Holiday weeks are sure busy but hard on free time to post but here's an attempt at it. We've had lots of people trying for Dungeness. The boaters have mostly caught, maybe not many, but something to show foe their time on the water. For sure the crabbing is slowing down inside and outside the bay as pressure, well, pressures the crab, as it does. The numbers I heard from inside the bay today ranged from zero to eight Dungeness. Outside was much better but not a slam dunk. Even Ten Mile (yesterday report) required a bit of moving gear and chasing the sweet spot. Limits for the Ten Mile crabbers but not on the first pull. Run that gear. Move the non-productive hoops. Repeat until limited. Also, keep that bait fresh. If it's the scent that draws them in, have bait that sending that seductive smell. Bait washed out? Replace it. 

   There was a halibut caught in front of Bird Rock last weekend and another, 31"er caught inside Tomales Bay today. So, halibut fishing isn't dead, it's only mostly dead. Cameron sent me this meme to post. Princess Bride watchers will know:

   And now a roller coaster of press releases from CDFW and CDPH. It's yin and yang all at once! Yes, it's two different things, but a clearance and an avoidance in the same area at the same time, even for two different reasons, is pretty fricking funny. Now I'm not sure if I'm coming or going. Anyhoo,....

CDPH Warns Consumers Not to Eat Sport-Harvested Bivalve Shellfish from Sonoma County

The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) is advising consumers not to eat sport-harvested mussels, clams, scallops, or oysters from Sonoma County.   

Dangerous levels of paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) toxins have been detected in mussels from Sonoma County. The naturally occurring PSP toxins can cause illness or death in humans. Cooking does not destroy the toxin. 

Paralytic shellfish poisoning toxins affect the nervous system, producing a tingling around the mouth and fingertips within a few minutes to a few hours after eating toxic shellfish. These symptoms are typically followed by loss of balance, lack of muscular coordination, slurred speech and difficulty swallowing. In severe poisonings, complete muscular paralysis and death from asphyxiation can occur. 

This warning does not apply to commercially sold mussels, clams, scallops, and oysters from approved sources. State law permits only state-certified commercial shellfish harvesters or dealers to sell these products. Shellfish sold by certified harvesters and dealers are subject to frequent mandatory testing to monitor for toxins. 

Please view the most current information on shellfish advisories and quarantines by calling CDPH's toll-free Shellfish Information Line at (800) 553-4133 or by viewing the recreational bivalve shellfish advisory interactive map. For additional information, please visit the CDPH Marine Biotoxin Monitoring web page.  

That's foor PSP. Here's the report on domoic acid:

CDPH Lifts Warning About Consuming the Internal Organs of Sport-Harvested Dungeness Crab from One Area of the Northern California Coast

The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) has lifted the shellfish safety notification for sport-harvested Dungeness crab internal organs (viscera) caught in state waters located at: 

Sonoma/Mendocino County line (38° 46.125' N. Latitude) to Point Reyes (37⁰ 59.73' N. Latitude) 

CDPH has lifted its Dungeness Crab Internal Organs Advisory dated October 24, 2025, where consumers were warned against eating Dungeness crab viscera. Recent laboratory analyses show that the domoic acid levels in Dungeness crab harvested along the coastal area of Northern California have declined to low or undetectable levels. There have been no reported illnesses associated with this event.  

Consumers are advised to always discard the viscera and cooking liquids and adhere to the following best preparation practices to avoid any inadvertent exposure to domoic acid that may be sporadically found in the crab’s viscera. It is always best to remove the viscera and rinse out the body cavity prior to cooking (i.e., before boiling, steaming, or frying). If whole crab is cooked in liquid, domoic acid may leach into the cooking liquid. The cooking water or broth should be discarded and not used to prepare dishes such as sauces, broth, soups, or stews (for example, cioppino or gumbo), stocks, roux, dressings, or dips. 

Symptoms of domoic acid poisoning can occur within 30 minutes to 24 hours after eating toxic seafood. In mild cases, symptoms may include vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, headache, and dizziness. These symptoms disappear within several days. In severe cases, the consumer may experience trouble breathing, confusion, cardiovascular instability, seizures, excessive bronchial secretions, permanent loss of short-term memory, coma, or death. 

Test results are updated as laboratory results become available and can be viewed on the CDPH Domoic Acid web page. Please visit CDPH’s Domoic Acid FAQ for more information. To receive updated information about shellfish poisoning and quarantines, call CDPH’s toll-free “Shellfish Information Line” at (800) 553-4133. 

    So domoic acid is low and you can eat the guts of crab again (ew) but unsurprisingly, CDPH recommends that you don't eat the gooey stuff. That's what I do. I always have some hanging bait in my hoops or traps to keep the crab inside until I pull them. When you clean them ahead of cooking you get to see how much of the stuff you put in for bait is now in the crab. If you're gonna eat it it, bait with stuff you want to eat, 'cause you're gonna eat it. For the record, yuck on my part, but if you like it, good for you. Also, I sell bait, so.....