Hunting Washington Forum

Other Activities => Fishing => Topic started by: Stein on August 03, 2017, 07:39:15 AM

Title: Pulling drifting pots, legal way to do it?
Post by: Stein on August 03, 2017, 07:39:15 AM: So we were out for some flounder fishing and a cruise to enjoy the summer heat and noticed a pot floating away in 1200' of water. I went to see if there was a phone number to pull it for the person but it ended up being a Tulalip subsistence pot without a phone number (just a name and some sort of ID number on a yellow plastic tag).

So, not wanting to deal with the tribe's rules and WDFW on a day closed to recreational crabbing I let it go and went my merry way.

I have pulled a few pots for other guys and was able to get them back to the owner, but it got me thinking, how would a guy pull a pot (not to mention on a closed day) without running the risk of it going south? My assumption would be that I would have to call WDFW to get permission from a warden, then pull it?

It would be nice if there were clear cut rules, the only thing I can seem to find is that it is illegal to pull a pot without your name on it. I hate to see stuff get lost that continues fishing and killing for who knows how long.
Title: Re: Pulling drifting pots, legal way to do it?
Post by: h20hunter on August 03, 2017, 08:07:58 AM: My guess is call it in and leave it be. With a name abd number I would try and call right away and go from there.
Title: Re: Pulling drifting pots, legal way to do it?
Post by: CP on August 03, 2017, 08:14:39 AM: page 119 of the regs:

You can report this information to: Northwest Straits Marine Conservative
Initiative
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife 360-733-1725 or go to
(Toll Free) 855-542-3935 or go to www.derelictgear.org
http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/derelict

If it has a phone # on it I've towed them to shallow water and called the owner with the GPS coordinates.
Title: Re: Pulling drifting pots, legal way to do it?
Post by: Special T on August 03, 2017, 08:28:20 AM: A friend of mine has several pots he has recovered with a hook after the season was over. He just made sure to dump everything overboard.

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Title: Re: Pulling drifting pots, legal way to do it?
Post by: Stein on August 03, 2017, 08:42:18 AM: Quote from: CP on August 03, 2017, 08:14:39 AM
page 119 of the regs:

You can report this information to: Northwest Straits Marine Conservative
Initiative
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife 360-733-1725 or go to
(Toll Free) 855-542-3935 or go to www.derelictgear.org
http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/derelict

If it has a phone # on it I've towed them to shallow water and called the owner with the GPS coordinates.

That's not a bad idea. I have always pulled them for the owner, called them and left them at the launch but that probably isn't legal now that I think about it.
Title: Re: Pulling drifting pots, legal way to do it?
Post by: h2ofowlr on August 03, 2017, 08:43:20 AM: Just pull and open the latches and drop back down. The crabs can get out that way!
Title: Re: Pulling drifting pots, legal way to do it?
Post by: CP on August 03, 2017, 08:47:13 AM: "It is ILLEGAL to set or pull unattended shellfish gear with a buoy that does not have your name on it, and only one name and address may appear on each buoy."
Title: Re: Pulling drifting pots, legal way to do it?
Post by: Ellensburg on August 03, 2017, 08:49:09 AM: I found a few pots last wednesday while cruising from camano to coupeville..

Was not a crab day, but I didnt want to pull their pots.
Title: Re: Pulling drifting pots, legal way to do it?
Post by: CP on August 03, 2017, 08:55:36 AM: Kind of off topic but last week I passed a tug pulling a log raft. He had about 2 dozen seals catching a ride and 4 or 5 crab pot buoys lodged in the logs. So if you think someone has stolen your pots …
Title: Re: Pulling drifting pots, legal way to do it?
Post by: lokidog on August 04, 2017, 12:42:16 PM: I asked this question to a warden a few years ago as he was checking me for my license. He had a shrimp pot in his boat and it was after season. He told me that if I had called the person to let them know, he would not make a big deal of it. But, he would likely call them to see if I had contacted them. I have yet to have a person tell me I'm a jerk for saving them some money on a new trap.

If it is a recreational pot drifting in deep water, with no name on it, personally, I would pull it anyways. If a crab pot with no name on a closed day, I pull them and open the gate.

I had to remind some people on Lopez Wed that crabbing was not open, they and another group had 8 pots out. I get so tired of dimwits that can't even check the regs or know what they are, it's not like closed T and W are new regulations..... :bash:
Title: Re: Pulling drifting pots, legal way to do it?
Post by: WAcoueshunter on August 04, 2017, 03:08:08 PM: Funny you say that Loki, I just got to Lopez and passed two shrimp pots on my way in!
Title: Re: Pulling drifting pots, legal way to do it?
Post by: Shrimper on August 04, 2017, 03:20:15 PM: Quote from: WAcoueshunter on August 04, 2017, 03:08:08 PM
Funny you say that Loki, I just got to Lopez and passed two shrimp pots on my way in!

Coonstripe and Pink shrimp are open until October 31st with a 200' depth restriction in MA7.
Title: Re: Pulling drifting pots, legal way to do it?
Post by: WAcoueshunter on August 04, 2017, 06:46:37 PM: Quote from: Shrimper on August 04, 2017, 03:20:15 PM
Quote from: WAcoueshunter on August 04, 2017, 03:08:08 PM
Funny you say that Loki, I just got to Lopez and passed two shrimp pots on my way in!

Coonstripe and Pink shrimp are open until October 31st with a 200' depth restriction in MA7.

True, except these are in 250' in a good spot shrimp spot. I rolled by later and there were numbers on the buoys. Maybe commercial or natives?
Title: Re: Pulling drifting pots, legal way to do it?
Post by: kball4 on August 08, 2017, 06:25:22 AM: I dragged a pot into shore in MA12 in May cause the buoy had no name/address or markings on, by the looks of all the sea life on the buoy and rope. It had been out there for a long time.
Title: Re: Pulling drifting pots, legal way to do it?
Post by: lokidog on August 08, 2017, 09:59:10 PM: If there's brown slime on the line, it's been in about a week and a half from my experience.