Yaquina crabbing and fishing

416rigby · Posted: Sat Oct 15, 2005 1:00 am Post subject:

Interesting gadgets....I'll have to check and see if they're legal here. Thanks
Rick

CatyMae n Steve · Posted: Sun Oct 16, 2005 10:04 pm Post subject:

No sailboat races this weekend! Ever tried to troll through about 30 sailboats on the bay tacking from one side to the other? Tons of fun Smile

Anyhow, this weekend, Saturday we had a couple cleansings from the heavens, wind wasn't too bad and we got one native fishie we had to put back in the river...Sunday morning, it was pretty foggy until we got upriver and started fishing...cleared right off! I had a fish on in our first 15 minutes of fishing...another native destined to go back in the water. Then, late this morning, I had my herring skinned but the durned fish didn't get a sticky hook in his mouth...DRAT!

Looks like next weekend, we've been summoned to my grandson's last football game (he said, "Gramma, no fishin that weekend!") of the season -- we'll be there with lots of cheers for him Wink

Tyboo, Kay, Tiffany and Jaime...did you get any crabs this weekend? Weren't many out crabbing yesterday at all, but there were several happy folk getting some nice ones today Thumbs Up

We got to spend the night on the CatyMae again...what great fun! Shhhhhh....don't tell that I told ya, but I whooped Steve at some poker Xmas Naughty

TyBoo · Posted: Sun Oct 16, 2005 10:55 pm Post subject:

Sounds like you had a fun weekend. Did you do any more crabbing (dungeness, that is) today? That's cool hooking the fish. I didn't even bother trying up here.

Saturday we got one keeper crab, but because Jamie got a little sickly we were only out there for an hour. One pot had a salmon head and chunks for bait, the other had turkey thighs (couldn't find any legs Friday night). The fish bait got nothing, and the turkey got about a dozen in the hour, even though all but one went back. Today I had me some turkey legs, and put them in both pots. One pot got two little guys, and the other got close to two dozen, including 6 legals. I wanted to stay out (by myself today) through high slack, but the wind was getting nasty.

Now then - this is my first time crabbing, other than tossing in a pot once and never seeing it again. I already learned about the turkey legs (thanks!), but how come two identical pots/bait within 100 feet of each other come out so different? Kay figures the first of the two to attract anything just drew a crowd and nobody down there bothered to notice the other one.

Kay made fun of me Saturday. She was on the phone with her sister when I brought out the big propane burner for my one crab, and she laughed at me! I mean, I had to cook the critter, and she wouldn't have been laughing if I stuck it in the house on her stove. I used the little pot, but the big blow torch burner works for it, too. I didn't see her out there in the rain crabdigging, so she shouldn't be laughing at me, don't you think? The first day, the crab was worth about $200 a pound, not counting the boat. Now we got it whittled down to less than $30. I don't think that's funny at all.

Luna C · Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2005 12:17 am Post subject:

Crabbing reopens in the San Juans mid November and I'll be back at em'! Many times I have had a pot with several keepers near another with none or small crab. Currents are probably a big factor. If the crab "live" somewhere down current of your pots, then the first pot may pick up most of the crab as they follow the scent.

The bottom conditions can be quite different just a few dozen feet away and that can have an effect. If all of the pots over the last month have had salmon, then the crab may be in the mood for turkey. (OK, scratch the last one!) Some of my "hot spots" have been consistent week to week - season to season - and other areas don't seem to have repeat performance.

I may buy a "fish camera" ($100 @ GI Joe's) to check out just what those crabs are doin' down there anyway! Each summer I plan to dive on a soaking pot and check it out..... maybe next summer. Bottom line is probably only the crab know what they are up to and that may be a scary thought.

TyBoo · Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2005 12:36 am Post subject:

Thanks for your comments, they make a lot of sense.

