2022 Crab season announced

[Mech]

I’m doing an octopus hitchhiker rig to my crab pots.
I’ve never heard of this so I’m not sure it will work but it makes sense.

I found a proper looking vase at the flea market maybe a small gallon.
It’s necked down to 2-1/2 inches and goes back up.
I’m using a 4-5 foot lanyard with a SS bolt snap for a quick disconnect so I can add it just to the night time soak.

I might also do a Home Depot bucket with a dumbbell zip tied, perforate for drainage and put a 4-5 inch hole in the lid .

I’ll post up pics of the rigs probably on 7/3 hopefully it will be a success.

[Stein]

Dang, that's a good idea.

I have caught octo in shrimp pots when I was messsing around with custom pots and made the entrance too big - crabs and octopus got in there and ate the shrimp.  I ate the octo and the crab got lucky.

[jstone]

Do the crab just keep moving around looking for food or stay in a general area

[CP]

Do the crab just keep moving around looking for food or stay in a general area

I always find them in the same place, within 100 feet or so.  Too far off the mark and no crabs, few worth keeping anyway.

[CP]

Tribal pots are still in the water this morning.  I don't remember their season going this late.

[Stein]

It was unbelievable how many pots and boats were fishing out of the Everett launch.  Somehow they got an agreement with the port to close half the launch for their exclusive use and were able to leave their gear wherever they wanted and boats tied up for days on any dock.

From what I have seen, there were many, many times more pots being used than I have ever seen previously.  Several big crab boats as well as the average home built stuff.  I don't know if they simply consolidated the fleet there for a normal season or if it marked a huge increase in their effort and catch.

[NRA4LIFE]

Not real bad yet.

[NRA4LIFE]

Lots of just sub-legals.

[CP]

Quick in and out before the crowds showed up.

[7mmfan]

I was watching the horde through my binos this morning out of Everett. Wasn't chaotic from what I could see, but lots of boats running around for sure.

[NRA4LIFE]

Wasn't nearly as crowded as I thought it would be.  Just finished stuffing our faces with crab and sweet corn.  8-2 BTW

[WAcoueshunter]

Gotta love summer on the sound!  9 and 10 today.

[Mech]

I spent a lot of time with the fish and game guys about my octopus hitch hiker rig.
It took several call and they even asked if they could call me back after they discussed it in detail.
Their interpretation is that it is not legal.

I read that you can harvest as long as you are using your hands and not a frog gig, speargun or a knife.
The only way you can harvest octopus by puncturing it in any way is as a by-product from your fishing pole.
It does say that but there is more to it than than that.

You can only harvest octopus in a trap (pot)  as a by-product catch.
So if one is in your trap it is legal.
If you connect a vase or bucket via a rope it is not legal.
If you build a octopus cave and it is in your pot it is legal.
If the vase is part of your pot it is legal.

I apologize if I mislead anyone on this and if I did I am truly sorry.
I am glad I called Luke at the Olympia office.
Thanks.
 

[Mech]

Oh and we got fat crab limits today  .

[NRA4LIFE]

Are you going to try the octopus cave?  I am very interested if that works and how.  Grilled octopus is one of my delicacies.