Here's the official word on no traps here still but traps okay elsewhere, soon:

"

California Department of Fish and Wildlife Risk Assessment and Mitigation Program Update

December 9, 2021

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. To see the full news release please visit the CDFW News Room. For more information, please see the FAQs for the new recreational crab trap regulations or CDFW’s Whale Safe Fisheries Webpage.

" 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.