Shameless crabbing request

[Angry Perch]

Finally got my final inspection on our place in Sequim, and bring the boat (21’ Searunner) over tomorrow. It’s time to start crabbing, and I have about as much experience catching crabs as I do snaring kangaroos. I’ve got pots and all the basics. Just looking for advice on tides, depths, structure and anything else that might be useful. Thanks for any advice!

[rainshadow1]

Smaller tides are better just because the eel grass can choke out a pot... they literally can't find their way into it.

Look for mud, or open areas in between the grass. Sand is ok but mud is best. Grass chokes them out (like above) so it isn't a good idea. Rock and gravel will bring rock crabs and starfish.

Clams are good for longer soaks, a couple days of fishing. Squid is awesome for fast results, but you won't want those pots around your house after a three day soak or better! Those are 24 - 36 hours max! (Worst possible stink on earth!) Hanging bait, like filleted carcasses or etc, are great for several day soaks, keeps them in there and interested... but longer soaks leave you vulnerable to the thieves... the boat launces are full of them. Almost guaranteed to visit you if you leave a pot unattended for 2 days or more.

Be careful your baiters or hanging bait don't impede the tunnels, or aren't up against the side of the pot, or they won't even go in. (I've looked down and  seen that in the shallows out in front of you there.... where there's several crab up against the side of the pot eating off the hanging bait, and none inside the pot.)

Depths vary by area. Right in Dungeness bay there you can have great fishing in 6-12 ft of water, out to 30 +. (Probably average 20ish.) Other spots in the strait can be 60-80 ft. (Spots in hood canal and the coast we'd use 2, 15 fathom lines...) Each area is absolutely unique.

If you have dissimilar metals in your pots, make sure they're grounded together well. (Tight wires.) Electrolysis can actually make a tiny electrical charge that they don't like to touch.

There's tiny secret spots everywhere, and large areas where everyone will go. Just have to learn the area. My Dad had tens of dozens of honey holes between Pillar Point and Admiralty Island, focusing around Dungeness, but he never marked up a chart for me before he died. (Would have been gold!) 

Good Luck!

[Magnum_Willys]

Use long line, weight on pots, one float with marker ball or flags. 

A wire pot with 100 ft line in 85 ft water with two floats will have floats pulled under and pot drift away in tides.   You will blame on pot thieves til u figure out you need more line, and weight on pots.

[hookr88]

Cheap chicken quarters (thigh/leg) works good for bait. I’ve always been curious if there is a general rule of thumb for line length and depth of pot.  I.E. don’t go deeper than 60% of line depth or something like that?

[h20hunter]

I like to have a bait bag plus free hanging baits

[Skyvalhunter]

Curious as to how you snare a kangaroo?

[Angry Perch]

Curious as to how you snare a kangaroo?

Me too. I have no idea, but I bet it would be fun to watch!

[Karl Blanchard]

Curious as to how you snare a kangaroo?

Me too. I have no idea, but I bet it would be fun to watch!

 

[magnanimous_j]

Drop a gopro in there and take a look

[rainshadow1]

... and if you get all females, try a different depth, or move a little. They're like elk, some seasons they're not together.

[Stein]

There are tons of known spots, just look for the sea of red and white floats, head in there and you should get something.

Another option is exploring on your own, look for flat or slightly sloped sandy slopes in 20-80' and give it a try.

We picked up a crab ring for exploring, they can get on that right away and you can pull in 15 minutes and know if there are at least crab in the area.

Tons of people out this year, probably double from last year in the places I have been.

[Mech]

I do well in the Sequim area on a kayak.
Just started doing that this year and it’s a blast.
There is a little learning curve.
When new to pulling pots on a kayak until you are comfortable use a spotter yak and pull the pots up between the yaks.
The first pot I pulled was loaded up pretty full and my dumb ass got bit up because my legs were in the way.
I bought the $120 crab pot kits from amazon.
Added the metal bait box from Walmart for $7 each but might just the elevated bait net that came with the kit.
I used a large trash bag this year because I hadn’t brought up my game bags.

My “honey hole“  is just outside of the grass at about 50-60 feet deep maybe 50 yards from shore.
I am still learning how to use cheap bait but haven’t quite dialed that in yet.
I’m thinking chicken legs with a punctured can of cheap oily tuna.
The can of tuna does work well as a supplement but I think my cheap salmon fillets and whole mackerel are a bit of over kill.

Anyway if you are having less than stellar luck I could take you out.
Good luck.
Mech.


 

[lokidog]

I like hanging bait off the top of the trap as the little amphipods don't seem to clean your bait out on longer soaks.

[Mech]

I totally agree with what lokidog said .
That is why I want to go back to them hanging bait bags that the kits came with.
These critters steal bait like no others.

My spot is actually in my back yard.
We can see our pots from our living room  .
My neighbors and I watch our crab pots closely and when we see a new person motoring around the area we nicely wave at them and then they go away.
I have not been robbed yet and I think that is because the neighbor network system we have
Our spot has no public access by land.

We normally soak for 2 hours during daylight and overnight at the end of the day.
If we soak longer than 2-3 hours our bait is gone.
I would just love to make our bait last longer.

I would also like to learn how to properly freeze and store the harvest.
There several good posts on this subject that I have read and want to implement.

All the best.
Mech.

[rainshadow1]

I totally agree with what lokidog said .
That is why I want to go back to them hanging bait bags that the kits came with.
These critters steal bait like no others.

My spot is actually in my back yard.
We can see our pots from our living room  .
My neighbors and I watch our crab pots closely and when we see a new person motoring around the area we nicely wave at them and then they go away.
I have not been robbed yet and I think that is because the neighbor network system we have
Our spot has no public access by land.

We normally soak for 2 hours during daylight and overnight at the end of the day.
If we soak longer than 2-3 hours our bait is gone.
I would just love to make our bait last longer.

I would also like to learn how to properly freeze and store the harvest.
There several good posts on this subject that I have read and want to implement.

All the best.
Mech.

Clams will fish for many days. I've soaked them two weeks, but likely they quit "fishing" sometime before that. Round hanging baits (whole fish) are kind-of a time release bait. But little will really produce longer than a week or so. (Not relevant to inside sportfishing anyway.)

Cleaned cooked frozen come back nice if you just kinda "re-cook" them. Salt (or salted) water, boil, but not as long, just reaching re-boil then they're good. Last a year or so before they get dry and break down.