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.

[Stein]

Get a bait bin, they are metal mesh and the crabs can see and poke into it to keep interested but they can't get the bait quickly.  There are bags too, but the metal boxes last forever.  I think John's sells them for $5.95, best price around.  There are other things down there like shrimp, sand fleas, etc, so it won't last forever but you can get a couple days worth if you want to crab that long.

The ones we have are secured by a bungee to the top of the pot, it keeps the bait up a bit higher for better scent circulation and in my mind it will hold more crab and keep the doorways more open for others to join the party, but we did fine with the crab on the bottom too.

https://johnssportinggoods.com/product/crabbing-shrimping/crab-shrimp-gear/trap-accessories/smi-crab-trap-bait-box-19285/

[Mech]

So how do you use clams for bait?
We have tons of clams here.
Do you just fracture and bag them?
Are there any special tricks?
Is it legal to harvest and use local clams for bait?
Thanks.
Mech.

[WSU]

Break the shell and put them in a bait cage. Big clams like horse clams are great.

[throwingsticks]

So how do you use clams for bait?
We have tons of clams here.
Do you just fracture and bag them?
Are there any special tricks?
Is it legal to harvest and use local clams for bait?
Thanks.
Mech.

Yes that is a legal use of clams and fun facts, the Department of Health shellfish closures are not legally binding so you can dig clams during the health closure for bait.

[Mech]

Sweet.
I am a frugal guy so this helps a lot.
Thanks.

Live crab at the PA fish buyer cost $68 for 4 large ones 2 years ago.
I paid that once.

Angry Perch,
I have a boat as well.
I also have a bunch of kayaks.
Kayaks are so much easier to deal with on short trips.
The cheap ones at Walmart work just fine for short runs.

I am totally interested to hear your tales on this adventure.
Maybe we could swap notes?

If I might recommend,
Look for clam water.
Lots of that here.
Look at what others are doing.
Binoculars help.
Go cheap.
Lots of good used gear up here.

And have fun.
Mech.

[Angry Perch]

So how do you use clams for bait?
We have tons of clams here.
Do you just fracture and bag them?
Are there any special tricks?
Is it legal to harvest and use local clams for bait?
Thanks.
Mech.

Yes that is a legal use of clams and fun facts, the Department of Health shellfish closures are not legally binding so you can dig clams during the health closure for bait.

Does that apply to pollution closures as well as biotoxin closures?

[Stein]

DOH closures are safety related only, not legally binding.

WDFW closures are legally binding, you can't harvest shellfish on beaches closed by WDFW.  Their website shows what beaches are open and closed.

[Jpmiller]

My buddy bought a place in sequim with a dock, we chucked a pot off the end of it and ended up with a couple legal keepers in it. That's the extent of my crabbing knowledge but I've never pulled up an empty pot so.... 

[hard hunter]

If you can get them I recommend shad for bait.  I usually use shad or tuna carcasses and then put some chicken in to try and keep the seals/sea lions away.

[throwingsticks]

So how do you use clams for bait?
We have tons of clams here.
Do you just fracture and bag them?
Are there any special tricks?
Is it legal to harvest and use local clams for bait?
Thanks.
Mech.

Yes that is a legal use of clams and fun facts, the Department of Health shellfish closures are not legally binding so you can dig clams during the health closure for bait.

Does that apply to pollution closures as well as biotoxin closures?

What Stein said, some pollution closures are WDFW legally mandated closures some are not, it would depend on the area. I think there are some sewage outfalls that might permeant legal closures.
good luck, got limits for seven cards yesterday...

[Angry Perch]

So we finally got the boat out for the maiden voyage; Our first time in saltwater. Got out right at the afternoon high tide. We cruised around a bit and got ready to drop the first pot. Everything I do in my other boat is routine, from launching and retrieving, to running downriggers. Well, it's the exact opposite here. All new equipment, new boat, new everything. The crab pots came with the boat, fully set up. I grab the first pot, pull out the line and float and set them on top, bait it, close it, and toss it in... Of course I didn't notice that he had a little Velcro strap around the rope to keep it neat. So, we watch pot #1 sink into the abyss as I scramble for the boat hook. That was good for a laugh. We set the other three and moved on. Got out to where folks were/ had been shrimping, and dropped three pots. Cruised around, saw some porpoise, checked out some kelp beds, and drank some champagne. We only had a couple hours, so pulled the shrimp pots and got a whopping 6! First crap pot, nada. Second one a couple small females. third one, 3 fat dungeness, 6 3/4, 7 1/2, 7 1/2, and three nice rock crabs. Packed it up and headed in for a nice dinner. For the first trip, I'll chalk it up as a success!

Thanks for all the advice.

[rainshadow1]

AP, I can tell you where to catch shrimp, out on Dallas Bank, but it's a bit big open water, and deep... not sure if you're looking for that...

3 nice keepers in a couple hours is just fine! (Move the other pots over there!) Enjoy!

[Angry Perch]

AP, I can tell you where to catch shrimp, out on Dallas Bank, but it's a bit big open water, and deep... not sure if you're looking for that...

3 nice keepers in a couple hours is just fine! (Move the other pots over there!) Enjoy!

Hey, I'll take any info i can get!I wasn't too far away. Off the SW tip of Protection island. I know my bait was way too thick.

[Stein]

In MA6, spot shrimp season is closed so you would have to get the smaller mesh pots and chase the other varieties.  It's a bit easier as you can only shrimp 200', so pulling them by hand isn't as big of a hurdle.  Make sure you weight the pot and I really like running extra anchors.  Find areas with a slope in 150-175 and have at it, you will find them eventually.

They are smaller than spots, but you can keep 10 pounds a day.

[Angry Perch]

Ya, not sure I'm ready to dump cash on more pots, will be better prepared and informed next spring.