bapabear Loc: Blaine, Washington

I do not know if it will work in your area, but hear on the West Coast, I often use rings from an anchored boat rather than traps when searching for new areas to crab. That way the scent brings in any crabs in a short time as crabs enter rings faster than traps. If no legal males, I can move fifty or 100 yards by just lifting the anchor off the bottom and drifting in the current then resetting the anchor. My technique is also different from most locals in my area. The common method is to drop traps for a very long soak, often overnight.
I drop the anchor, I drop the pre baited rings to the bottom, play one hand of hearts, then pull the rings. If I get a good catch (one or more legal males) I reset traps if not, I move a short distance By pulling the anchor off the bottom and drifting 50 to 100 yards and repeat.
The second method I use in previously located spots is to use traps. 1 bait traps, 2 set traps about 25 to 50 yards apart in a line. Mark the float location on GPS. By the time the fourth or sixth trap (2 or 3 people) the first trap is ready to be pulled (30 to 45 minutes soaking). I go back to trap one, pulling, baiting and resetting with adjustment for current and wind to try and get float back on same waypoint. If not a successful hull (one or more large males), I keep the trap on board until I pull the rest of the traps in order. Invariably a couple of traps will have a good hull and a couple will be washout with few crabs or all females. I just drop the unsuccessful traps near the successful traps and remark waypoints. If the crabbing is good with 3 people, I rarely have time to fish between pulls. With two, I may have time to get a few flatfish, as they favor the same bottom as dungeness crab.
Note: The two most common misconceptions among local crabbers is that the commercial guys have fished the area out. First, crabs move. They also usually move in groups of females or females with small well undersized
males. Don't confuse this with "leagles fished out" This is an indication there are legal or near legal males nearby. They may be as close as 25 yards away. If one pulls a trap with few or no crabs or a bunch of rock crabs, this means their trap is in the wrong spot. If it was "fished out" there would still be all the females and undersized males that had been released by the commercial guys. Large males often move in groups of males only. If one pulls a trap with females and small males they need to move. If one gets no or few crabs at all, they need to move. If one gets a pot with lots of males just under sized by 1//8 to 1/4 but no legal males or if the legal males are softshell, then the area is an area most likely nearly "fished out of legal crabs." Again, there may be legal crabs just a short distance away. I have limited on crab within sight of over 100 commercial pots. Remember, if the commercial pots are still out, the commercial guys are still catching enough crab to make fishing financially viable. In that scenario you have the advantage as you can fish the perfect time/tide and fish with fresh bait far better than what the commercial guys are using. (Do not believe the old adage "the more rotten and stinky the better" Fresh will out fish old any day, especially when it comes to fish and fish guts or skinned chicken (dark meat, not breasts).

The advantages of pulling after short soaks:
1. you can move rather than just hoping you hit a good spot with an overnight soak.
2. You can crab just during low or no current periods
3. You don't loose crabs and pots to high current or thieves.
4. You can get your limits in an hour or two then enjoy fishing because you are already on good flatfish grounds.
5. You can find new hotspots
6. you can enjoy the crab for dinner the same day you set your traps and do it again the next day.

If you doubt my success, feel free to look at some of my former posts. My last crab post was "CRABBING TO TEST THE BOAT" still posted.

You guys back east, these suggestions may work for you as well. Good luck

Clark60 Loc: Snohomish Wa

Good read a great advice. I’m headed out Friday morning in an area that was just fished by the commercial guys last week. They’ve been off the water 7 days so I’m thinking new crabs will have moved in. One thing you didn’t say in your post is that most times crabbing the in comming tide helps move the crabs into an area too

YankeeThom Loc: NC

Great post. Definitely going to try these techniques in North Carolina

bapabear Loc: Blaine, Washington

Agree. So does crabbing an outgoing tide. I have had equally good luck just before and through the incoming and outgoing tide. The crabs can move around better when the strong current does not force them to dig in. Thanks for the added comment.

ddeibert

All good advise, but after talk with the crab biologist, fount out that the tribes have fished areas 81 and 82 very hard this year and al we have been catching is females, some with eggs on their shells an a ton of under sized males or large soft shells. we as sports men need to contact the WDFW and complain about the tribes getting out before us. So call and complain because they know this is a huge problem. they were allowed 1 million pounds and so far have harvested 750,000 pounds as far as they know.

bapabear Loc: Blaine, Washington

your catch definitely indicates the area is fished out.. Unfortunately, the native catch is a right granted by the courts and can not be changed by WDFW. The sport catch on the other hand is not a right, but a privilege granted by the state. The only way to change that, is to have the courts overthrow the Boldt decision. I don't see that happening in my life time.

ddeibert

WDFW is is going to talk with the tribes about that. Also was told they may open our season in june instead of july next year. Will wait and see if that happens

bapabear Loc: Blaine, Washington

I am confused. Didn't they delay the opener this year due to an excess of softshells? Why would they make the opener earlier?

ddeibert

they were having meetings for recs to fish prior to the tribes, as they harvest heavily and throw back sub legals and soft shells, at least that was my understanding. Call the crab biologist and talk to them and tell them how your summer catch went and also your winter catch. ask why we get so many sub legals and soft shells legal size one that we have to release

ddeibert

Did you call and ask the question's that i said?