crabbing open?

[singleshot12]

I saw a few people setting pots today. Is it open for the winter?  Haven't heard or seen it written.

[singleshot12]

8-1 or 8-2?

[lokidog]

Several areas of Puget Sound reopen Oct. 8
for late-season crab fishing
OLYMPIA - Seven marine areas of Puget Sound will reopen for recreational crab fishing Oct. 8, while two others will reopen Nov. 21, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) announced today.   
The openings were approved by fishery managers after summer catch assessments by WDFW indicated more crab are available for harvest, said Rich Childers, shellfish policy coordinator for the department.
Waters reopening to sport crabbing Oct. 8 at 8 a.m. include marine areas 4 (Neah Bay), 5 (Sekiu), 6 (eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca), 7 (San Juan Islands), 8-1 (Deception Pass, Hope Island, and Skagit Bay), 8-2 (Port Susan and Port Gardner), and a portion of Marine Area 9 (Admiralty Inlet) north of a line that extends from Olele Point to Foulweather Bluff.
Marine areas 11 (Tacoma-Vashon Island) and 13 (South Puget Sound) will reopen for sport crabbing at 8 a.m. on Nov. 21.
In each area, crabbing will be allowed seven days a week through Dec. 31. 
Sport crabbing will not reopen this year in marine areas 10 (Seattle/Bremerton Area), 12 (Hood Canal) and the portion of marine area 9 south of line that extends from Olele Point to Foulweather Bluff. The annual quotas in those areas were reached during the summer fishery, said Childers.
The daily catch limit in Puget Sound is five Dungeness crab, males only, in hard-shell condition with a minimum carapace width of 6¼ inches. In addition, fishers may catch six red rock crab of either sex per day, provided those crab measure at least 5 inches across. Additional information is available on the WDFW website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/shellfish/crab/ . 
All crab caught in the late-season fishery should be recorded on winter catch cards, which are valid until Dec. 31. Winter cards are available at license vendors across the state. Those catch reports are due to WDFW by Feb. 1, 2012. For more information on catch record cards, visit WDFW's website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/shellfish/crab/crc.html

[singleshot12]

Thanks lokidog, there must be a commercial fishery going on in some of the areas too. I may have to get out winter crab are better.

[lokidog]

Commercial guys opened up October 1.

Whoever I end up deer hunting with next weekend better like crabs....      

[longknife]

Thanks lokidog, there must be a commercial fishery going on in some of the areas too. I may have to get out winter crab are better.

Cant wait for winter BLACKMOUTH!! Possesion was loaded with them this summer!

Is this why they close the 8-2(port susan) area, from Oct.1-31st(commercial)? From what i read on rules, we are not allowed to do any fishing/crabbing in this area??

[lokidog]

commercial season runs for several months from what I have been told. usually all the good crabbing is mopped up in the first month or so but some diehards will go until the spring if the quota hasnt been caught.

Yep, goes through at least March and went into April last spring.

[singleshot12]

commercial season runs for several months from what I have been told. usually all the good crabbing is mopped up in the first month or so but some diehards will go until the spring if the quota hasnt been caught.

Wow!  get em while you can!  recreational crabbing has been decent the last couple years, It will be amazing if it remains that way.

[JohnVH]

Check the website, I read yesterday that 7N is open until Dec. 31 now, 7 days a week!

[NRA4LIFE]

I'm not getting too excited about this.  Last time they opened up 8-2 during the fall, you could barely maneuver through the tribal buoys.  Wasn't anything left to catch either.

[Madison]

I am pissed they opened the additional opportunity during the summer, only to *censored* us on the winter season.  MA12 specifically, although it looks like 10 should also be pissed.