First off, the Director of the CDFW has not yet spoken, so the final, actual rules are not known. We find out on Monday. But what the CDFW public relations department seems to be saying is to prepare for a Dungeness season start on time but without traps. What does that mean? Well, let me copy and paste the regulations that go into effect on Monday as well:

(b) Hoop nets may be used to take spiny lobsters and all species of crabs. Between Point Arguello, Santa Barbara County, and the United States-Mexico border, not more than five hoop nets shall be possessed by a person when taking spiny lobster or crab, not to exceed a total of 10 hoop nets possessed when taking spiny lobster or crab per vessel. The owner of the hoop net or person who placed the hoop net into the water shall raise the hoop net to the surface and inspect the contents of the hoop net at intervals not to exceed 2 hours. 

(1) Hoop Net Defined: There are two types of hoop nets allowed for use: 

(A) Type A: Fishing gear that is comprised of one to three rigid ring(s), with each ring measuring no greater than 36 inches in inside diameter nor less than 10 inches in inside diameter, which is/are connected to soft mesh thereby forming a circular-shaped net with an enclosed bottom. Lift lines shall be attached only to the top ring. A second and third rigid ring(s) may be connected by soft mesh to the top ring; however, each ring must be equal in size to or smaller than the ring above it. When the net is being raised the top ring shall be above and parallel to all other rings, with the enclosed bottom portion of the soft mesh even with or hanging below all other rings. All parts of the hoop net shall collapse and lie flat when resting on the ocean floor in such a manner that the gear does not entrap or restrict the free movement of crustaceans until lifted. When suspended from lift lines, the entire hoop net shall measure no taller than 36 inches. The ring material shall not be thicker than one inch in any dimension. 

(B) Type B: Fishing gear that is comprised of two to three rigid rings (not including the bait ring), with each ring measuring no greater than 36 inches in inside diameter and the top ring measuring no less than 15 inches in inside diameter. The upper ring or rings shall be connected to the bottom ring and supported by no more than six rigid support arms, and the assembled frame shall measure no more than 10 inches tall. The rings and support material shall not be thicker than one inch in any dimension. All rings shall be connected by soft mesh, thereby forming a net with an enclosed bottom, and lift lines shall be attached only to the top ring. When suspended from lift lines the enclosed bottom portion of the net shall be even with or hanging below all other rings, and the entire net shall measure no taller than 30 inches. A bait ring may be attached to the net as long as the ring is not part of the rigid frame. 

(2) Any hoop net abandoned or left unchecked for more than 2 hours shall be considered abandoned and seized by any person authorized to enforce these regulations. 

(3) Hoop nets used south of Point Arguello, Santa Barbara County, shall be marked with a surface buoy. Except as provided below, the surface buoy shall be legibly marked to identify the operator's GO ID number as stated on the operator's sport fishing license or lobster report card. This section does not apply to hoop nets deployed by persons on shore or manmade structures connected to the shore. 

(A) The surface buoy of hoop nets deployed from commercial passenger fishing vessels shall be legibly marked to identify the commercial boat registration number of the vessel. 

(B) The surface buoy of hoop nets provided by a licensed guide to clients for use on guided trips shall be legibly marked to identify the guide license number of the accompanying guide.

So as I read it (and I am not a lawyer and this is not legal advice, just my understanding of the regulations as posted) you are allowed any number of nets and they don't need to be marked in any particular way. I would probably still put your GO I. D. number on the buoy as well as your phone number (in the rare case somebody finds your net and wants to return it. It actually happens. Help them help you). As I read it you probably don't need the numbers here, north of Point Arguello, but hey, who does it hurt? Why have that argument with a man or woman with a gun on their hip? And how do you prove to the douchebag that pulled your net that is is, in fact, your net? Number the buoy. It may help get your sentence reduced when you knock someone's teeth out (honestly, someone who needs a tooth number reduction, IMHO. Again, not legal advice, just dreams of instant karmic fulfillment). Ring net use does not require the Recreational Crab Trap Validation. If you are seeking validation, seek it elsewhere. Ring nets also do not require a 3" by 5" red buoy, as the buoy designates a trap and you have a net. Basically, putting a red buoy on your ring net isn't illegal as I read it but it tells the wardens that you are using a trap during a trap closure and is probably more attention from people with guns than you want. Nice people, but hey, let's not get them excited for no reason. 

   As catching large numbers of crab early this season just got more complicated, if you had a good day and wish to brag, this is a safe space for that. Email your photos and reports to lawsonslanding@gmail.com and I'll (eventually) post them. Even yours, Russ.

