Time to get crabby!
Not grumpy, but crabby, as in Dungeness.
You can go buy some in a store, but you'd love going on a boat and getting your own. How you ask? Read on.
Mike from USAfishing.com writes:
"The 2005 sport Dungeness crab season opens on November 9th and holds promise to be another good season for sport anglers. Unfortunately Governor Arnold terminated hopes of even a better season by vetoing legislation that would have regulated commercial boats to a maximum of 250 pots per vessel. With no limits on the numbers of pots they can fish large commercial boats that "fish" as many as 1200 pots have raped our local waters the past 15 seasons. This has lead to not only dead crabs being dumped by these same boats when the markets are flooded but to far lower numbers of quality crabs available to local small commercial local boats that are mostly family operations and sport anglers. In turn sport anglers see a huge impact and a minuscule piece of the crab pie estimated to be under 1% of the entire commercial landings by weight."
You get 6 males at least as wide as about a $100.00 dollar bill. Here's how you do it.
I assume you don't have crab equipment, and a boat but don't worry other people will take you.
The "party" boats set out crab pots outside the Golden Gate about 10 miles out. You'll leave early in the am, about 6, and just after sunrise the crew will be on the pots. As you check in at the dock you get a number. The first person gets called to the first pot to pick out 6 crabs. The deckhands use pulleys to get the pots on deck and they will open the trap and point out 6 keeper crabs. Carefully reach in and get yours, and drop in the box.
The next person gets called up and they get 6. It continues until the pot is empty then it is rebaited and dropped down. On to the next pot, and the next until everybody has their 6.
After the crabs are in the boat and the traps all rebaited (for the next days trip) it is off to the Farallon islands for rock fishing. Most people have never seen these islands about 30 miles off shore, and it is a treat.
Lots of birds and wildlife, maybe you'll see a whale, or a shark. You'll be able to use their gear to fish for lingcod, and snapper, as the boat drifts along the rocky reefs. The deckhands will show you how to do it and what is a keeper. By early afternoon you'll reel up and head back.
The view coming into towards the San Francisco coastline is always spectacular.
Coming under the bridge is a treat.
The Emeryville boats will have big pots of boiling water waiting and they will cook your crab to take home if you don't want to bring home live critters.
So you come back with enough fish for an awsome dinner with friends and family and had a great day on the bay and ocean. Total cost? With tips and gear rental maybe $100.00. You'll agree it is well worth it.
Last year my friend Wayne and I went the day before Thanksgiving and we both treated everyone to fresh crab. Better than Chex party mix for sure.
Here's a little more from Mike at USAfishing.com
"Management or Lack of: Sport anglers take less than 1% of the total crabs landed along the coast. LESS THAN ONE PERCENT! It doesn't add up and this is yet another fishery that is NOT being properly managed by Cal F&G and over-exploited by commercial interests.
Sport takes are minimal with sport limits set at 10 crabs per angler min. of 5 3/4" (six over 6" on passenger for hire boats from Pt Arena south, 10 crabs Pt Arena north) while commercial boats have no limit or maximum number of pots (some boats fish in excess of 1000 pots many from out of state whom travel into our waters to fish for only a few weeks and then leave after most of the crabs have been taken) they can set and they take over 90% of ALL commercial grade crabs (males over 6 1/4 inches) in a given season. Crab numbers have declined for the past 60 years and it's time that strict commercial pot and landing quotas are put in place to protect the fishery from further decline.
In fact most family run commercial operators favor a pot limit of 250 pots per vessel but the large boats that travel up and down the coast raping different areas are against any pot limits. While sport anglers pump tens of millions into the California economy the commercial fishers overexploited our fisheries and lead to the long term closures we are seeing today. It's time to speak up and be heard or today's closures are just the beginning of more to come.
In closing crabbing is great fun despite the thieves and the work. There is nothing more exciting to see a pot stuffed with 20 or more crabs coming over the rail and even more fun to share a meal with the days catch with family and friends. See you on the water!"
Party Boats:
The following businesses offer Dungeness crab trips.
Bodega Bay: The Bodega Bay Sport Center 707 875-3344
Aggressor Adventures 707 829-4728
Golden Gate: Emeryville Sportfishing Center 510 654-6040
Half Moon Bay: Huck Finn Sportfishing 650 726-7133
Fort Bragg: North Coast Fishing Adventures 707 964-3000
See United Anglers of California to see about the political issues mentioned.
Worried about getting seasick? Try over the counter stuff, or ask your doctor about Scopace.
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