Here's the official word on no traps here still but traps okay elsewhere, soon:
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| California Department of Fish and Wildlife
Risk Assessment and Mitigation Program Update |
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CDFW Director Bonham has completed an assessment of marine life entanglement risk for the recreational and commercial Dungeness crab fisheries under the Risk Assessment and Mitigation Program (RAMP).
Fishing Zone 4 (Pigeon Point to Lopez Point) will open for recreational Dungeness crab trap fishing under a Fleet Advisory beginning at 9 a.m. on Dec. 10, 2021. The commercial fishery will open in Zone 4 under a Fleet Advisory and Depth Constraint at 12:01 a.m. on Dec. 16, 2021, with a pre-soak period to begin at 8:01 a.m. on Dec. 13, 2021. Commercial fishing activity will be limited to depths of 40 fathoms and shallower across Zone 4 and be required to have an electronic monitoring system onboard. Information about electronic monitoring is available here.
The commercial fishery will continue to be delayed in Fishing Zone 3, from the Sonoma/Mendocino county line to Pigeon Point, due to the presence of high numbers of humpback whales in the Gulf of the Farallones. The temporary crab trap restriction for the recreational fishery will also remain in place in Zone 3 until it can be evaluated at the next risk assessment, currently expected to occur on or around Dec. 15, 2021.
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" So, we wait a bit longer, as expected.
Since our power was out this morning I decided to give the Tomales Bay Dungeness a try. I learned a couple of things. First, when the forecast says Gale Warning, there's a pretty good chance that the wind will blow. Hard. This was definitely a day for the conicals as I was pulling everything sideways. You know you're skidding your gear when the nets come up with clam shells in them. Second, I learned that a Gale Warning will clear most of the other boats out. Once I got a few hundred yards from the Landing it was just me. It would have been peaceful if the wind wasn't trying to suck my stocking cap off. Third, you'll be drier and warmer if you wear your foul weather gear. I didn't wear mine. Finally, I tried a few spots but found that the area towards the mouth from Marker 5 and closer to the sand bar was the best place I tried. I finished with nine in a couple of hours using three conicals and I threw back a dozen maybe-legals (they were right on the line with my gauge but not worth a ticket if my gauge and the warden's gauge disagree) and probably three dozen just-shorts. Next year will be good, as will the season end in May and June. They'd be better as jumbos but keepers are all better than shorts. I did see several buoys around with nobody servicing them. Most were lost gear (I was tempted to bring in a trap in four feet of water with a seaweed beard five feet long, but showing up on shore with crabs and a trap in the boat? Nah. Hopefully the cotton is rotten.) but I did see two recently serviced traps. Not coincidentally, Tomales Outlaw texted me this morning to remind me that commercial red crab trap fishing isn't closed. At least, that is our understanding. Neither of us are lawyers. Is it fair? Is any of it? The threatened lawsuit that started this whole mess targeted Dungeness traps, not reds. All the attention went there. I'm not complaining, as I don't want to be the proverbial crab in the bucket, pulling the other crabs back in. A smart crab would pinch the guy that put him in the bucket. I'm glad I didn't catch any smart ones today.
7 comments:
Is recreational rock crab open for traps?
Sadly, no. No sport traps in this area. Why closed to sport and open for commercial? My guess is they forgot to.
Any one see whales out there and where?
To DF&W
Thank you for your informative reply. This is an afterthought: as entire districts are not necessarily closed due to high concentration of Domoic acid in crabs, mainly affected "zones" areas are placed on a restricted status. Why could that not work for crabbing "districts"? Farallones are approximately 25 +/- miles out of San Francisco bay and Cordell Banks are approximately 25 +/- out of Bodega Bay. Nothing mentioned, presently, about Cordell Banks and whales. BTW, are the whales headed North or South?
Just brainstorming , please excuse?
Respectfully submitted,
Al Barr
I definitely respect the commies and am sorry to see their pots collecting dust (like mine are too), but this kind of puts zone 3 in a sweet spot for the sporties eh?
I've been boating my whole life, as many of you have. I've owned a lot of boats also as many of you have. I've launched and retrieved at all kinds of launches. Getting a boat in and out of the water can be sometimes the most challenging part of the outing for some. I live in West Sonoma county 12 miles by road from the ramp at Doran beach. There's another bigger ramp across the harbor at Westside park. Most trailered boats launch at Westside. The launch at Westside is off the main channel not affected by the wake of passing vessels. The launch at Doran is right along side the main channel, unprotected. Although there is no speed limit in the channel, between the Coastguard station and a little west of Doran is a " No Wake Zone". Not a slow down a little zone. Each vessel operator is responsible for their wake! I can't tell you how many times I've been launching my boat at Doran and almost was thrown off the dock, not to mention the boat gets a beating against the dock. Yea I'm the crazy yelling at the boat operators to slow down, No wake zone! Most of the offenders are out of towners, not all, The no wake zone is marked with small bouys, they could be marked better. The Doran ramp is exposed to the tide movement, and wind which makes it hard enough, then you add boat wake, I have addressed this issue with the Coast Guard commander stationed there....deer in the headlights. I'm 69 and a disabled veteran, the hardest part of my boating these days is dealing with the wake from vessels in a "No Wake Zone"
Tailout,
In this world it seems nobody cares about someone else's problem, unless it happens to them. I'm a decade older than you and I know what you mean. In regards to boating, the restrictions that are coming down the pike will really upset you. Hang in there Matey. Have a good life!
Merry Christmas and a Happy and better New Year!
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