 If you haven't seen it yet:

New Recreational Dungeness Crab Fishery Regulations Adopted to Manage Entanglement Risk for Whales and Sea Turtles

New regulations adopted by the Fish and Game Commission authorize the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Director to restrict the use of crab traps in the beginning and end of the recreational Dungeness crab season due to marine life entanglement risk.   The recreational Dungeness crab season is scheduled to open statewide on Saturday, Nov. 6 for all methods of take. However, under the new regulations, the Director has authority to prohibit the use of traps in the fishery to minimize entanglement risk from lines and buoys typically used with trap gear. A crab trap gear prohibition would also prevent the use of crab traps in the rock crab fishery. Use of hoop nets and snares (crab loop traps) are not affected by these new regulations and can be used to catch Dungeness crab when the season opens.   CDFW reminds crabbers to sign up for email updates on CDFW’s Whale Safe Fisheries webpage, and to check for season updates before heading out. Crabbers can also review the Best Practices Guide to help minimize entanglement from trap gear. Crabbers should also become familiar with the Risk Assessment Fishing Zones.   Crabbers should be aware that the new regulations require recreational crab traps to have a single standardized main buoy which measures at least 5 inches by 11 inches and a single red marker buoy that measures 3 inches by 5 inches. No additional buoys or trailer buoys may be used. There is also a 10-trap limit, and all traps must be serviced at least every nine days. Each recreational crabber who uses traps must also have a Recreational Crab Trap Validation, which is available for purchase online from CDFW’s Online License Sales and Services website or at licensed retailers.   CDFW Director Charlton H. Bonham will be using the Risk Assessment and Mitigation Program regulations over the coming weeks to assess risk of entanglement for whales and sea turtles off California’s coast in both the recreational and commercial fisheries. The first assessment is scheduled for Nov. 1, and may impact allowable gear for the recreational season opening on Nov. 6. Recent survey data indicate there are a significant number of humpback whales and Pacific leatherback sea turtles still foraging in California’s rich coastal waters. Director Bonham will review available data and recommendations from CDFW staff and the California Dungeness Crab Fishing Gear Working Group when making decisions regarding the recreational and commercial fisheries during these upcoming risk assessments. So, after reading that second paragraph about 17 times, it appears that we are being led to believe that nets and snares will be okay. If that officially comes to pass, the Outdoor Pro Shop in Cotati has (or will have by next week) ring nets for about $36 each. I'm getting a few Pitbull rings to sell at that that price as well. That's better than most Amazon prices and you can actually pick them up. While they last. I, like most crabbers, have let my crab nets rot away while I worked traps. Looks like I'm a ring guy again. Probably. Whatever the rules are will be official on Monday.

     So, a lot of questions about Dungeness season. Welcome to the club. Uncertainty is your new certainty. At least until November 1. Let me attempt to put it in a large nutshell.

    In the regulations, crab traps are illegal to use starting one week before the scheduled opening of Dungeness season. This was initially established to prevent those folks that dropped their gear before the opening of Dungeness for red crab and pulled it on the opener and kept Dungeness. No gray area anymore if there ever was one. When do traps reopen? We may find out on November 1. 

   In the regulations, nets (both ring and conical) must be serviced every two hours or the nets are considered "abandoned." What does "abandoned" mean? I don't know. But I understand that you're supposed to pull your net (ring or conical) every two hours or else...

   Will it be net (ring or conical) only or will traps be okay? Nobody knows. Chuck Bonham is the Director of CDFW and literally gets to choose. If he chooses that we open for traps even with whales around and whales or turtles get entangled then the season could get shut down for three years. So we don't want him to pick us opening if we shouldn't, even though there's a lot of pressure to. If he picks that we stay shut down (no Dungeness, period) and the whales bail out and we open a few weeks later, well, it sucks for people that made plans, but hey, maybe you get to crab next year, too. When you write your mean letter to Mr. Bonham please consider your future you. You in a year or two may also want to crab. Please also know that our bureaucrats are pretty happy with the status quo most of the time and were totally prepared to sit on their thumbs until the Center for Biological Diversity sued. Then it was, as was spoken in Blazing Saddles, " We have to save our phoney-baloney jobs, gentlemen!" I'm not complaining, this is just a statement of fact. This is how the process works. Most people are prepared to sit idly until someone cattle-prods them. I have burn marks on my tookus. I know. And I'm not employed by the state. To sum up, we will be better off, in my opinion, if the powers that be hedge toward limiting our opportunities in the short term in order to maximize our opportunities in the long term. I have screwed over future me a number of times and he remembers.

