Northwest Reel Life April 2023 Volume 2 Issue 9 - Flipbook - Page 28
With Puget Sound crab season
right around the corner, let’s briefly
discuss an unfortunate aspect
of the sport; lost or stolen crab
gear. While fortunately, or maybe
unfortunately, most missing crab
gear is actually lost, there is still a
high incidence of theft associated
with recreational crabbing. There
are a few things we can do to
reduce lost crab gear.
Much of the time, missing crab
gear is due to operator error.
Things like short crab pot lines,
pots not properly weighted, and
set location are often the reason
a recreational crabber can’t find
their gear. Admittingly, crab gear
can be the victim of theft. Either
way, how do we reduce lost crab
gear?
Crabbers can significantly reduce
the amount of gear lost due to
operator error by taking a solid
look at their gear and where
they plan to drop the pots.
Always ensure that you have
adequate line for the area that
you are crabbing. Think depth
of the water + 50%. Most of the
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time recreational crabbing is
done in 60’ or less of water so for
most crabbers 100’ of lead line is
adequate.
for painless retrieval later. If you
are missing a crab pot, wait for
slack tide to look again before you
report it as a missing pot.
Weighting your pots for the
location that you plan to crab
is critical. The current can easily
move your crab gear and I swear
that sometimes a pot full of crab
can walk as the crabs migrate
with the tides. Puget Sound,
many coastal bays, and estuaries
are subject to strong tidal currents.
Use weighted pots or make
sure that you add weight as
appropriate. Most missing pots
often walk away because they are
not properly weighted.
Sadly, our crab gear or even crabs
can be the subject of theft. While
crabbing at various popular Puget
Sound crabbing areas, we have
caught people picking our pots
several times. Per the WDFW
regulations, it is illegal to set or
pull unattended shellfish gear
with a buoy that does not have
your name on it. Despite the
regulations, there are people that
disregard the law and selfishly
steal our gear and crabs.
Location is important. Many of
us crab where we crab because
that is where we crab. In that
case, you probably already know
the drill, but for new crabbers or
when crabbing in a new area it is a
great idea to study a chart before
sending your gear over the side.
Make sure you have adequate
line for the area and be aware of
any drop-offs and strong current
seams. If you have charting
capabilities, mark your drop point
I am fortunate that during crab
season I can keep a crab pot in the
water on the days that crabbing
is open. I just collect the crabs and
rebait as required as I make my
rounds. All too often when I pull
the pot, the bait cage or bag is
wide open with both the crab and
bait missing. I use cheap chicken
hindquarters for bait. Most of the
time I tie wrap both the pot and
bait container, but bait theft is
a persistent problem (I should
always have chicken bones left).