Holy Day of Obligation

johnr · Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2014 4:55 pm Post subject: Holy Day of Obligation

7 south opens for crabbing tomorrow (July 17th). Anybody else going out? I love opening day. My boat is already in the water, so I don't have to deal with launch madness.

PaulNBriannaLynn · Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2014 1:08 pm Post subject:

I still don't undertand the fuss of opening day of crabbing. Area 8-2 opened July 3rd and it was a complete mad house at the launch. Still even last weekend was almost too much to deal with, and we had to find another less popular launch that was barely do-able with a 22' size boat. The season is open until December 31st (usually)!! Why the mad rush? The commercial guys have already looted and plundered, so its not like its the first shot at crabs that havent been fished since last fall.

Now that I got that off my chest, we might go out from La Conner over the weekend and set a few pots around Guemes island.

starcrafttom · Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2014 5:57 pm Post subject:

lots of limits of big crab at 80 to 120 this year from all report. Love me some crab. and nothing else is open in july in area 8-1 8-2 so you have to have something to do right??

Jake B · Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2014 6:44 pm Post subject:

Crab openers are crazy around here that's why we just beach launch and avid the marinas.

hardee · Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2014 2:47 am Post subject:

I went in to Mystery Bay last weekend. As some of you know it is a fairly narrow channel, a couple of combined "S" curves with considerable shallow along the sides of the channel. A portion of that channel goes right next to the park dock at Fort Flagler State Park.

So........right between the dock and the two red channel markers, there are at least 3 sets of crab trap floats. Now I could get the 22 through these relativity easily, but wondered at the sanity of those who dropped about 20 traps in an area half the size of a football field (splitting it lengthwise) right through a navigable channel.

I went into MyBaySP and tied up at the dock. About 930PM, a 40something foot Bayliner cruiser came in to the dock. Since I was the only guy walking the dock he asked me if I saw all those traps on the way in. "Yup". Next question, were they mine? "Nope". "Well if they were, I didn't need to go looking for them where I left them." Apparently he moved a few on his way through the channel, and he was pretty sure if they were still there in the morning, he would be moving some on his way out too.

Lets just say he didn't think much of the heritage, or the intelligence of some of the body parts of who ever laid that "mine field".

Now I know you guys would not do anything like that, but are there not specifications about setting in active, navigable channels? Would it be proper to report that to the Coast Guard (as a hazard to navigation) or to the Fish and Game Department. Or are they legal to set anywhere?

Not a fisherman,

Harvey
SleepyC Moon

JamesTXSD · Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2014 9:21 am Post subject:

Also not a fisherman. Trying to drive a 42' boat between all the crab pots in Roche Harbor is like playing some form of on-the-water Twister. Friday Harbor isn't so tough - the ferries come through. Wink

LOTS of boats out there this weekend.

starcrafttom · Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2014 12:23 pm Post subject:

You may not like what other people do on the water but destroying some one else property just because it annoys you is pretty selfish and ignorant. Pots are not cheap. Its also against the law to pull some one's pot during the season. In Everett if you get caught pulling other peoples pots you just may get ass whooping.

As a fisherman and boater I find it really sad that many cruisers in big boats are so ignorant of what is going on around them and the completely selfish actions they deploy to the point of endangerment of others. As a example- point no point is a great fishing spot from the boat and the beach as are many points around the sound. We fish there because THATS WHERE THE FISH ARE. Same as the above mentioned pots, thats where the crab are. Cruisers (to identify a group) Will insist on cruising right thru a large visible fleet of small craft fishing, many mooching under no power, just so they can cross the point close to land and save a 1/4 gallon of fuel on the way back from SJ"S or Alaska. Or because its a straight line. We have been rolled and lost stuff over the side and out the window when large cruiser have steamed by at 10 knot throwing a big wake. There is no reason for it other then " I want to go in a straight line and I want all these boats out of MY way because I am important to ME. Boats have been damaged and people knocked around for no reason. It would be so easy to just turn off your auto pilot and turn the wheel and go around the out side of the point a half mile or less and you would miss all the boats. I see this happen at all most all of my fishing spots because they are all near points on the way to some where.

How about we all agree that the water is for everyone to use in the way they like and we give everyone a little room. And remember that you can cruise anywhere but a fisher man or crabber can only do what they do where the fish are.

I would agree that crabbing in front of a dock is not a great idea but hey, thats why they gave you a steering wheel for the boat, learn how to use it.

DaveS · Posted: Wed Jul 23, 2014 1:38 am Post subject:

DuckDogTitus · Posted: Wed Jul 23, 2014 2:03 pm Post subject:

every time I take someone crabbing on my boat I swear its the last time I'll do it. The only place I've had my pots robbed (twice now) is in the san juans, but everywhere I go it just makes a colossal mess. never seems worth the effort to clutter up the boat with pots to go out, then get soaked and covered in seaweed and kelp when retrieving.

But then last night as I finished off my last dungie I thought to myself "we should probably throw more pots next time we go out".

LOL Beer