    So, what's going to happen? Dunno. That is up to Charleton Bonham to decide and announce on November 1. He's got pressure from both sides. He's earning his pay this week. It seems to me that allowing nets and keeping traps closed in our area lets a lot of pressure blow off while allowing some some crab to be caught. A good compromise, no matter what the books say, has all parties involved dissatisfied about the same amount. I'm familiar with compromise and this one doesn't seem like the worst one.  That said, if it comes to nets for the opener (and probably the month of November if it comes to it) your Outdoor Pro Shop in Cotati has a large supply at a reasonable price (about half of Amazon's price. No shipping!). I have no affiliation with them (aside from buying a lot of gear there, and I own a tackle shop) but their prices are good and they have some product. When containers went from $2000 to $25000 a lot of shops chickened out. Whether you like them or not, they didn't chicken out and they have stuff. Given the situation, you may see me or Gage in there buying ring nets on the 1st or 2nd.  I am not a good enough crabber to catch keepers once the commercials open, so if there's a net season prior to the commercial season, I'm in. 

      I vaguely recall making some absurd statement a few days ago about things looking good for a November 6 sport Dungeness opener. I was younger and naive then, without the benefit of an extra couple of days for life to beat the optimism out of me. It appears that my youthful exuberance was misguided. I heard today that not only are there whales out there but there are several sea turtles in the area. The recommendation from the staff is for recreational Dungeness season to open on time, as scheduled, but you can't use traps between the Sonoma/Mendocino County line and Lopez Point (36º Latitude). Check out that link. It's not official until November 1, as noted here:

Risk Assessment and Mitigation Program Update

October 22, 2021

The CDFW Director will conduct an assessment of marine life entanglement risk for the commercial Dungeness crab fishery on or around November 1, 2021 using the Risk Assessment and Mitigation Program (RAMP). In addition, new regulations adopted by the California Fish and Game Commission provide the Director authority to apply management actions to the recreational crab fishery to minimize entanglement risk informed by RAMP. The California Dungeness Crab Fishing Gear Working Group will meet on October 26, 2021 to review currently Available Data and CDFW's Initial Assessment and Preliminary Management Recommendation. The Director will consider the Working Group's recommendation, CDFW staff’s Final Assessment, and all data made available to CDFW prior to making a final determination of marine life entanglement risk. All materials will be posted on the Whale Safe Fisheries webpage as they become available.  That means that the Director may choose other options, including not opening recreational crabbing or opening it fully. So, get those traps ready, and get those ring nets ready, but don't thaw the bait yet.  I wish I hadn't thrown out all those old ring nets.... Oh well, at least no cottons.

     Well, I wanted to go fishing today but good sense and a strong desire to live kept me on the beach. Even Gage didn't go fishing (although he did go to the Outdoor Pro Shop which is like methadone for fishing junkies when they can't score). The bar was breaking off and on and the South wind varied from bad to worse. I did get some red buoys in the shop this week and I got my gear rigged today. I almost forgot to change my cottons in my haste to rig up the red buoy. Don't forget that one. I can recall with high-definition clarity the vision of the top of my crab pot popping open and Dungeness raining out a few years back. The water was super clear that day so that I could appreciate my stupidity and sloth. Good times. Don't be me. Change your cottons or crab in murkier water. 

   I did receive one report yesterday, no photo, but, "there was a fish caught mooching yesterday in front of bird 60’ water. Hunter Smith 20 lbs". So there's still a salmon or two out there if you can get to them. Heck, there may even be a bluefin at Cordell (they're still catching them out of Santa Cruz, HMB and Monterey). We just need a chance to get there. Swells up to 20 feet and winds to 45 knots early next week may make it difficult. At least this rain may help the salmon. 

     Steve Cato, Alfie Adams and Bud Adams went for halibut today, and despite cold water (52ºF on the bar, 57ºF by Marshall) and a pretty aggressive South wind they caught two, 14 and 15 pounds. The shivering fish bit dead drifted anchovies in 40 feet of water on the outside of the bar. Today was probably the last chance to do that for a while, as the "storm door is open" according to the meteorologists. That means not just rain (what's a little rain to a real fisherman?) but also wind and big swell. The swell is the killer. Literally so on the bar. If you missed your chance earlier in the year to catch a halibut, well, just close the book on it. It appears that there will be further opportunities but the windows will be short. The same can be said for salmon, only more so, as the season ends at the end of the month. At least salmon has a legal end. California halibut just kind of piddles out as the water cools and the days grow shorter. It's not that you can't catch them in winter, it's just that you almost certainly won't. But hey, here's to tilting at windmills. 

