PNW Crabbing Tips
As an avid forager in the PNW, I know how frustrating it can be to spend your time at the coast just to come home empty-handed. I have put together this short guide on crabbing and will be adding clamming, mussel, and fishing guides soon.
Please ensure you check with your regional wildlife management service for rules, regulations and any possible warnings in your area. There have been plenty of times I have missed a warning only to travel to my destination and learn of a closure that I should have found online.
Because fishing seems to hold a much lower yield for me, I love the instant gratification I get from pulling up a pot full of crab. I use my SUP to throw my pot which always garners many questions and looks of interest when I come back to the dock. My favorite spot is Netarts Bay. Since I am on the paddleboard, I use only one pot. I tend to catch even more than the boats burning fuel because I have a spot that always has high yield for me. If you’re cooking and cleaning a massive amount of crab, you should clear your schedule for the day. Recently, I have stopped at 3-4 and that seems to be a good amount for just myself and my husband. If we have guests I will snag a few more.
Gender, Species and Size
Things you need to know to crab are identification of male and female, species and size. There are two crab species that you will catch at Netarts. The first is the best and that’s the Dungeness. It’s shown above. It’s definitely the most sought after along the Oregon coast. To determine the gender, use the graphic to the left. At first, you will be questioning yourself, but it really is quite easy to determine after you see a few throughout the day. Next, you will have to use your crab measuring device to ensure the male you have in hand is large enough to keep. On the shell, you will see to points that jut out from the corners. Those nubs are not where you will count from, but rather inside those points. I just recently realized this and has proven useful in few cases where I second guessed myself.
Crab Pots
You will need a crab pot to start which you can either rent or purchase. Here in Oregon, you’re allowed to have three pots per licence. I just use one since I am lugging it out via SUP. You will want to go at high tide in Netarts. What happens here is the bay completely drains and fills each and everyday with the tides. If you view the crabbing map of the area (found here), I crab against the wall with great success. I have seen many boats pull back in after a day further out that come back sad and crabbless, so don’t think you need a speedboat. Even if you don’t have a way out into the bay, that shouldn’t be a deterrent. You can always toss your pot from the rocks along the road. I recommend about 15 feet of line for the area with the buoy and weight attached as shown to left on the pier. This was way too much line, but that was fine from a pier considering I kept the buoy with me. One great tip I had to figure out the hard way is to either tie something firmly onto the buoy (I have a piece of bright green fabric) or write with sharpie your name on it. As it turns out most of these floats look the same and with so many out at once you can really ruffle some feathers by pulling up someone else’s pot. Without my identification, I have had people take my crab. I am choosing to believe this was a mistake.
Recommended Bait
To bait your pot, I absolutely recommend chicken drums. After testing many crazy things I have always enjoyed the most success with chicken. Keep in mind the gluttonous sea lion loves the chicken too, so they are always trying to get into the pots. Make sure it’s securely inside. You can also buy seal-proof cans to use inside.
Toss, Wait, Pull
Next is the fun part. Take your pot and toss it into the sea letting it go to the bottom while your float hangs out on the top. Make a mental note of where your pot is and let it go for 15-30 minutes. I come back to the area with a small collapsible cooler and gloves on, but if you’re on a larger vessel you’ll probably have a large cooler filled with sea water. Pull the buoy onto the boat and quickly pull the rope up hand-over-hand until you can grab it to bring it on-board. With any luck, you will already be assessing your haul. Many times the little guys fall out while you’re pulling it up, which saves you the hassle of pulling and tossing them. Now is the time to use your new gender and size knowledge to figure out what to keep. Toss the ladies and the small crab back in while you’re doing this. You might have pulled up red rock crab as well, which you can plainly see the difference of. I don’t think they taste as nice and are generally smaller so I leave them. I don’t want them counted into my harvest numbers for the day. Take your approved crab and put them in the cooler with the water. Toss your pot again and start the cycle over again.
Now What?
You have two options here, you can either cook the crab onshore with a large stock pot and stove or you can transport them home. The crab will be cooked when they have been in boiling water for 25-30 minutes. When they are bright red and floating they are done. As for cooking them, I love them as they are, but also in a crab cake. Here is a great recipe for crab cakes that freeze well so you can enjoy some later. Crab Cakes