traffic for me to put my boat in the salt at the closest point.
I have a trailerable boat.  The run from area 11 to 10 or 9 isnt that far by water either.  There are options to get your dungee fix. Make a day trip out of it, head north, fish kings, drop some pots.
The regs in WA are ever changing and hard to predict.  For me it'd be hard to have a boat I couldn't drag around the state based on seasons and regulations.

[WSU]

I do go other places.  But, it's very nice to be able to load up the kids and go catch 50 red rocks in an hour or two 20 minutes from home.  Life is busy with work, kids sports, activities, etc. and sometimes it is nice to still go crabbing without having to commit to a day or two of effort.

[Stein]

WDFW could open it for rock crab, they are worried about enforcement.  Essentially, you are being punished for something you haven't done yet.

If they really wanted to be an advocate for the sportsman, they could open it for a trial week, heavily patrol and go from there.  If there were problems, shut it down.  If not, have limited seasons or open it up.  They could have even opened for the trial before July 2 and then they wouldn't have had to patrol the entire Sound.

[WSU]

The enforcement thing is BS too.  There are fisheries all over open for one species but not another.  It's nonsense.  I would be willing to bet at least part of it is that the tribes do not want it open and WDFW has zero spine.

[Stein]

Yeah, I was just thinking that virtually everything on the ocean is a selective fishery, this not that, on this side of the magic line or that side, fin or no fin, min or max length, max depth, bag limit, etc.

[WSU]

Exactly.  Plus the mortality rate for crabs is way lower than things WDFW lets the public catch and release, like hatchery coho.  Anyone that's fished on a charter in the ocean knows the mortality of released coho has to be astronomical.

[metlhead]

No desire to head north and join the mob for slim pickins on crab and maybe a salmon. We've got a good thing here in the deep south sound, and lately, the August kings have been pretty much a sure bet. Getting to be about the convenience for me these days. Usually on the salt before the sun, home by 9am for a nap, and off to the river with family for great fishing, swimming, and fresh bankside crab. Just sumpin we do, and miss it