   Sorry for the delay in reports but, along with the fact that I had no fish to report, I was out fishing again. I was able to get one of the last spots on the Dillon Beach Tuna Club charter of the Polaris Supreme. We arrived just in time for the first major cold front of the season to push 21 foot seas and 45 knots of wind through, cutting our five day trip to closer to three days and cooling the water off enough to give the fish lockjaw. The catching wasn't good, but at least I was stuck on a nice boat with people I like. I even still do like them, most of them. 

      Day one on the boat, at the dock. After watching the San Diego PD perform a possible wellness check on a liveaboard sailboat across the way, the Great Spotted Bay Bass hunt started. We see here two of the competitors and an impartial judge. This was during the testing phase, when an attempt was made to determine what there was to catch from the dock. After feeding the spotties 30+ live sardines Gage finally caught one on a small bait. This was followed by Joe Winn's sprint to the tackle shop for a $35 spinning combo with which he dominated the competition. Do not challenge the good Mr. Winn to a no-stakes tiny fish competition, as he will mess you up, Tecate in hand. I needed both hands to lose. A parade of spotties followed for two days, along with a few barracudas and rays. Kooks, yes, but less bored kooks were we. Breaks were taken to visit Angler's Choice Tackle shop on both days at the dock, as our warm yellowtail and yellowfin Mexico trip had become a colder California bluefin trip. Those guys had fair prices and good service. I think everybody on the boat went at least once. 

   There was one kite fish. Eddie Parsons was first on the list and landed this 174 pound gutted and gilled bluefin. I was jealous until I saw him trying to reel it in. I thought this was supposed to be fun? His expression didn't say fun. Grim determination? Maybe. Not glee. I guess that comes while eating all that sashimi. 

  Mara Nursement landed her personal best yellowtail and the only one landed on the boat for the whole trip. It's a shame that she thought it was her bait when she reeled it up. While Mara went home without fish I'm sure that it's comforting for her to know that somewhere there's a yellowtail that is terrified of her. Watch out, Mara. He may be telling his buddies. 

   In the final daylight hours of the trip a school of bluefin decided to bite and some folks got to take a fish home. The jackpot went to the Dark Lord, AKA Steve Werlin, with a 40 pound bluefin. There were another 10 to 12 caught in the 20ish pound range. Gage had the last bite of the trip but lost it to a sea lion. It was probably instant karma for taking my rigged rod. That's right, Gage, the universe is watching.

    So, Dungeness looks like it will start on time. That's not official, as a plane must fly and whales must be counted first, but the general consensus of people that know more than I (that's a lot of people) are that it will happen on time. What whales are around are pretty much offshore and away from crab gear. Get those crab pots marked with their small red buoys as, weather permitting, it looks like crab is go. Unofficially. 

 

   Sorry, I got an invite to go fish the Trinity in a drift boat with guys that know what they're doing (my opposites) and I went for it. I missed some reporting as a result. It was good, though. I'd put up more pictures but my expressions are all weird as I'm concentrating so hard on holding the damn fish correctly (it doesn't matter when you kill and eat them) I look like a fool. So, not for you. But, I did catch a chinook, a coho and a steelhead each day, plus a few more. I caught so many coho I thought I was salmon fishing in June off of the Head. Thanks for the trip, Scott and Chris.

   Here's one of those salmon you can keep. "Roger Harker from Minden Nevada with a 20 lb salmon just south of keyholes in 70 ft 1 lb ball 40 pulls on a brads cut plug" This was from Tuesday. They were still there then. Are they still out there today?

   Richard James says they are. Or, they were. "Hi Willy

Caught today in the ocean.

Had one other scratched bait. Caught this 15 minutes before we had to leave. If one is only going to catch one fish, may as well be the biggest fish you’ve ever caught. " He sent me another email confirming the weight at 33 pounds. It only takes one like that. It ain't wide open, but there's still salmon to be caught out there. I think they may be dragging their proverbial feet on their way to the river. Whatever. There was a 28 pound salmon caught in 80 feet of water at McClure's today (along with three fish lost for one boat) and a number of boats fishing (and some catching) at Abbott's Lagoon. I heard that Mike Mack and crew caught at least one on the beach. 

      Yes, Gage wants me to tell you that there's still halibut out there. He took Amanda out for another salmon on Tuesday and followed it up with Amanda showing him how to jig halibut on the bar. Gage took notes. The salmon came from just below Keyhoe Beach on a straight bait. The wind shifted things around a bit this week but there's still some bait and salmon. Will it last? I'll tell you later.

