Crab opening in area 6

[hunthard]

Anybody heard any dates yet?

[Stein]

No, but the commercial fleet is gearing up in Everett.  Insane numbers of pots stacked on the docks, most I have seen.  Many of them look to be new.

[CP]

Tribal gear has been deployed from Everett to the Shipwreck - probably along Whidbey as well.  Lots of pots in the water.

[Stein]

Looks like they have some newer boats, at least compared to some of the dandies they have had in the past.  These boys were serious.

[NRA4LIFE]

Just came from the marina.  There are pots as far as you can see everywhere.

[hunthard]

Still waiting to hear, come on WDFW!!!!!!!

[stkflker]

MA and days open are now posted on wdfw website!

[hunthard]

Thanks for the heads up

[jstone]

What’s your go to crab bait.!!

[Mech]

Salmon carcasses work best for me.
I will save them just for this.

When I don’t have any of those or can’t get anything good I will use chicken legs with the skin still on them and a can of oiled tuna with a couple of holes punched in.
That actually works well

I also sometimes use whole mackerel sliced a bit on the sides.

Every now and then I go to PA the that cheap grocery store on the hill and buy a bunch of them cheapo salmon fillets that are individually vacuumed bagged.

Lots of times I will mix and match or use different items in different pots to see what they like more but it seems that if they like it all but yet a bit more so on the oily baits.

[hunthard]

Two years ago i did a little test with my pots, 2 with chicken and 2 with salmon scraps, the chicken out fished the salmon, this year i'm going to put a can of sardines in with the chicken for a little more oily scent.

[Stein]

My go to is whatever I have free in my freezer, then I buy the cheapest chicken I can find if I run out.  Salmon parts, chicken bones, chicken backs, duck parts, clam guts, rockfish parts, scraps from herring and extra anchovies, I don't throw anything away as it is all good crab bait and free.  I'm sure my chest freezer has paid for itself many times over just storing free crab, shrimp and halibut bait.

It's a humpy year, so late this year and all of next crab season will be humpy parts for sure.

[jstone]

So if the crab season is two days. Is there a time line for crabbing? Is it open for 48 hours? Or day time only?
I skimmed through and can’t find anything that tells me.

[Stein]

So if the crab season is two days. Is there a time line for crabbing? Is it open for 48 hours? Or day time only?
I skimmed through and can’t find anything that tells me.

They hide it in the gear regulation section for some odd reason:

No fisher may set or pull shellfish gear from a vessel, in Catch Record Card Areas 1-13, from one hour after official sunset to one hour before official sunrise. All shellfish gear must be removed from the water on closed days.

[jstone]

Thank You
That’s why I couldn’t find it.!