Crabbing

[CP]

Crabbing opens tomorrow.   

The tribes are still hitting them hard in area 8-2.  I'm guessing this is their last day, but I don't know for sure.   

Anyway, nasty tides this weekend, I might just wait for better conditions. 

[blackpowderhunter]

crappy conditions but ill still likely be out 

[Angry Perch]

Ditto.

[WAcoueshunter]

Gonna be a lot of floaters, and claims that someone stole my pot!   

[blackpowderhunter]

Gonna be a lot of floaters, and claims that someone stole my pot!   

"gotta love those 7 lb pots with 50 ft of line in 45 ft of water at -2 tide 

[Stein]

Crabbing opens tomorrow.   

The tribes are still hitting them hard in area 8-2.  I'm guessing this is their last day, but I don't know for sure.   

Anyway, nasty tides this weekend, I might just wait for better conditions.

I've never seen as many tribal pots as this year.  Personally, I wouldn't waste my time dropping a pot between the bubble and the Muk ferry. 

Like many things, I tend to skip more openers the older I get, especially if there is a long season.

[Special T]

The launch at maple grove and utsilady are gonna be gnarly with the low tide.

[pickardjw]

What makes that tide nasty for crabbing? Have some assumptions based on context clues but never crabbed much myself.

[fishngamereaper]

What makes that tide nasty for crabbing? Have some assumptions based on context clues but never crabbed much myself.

Crabbing can be hit and miss on big swings
Crab are kinda lazy and you may or may not get em to come to you...
The bigger issues are lost pots, floaters, etc because of the no weight I set it at low tide with ten extra feet of rope people.....not to mention the shire shows at the launches...
I avoid any boating on or around the 4th.

[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

What makes that tide nasty for crabbing? Have some assumptions based on context clues but never crabbed much myself.

Large fluctuations cause strong currents...
Crabs tend to bury themselves when they get swept across the bottom like tumbleweeds..
High slack, low slack, and lower tidal coefficient days are more productive.
.

[pickardjw]

Makes sense, thanks 

[Stein]

What makes that tide nasty for crabbing? Have some assumptions based on context clues but never crabbed much myself.

Large fluctuations cause strong currents...
Crabs tend to bury themselves when they get swept across the bottom like tumbleweeds..
High slack, low slack, and lower tidal coefficient days are more productive.
.

It also takes the unweighted pots up to Canada.

[Jake Dogfish]

I’ll be out in the float tube on Monday.

[C-Money]

Good luck everyone! Hope to see some success photos!

[WAcoueshunter]

Here’s my morning. Gotta love July.

[Jake Dogfish]

Here’s my morning. Gotta love July.

Yeah! 

[Special T]

Overnight soak was good. Entertainment at the maple Grove boat launch.skagit bay is currently tough crabbing but we got a few. The big tide swings were hard on pots

[RB]

Overnight soak was good. Entertainment at the maple Grove boat launch.skagit bay is currently tough crabbing but we got a few. The big tide swings were hard on pots

 

Exactly why I did not go, took my boys trout fishing and brought home 14 nice rainbows, lost several at the boat. The lake was quiet and the launch was easy.

[C-Money]

Looks great! Nice catch!

[WAcoueshunter]

The overnight soaks were really good.  Showed up to 17 keepers in my two pots this morning after fishing.  Think the crabs are hungry after those big tide swings. 

I didn't see as many floaters as I would have expected, but did see a guy coming back to the dock with someone else's crab buoy stuck to his outdrive.  Like he'd run over someone's pot but didn't get rid of the evidence.  He got called out by someone else at the dock, so everyone turned to see. 

[carlyoungs]

It was pretty slow for us out of Everett.  Got 6 keepers yesterday. Did see the sheriff towing in a boat that was upside down. I'm guessing it must have been on the opener.  The water was nasty out there. Saw a lot of boats out that shouldn't have been.

[blackpowderhunter]

It was pretty slow for us out of Everett.  Got 6 keepers yesterday. Did see the sheriff towing in a boat that was upside down. I'm guessing it must have been on the opener.  The water was nasty out there. Saw a lot of boats out that shouldn't have been.

we saw that boat being towed in on the opener, and another one upside down the next day...
not sure what was happening, but my guess is over loaded boat, non working bilge, and too many people standing on the back corner to watch the pots come up.

[CP]

I finally got out.   

1st pot of the season:   

[87Ford]

Still some good crabbing to be had. Three limits yesterday.

[RB]

Still some good crabbing to be had. Three limits yesterday.

Nice! Took my boys out Thursday and did the same threw back probably another two limits of soft shell to get our 15, end of August should be even better!

[jstone]

How is Tacoma Area Doing

[jstone]

What tide is the best
Slack low or slack high

[h2ofowlr]

What tide is the best
Slack low or slack high

Slack high or low doesn't seem to change the catch for me.  They both crab well.  I also prefer crabing an incoming tide vs out going.  Big tide swings seem to crab the worst, so if you can get a mild change in tides, crab during that period and you will also have better luck. 

[CP]

I do better when there is some current flow.  Not so much that it sweeps your pots away or makes the crabs hunker down until it eases, but enough to put out a scent trail.  As for incoming or outgoing, that depends on the spot.  You want the crabs to be down current from your pot.