   I got this photo in a text a little after 9:00 this morning with the message "2 good ones." Well, there's really no bad ones in the ocean (not for long. The crabs eat them) but these are especially good as they're big, October salmon. Here's another view of one:

   I think we can all agree that this photo is much more flattering than the first and does the same job of making me feel like I missed out. The message with this photo: "Heather Staplin with her 21 lb King caught on an Anchovy straight bait off Kehoe Beach in 75 feet of water" It probably doesn't hurt to have Vance Staplin driving the boat. Nature, nurture, whatever, that's a really nice fish, Heather. I'm guessing you probably could have caught it without the old man but it was nice to let him participate. As an old man, I can say that we appreciate it.

   Well, I'm sure that by now most people have seen The Matrix and watched Keanu Reeves dodge bullets. This is a photo of Gage dodging a bullet, as he finally put his girlfriend, Amanda Rocha, on the fish this evening, where she caught this nice 15 pounder. Nice job Amanda and way to save your yourself, Gage. The salmon bit a straight anchovy at 25 pulls in 90 feet of water about a mile South of Keyhoe Beach. 

    Mason Lessard took one his sons, Owen, fishing today (Nolan had to work). They limited to 20 pounds (gutted). We gave Nolan a break to get a photo with the fish and his brother. For the record, Owen caught the big one, but Nolan would have us know that it's only because he was working. The Lessard's total for the day was, I think, four fish for seven hookups. That's a lot of bites for October. They weren't the only ones getting bit, either. I heard of quite a few boats catching and a few others limiting, one by 9:30. There's some fish from McClure's to the first parking lot on Ten Mile. It won't last (it can't last) so get 'em while you can. The bartender is saying "last call!" 

    Speaking of last call, maybe Swampy did catch all of the halibut. I heard of two landed over the weekend. So he didn't catch them all, only almost all of them. Or, maybe the cold water from the blow this week has them not feeling like eating. Either way, the halibut fishing is not as good as the salmon fishing. By a lot.

    

 

    Here's a report from Friday: "Hello Willy

Always enjoy reading your reports.
After reading Thursday's report
I called my fishing buddy and said let’s go give it a shot.  We were the fifth rig in the parking lot at west side at 8:30.  Apparently a lot of guys just have preconceived notion that salmon are gone and done at a certain point on the calendar.
Some years back I caught a nice one in front of the Russian River on Halloween.  I was the lone rig in the lot that day.  Anyway, yesterday we followed the tips from Thursday’s report and ran down to Abbots.  Fishing right alongside the New Sea Angler, we hooked a nice one, worked him for a few and bang….gone.  Line broke….no excuse for that, totally avoidable event with basic inspection and maintenance of the gear.  After my 15 minutes in the penalty box, I got back on it with a new rig  and fresh determination.  People were definitely catching fish but it wasn’t wide open.  We fished hard and finally around 1:30 my rod was doing the pump dance.  Jumped to grab it and first thought I might have a snag. Wow did this one ever fight!  Of course I was being extra gentle after loosing the one earlier.  Loosing this one was not an option.  Later on back at the wash down other successful fisherman said the fish seemed to have a lot of spunk in their fight. 

It was a good day, wish we could have done better, but any day that ends skunk free is a good day!" Damn right. Yeah, the fish seem energetic. I kind of miss the suicide fish a few years back. Just drag them in like you snagged a rag. Then again, chasing fish with the boat is kind of cool, too, and makes for better stories than the rag. Even if you lost it, the story is better. I vote for a mix of the two.

     Mike Mack sent in this photo and report from today: "3 salmon on 1 in box. 10 mile lots of bait. Straight bait 50' to 70' - 25 pulls. Ling at elephant. Limits rock fish. Beautiful day on the water. We love lawsons landing." It seems Mike has had similar issues as the rest of us with these hot salmon releasing themselves. It sucks but is exciting. Also, this is supposed to be the time of year when lings move in from offshore to spawn. There should be more fish around like the ling in the photo, or at least more coming. Oh, and Mike, we like you, too. 

    Branden Mendoza sent in this report from today: "Hey willy. Got this guy today trolling in 80 feet of water just before elephant. Caught it on 30 feet on the wire with a crippled anchovy. Got him early at 8:30 am trolled all-day for nothing else but he made the day worth it for sure " You gotta love catching one early. It does take the edge off. That looks like a nice chipped hatchery buck. All of ours were dudes on Thursday and all of these photos today look like dudes, too. I'm sure that means something but I don't know what it is.  I heard of another salmon caught today (and a couple lost; hot fish) but didn't hear of any halibut caught. Swampy is good, but I don't think that he caught the last one. Probably.