Luna C · Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2005 12:54 am Post subject:

My kids have tried these devices before - they need some patience! And a bit of luck. Ever tried to get that pink pony with the grappling claw in that machine at the entrance to Fred Myers? I never wanted a pink pony anyway. But lassoing a crabs leg and getting it to the surface may be even more difficult! I have found they hold on with their claws until they reach the surface and then let go and laugh at you. Happens all the time. Good luck - let us know if you catch a meal!

flapbreaker · Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2005 1:01 am Post subject:

Tyboo are the crab pots your using all the same type? It could be that one has some exposed metal (non-stainless steel) and the electrolosis is driving them away. I guess crab are pretty sensitive to small electrical charges. Just a thought. Or maybe that pot is consistantly landing on it's side? Smile

CatyMae n Steve · Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2005 9:00 am Post subject:

Turkey or chicken they love...I've never heard a request for goose....long as the seals don't like your presentation, all's well with the world (you won't get your pots smashed by those lovelies trying to get at your smelly salmon parts!) I've heard of people using mink carcus (that spelled right?) and continuously re-using them...I'll reuse turkey or chicken if there's any left, but I don't think I'll be doin any furry critter carcus freezin...nah! Rolling Eyes

I've noticed some pots catch and others don't when they're out, but never got analytical about it...just figured they weren't in the right place and moved 'em a few feet....voila! That's how scientific I am Laughing

No, we left the pots home this trip...Steve really dislikes crabbing...I may force the issue next time again and take just a couple, cuz he surely seems to love eating them after I've cleaned em! Xmas Naughty

If the kids go, he'll have no choice as he'll be outvoted 4 to 1 and we'll take ALL the pots! ar ar ar

Might've been the rain that stopped the crabs from feeding...they don't like the fresh water much. I've noticed crab pots on the Yaquina as far up as we've gone (1/2 mile away from Toledo ramp). That's kinda annoying, but it'd be really nice if they'd lay them OUTSIDE the channel Smile

CatyMae n Steve · Posted: Thu Oct 20, 2005 9:50 am Post subject:

Luna C, the underwater camera sounds like fun! Please let us know if it works...and what you see when you try it Shocked

My grandson has grounded us for this coming weekend...it's his last football game of the season and he's requested we go to his game and NOT FISH! We'll be rigging some fresh salmon setups and trying to chase down and get our leak fixed...and Sunday, we're going to run electricity to the boat storage so I can put a RV drier thingy in there to keep it dry. Fun, eh?

Sure would like to see the grandson win his last game...they're winless for the season!

lloyds · Posted: Thu Oct 20, 2005 12:43 pm Post subject:

CatyMae, was that you I followed around saturday and sunday near the oyster farm? If so, seems like I saw you net a fish on saturday. I have the 16' cruiser. The weekend was a bust for us. Apparently didn't have the right color flasher. Several of the people I work with were there either saturday or sunday and most caught at least one, with a couple other strikes. Puget Sound this weekend, then back to yaquina the next for one more time, hopefully with the correct color of flasher.

CatyMae n Steve · Posted: Thu Oct 20, 2005 8:46 pm Post subject:

Yes, Lloyds, that was us...nice to meet you! Yes, we netted one Saturday and one Sunday...both wild and returned to the deep though...but I discovered what we have NOT been faithfully doing...staying on the bottom. I doubled my weight size and got a nice skinned herring back from a chinook bite on Sunday...but our time was up and we had to pack up and leave....no fishing for us this weekend...but next weekend, I'm hoping to make our discovery pay off Smile

lloyds · Posted: Fri Oct 21, 2005 11:00 am Post subject:

CatyMae, we will probably be back down there the weekend of the 29th. as well. Maybe I will have to do something different to get down as well. I have been using a 6 oz ball but the Honda 50 might be trolling just a little too fast. Maybe I will slow down a bit and use the Honda 2 next time. Some of my friends were using divers, don't know how they control those. They also said green was the color, green and white FishFlash and green diver. Need a bigger tackle box to keep up with all this stuff.

lloyds · Posted: Fri Oct 21, 2005 11:53 am Post subject:

CatyMae, how much weight did you end up using, and how long a dropper. The guys at work are trying to convince me to give up the weights and use the diver, but I can't help thinking the weight bouncing along helps draw attention, maybe not.

CatyMae n Steve · Posted: Fri Oct 21, 2005 9:36 pm Post subject:

I think I ended up with 8 or 10 ounces to keep it bouncing on the bottom. We're trolling with the 90, going about .7-1.0 mph, depending on whether or not we have the sea anchor out. I tried a diver and it just doesn't get to the bottom where the chinook are....might catch some coho though!

I think I ended up with a red flasher...hubby had the only green...he was using cut plug but is not going to be a convert and troll the whole herring with a bait roller...is the only way I fish herring now....no matter how mushy your bait is, it is beautEEEEful when you don't cut it Laughing

lloyds · Posted: Sat Oct 22, 2005 8:13 am Post subject:

Guess I will give that a try next weekend, thanks. Time to head for puget sound. Have a good weekend.