Friday, November 16, 2018
The commercial boys dropped their gear on Wednesday morning and started pulling it yesterday. The numbers of crab South of Bodega Head are likely to fall off pretty quickly, which probably means that most of the guys still crabbing will move their gear North if they haven't already. There's a fair amount of water North of the Head, but I bet you'll still find most of the buoys in clusters. There was another bad crab (52 ppm) off of the Russian River, so the commercials need two clean tests to start fishing above the Head. Looks like it won't be until December. The outer bay crabbing has slowed down quite a bit, even though the boat traffic seems to have increased on the South end of the bay. Inside Tomales Bay there's still a few Dungeness being caught but only a few. Gage caught four in one pot on an overnight soak in five feet of water at a secret location inside the bay but that's all he'll let me say. I heard of a halibut caught in a crab pot inside the bay today, so while they may not be biting at least one guy was catching. FYI, the law says you must release any fish you catch in your crab trap, no matter how much you want to keep it.
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Report from Thursday. The crabbing was good a little north of Tomalas in 120' eighteen nice big males for 4 pots and no commercial gear in the area. The rock cod and lings were bitting around bird with two being fat females in the high teens full of eggs.
Still too many rock crab but who am I to complain I have a seaworthy boat and can go fishing almost whenever I want. But ya, too many rock crab.
But large rock crabs a nice eating, the claws that is.
Good rock fishing through out our coast line, have fun! There are many big girl lings in the area ...tight lines
Also the stripers are here! Finally the fall run has started, helpful hint, SP minnows are working well and so is yozuri mag minnows, both shallow divers
I know that shallow spot. I think some crab by-pass all the nonsense going on it the channel.
Unless you get undeniable proof. like a picture of crabs being hauled up onto a pirate boat it is hard to prosecute. On Coastside fishing club a picture of a suspected pirate boat was taken and put into a post. If you can get into Coastside, check it out. The boat's name as shown is "Easy Limits", the name kinda says it all.
Fish and game need to check out more boats. Hint, a boat comes in with a load of crabs with no crab puller, no crab traps? What do you think??? I have a good camera on board my boat. Just saying.
Anyone that blames the charter boats is probably the culprit. Working boats are under plenty of scrutiny with everything they do, if anything it's their pots that get targeted.
When you read that the samantha irene sent their customers home with limits it is because they fish every day and have most lots of local intel. In short they are working harder than us weekend warriors. Please don't suggest they are stealing when you have no evidence.
Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour
I agree on the over blaming and finger pointing......I think many of the pots that come up empty are just that - empty. It is obvious the charters know where to set their pots - they know how to fish better than you or I.
I bring a load of crab in without a puller or traps cuz my traps are still soaking and I love pulling the traps manually - while I still can.
There is plenty of pirating of crab pots though, everybody keep your eyes open. Unfortunately the only good way to catch the raiders would be a telescope on the hill but that would take a lot of time and work and for myself I would rather be on the water - a group effort could make it happen....
I know commies will work your gear if set near them. Set more pots 4 isn't a string, watch the tides, crab are spread out 1 pot full next pot blanks. Don't accuse people unless you have proof.
Blogger Unknown said...
Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour
November 20, 2018 at 8:02 AM
Yup,Unless you have positive proof, then bring it on.
I hope that all you fisherman out their realize that just because A
crab goes into your pot does not mean he can't get out... crab are like Houdini once they realize there no food they spend every second trying to escape... And to the person implying that anyone connected to the Samantha Irene is a poacher or a thief is absolutely crazy and doesn't know the good and ethical skipper that runs that boat Jeff and I have been personal friends for some years now I have a string of pots out there that I allow him to take crab from he has close to 50 pots of his own to take crab from he doesn't need yours or anyone else's... So the next time you pull a pot and it short some crab double check your doors double check the trap because 9 times out of 10 they are escaping and one time out of 10 they're being stolen
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