Crabbing and Clam digging in the PNW? UPDATE! SUCCESSS!!!!

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Buah hahahah!

I got my licence today and have two types of traps. A ring and a cage type. Both were about the same price so we'll see which one wins!!! Well... it's not really crabbing season till fall... so we'll see how lucky I am anyways. LOL

Even have a shovel in the background!!!

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Oh yeah!! I love the short little box ones. They snap shut quickly and keep their shape better than some out there.

We crab at night sometimes too. You can use a flashlight to draw a crab into an area where you can just snag him/her with a net.
 
good luck! i hope you get some yummy crabs!
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and i just know you or your mom has a ton of awesome asian recipes for them! more drool!
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We saw a dude last summer fishing off the pier at Newport (next to the no fishing sign) and he had 2 or 3 in his cooler.

Have fun! I've always wanted to try clam digging.

funny thing, I don't like seafood.
But I'm really good at crab cracking!
 
I lived in Coos Bay for 9 years. It's one of the best spots on the Oregon coast for crabbing. You do need a boat there, however. Good clamming for bay clams. There used to be a spot for razors on the jetty at Charlston, that not many knew about. Had a house with frontage on the bay. Used to climb down the cliff and get a limit of cockels and Empires with little effort. Only had to swim home once.
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You can sometimes do OK for crab off of the dock at Empire. The old Sitka Lumber dock was the best place to go, if you didn't have a boat. Owners closed it, because it was ready to fall down. Still a good area to try from a boat. Set your pot in 15~20 water on the edge of the channel. Let me know if you decide to go there. I'll mail you my old nav. charts with a few hot spots circled on it.
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I have to drive up to WA to get emissions testing done on the car this weekend, so with all the school work, might not get to go crabbing even though the weather is to be totally awesome. We were thinking newport off the crab docks because we don't have a boat and I can't swim.
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I don't know if we can be out on the docks in the dark. Maybe? Should look that up since I'm sure we have the flashlights for it. LOL

I'd put all the gear in the car to go after emissions testing... but the traps don't actually fit in the car...the guys at the feed store always laugh when they put 200lbs of feed in it... 3 in the back and on in the passenger seat. We'll have to take the CRV for the trip to the bay. Yaqina Bay is our target since it's only about an hour away.

LOLz at the crabbing next to the no fishing sign.

azelgin, thanks for the offer of charts from Coos bay though! That would be awesome if I could actually utilize them. I'll try to hit that bay up on a longer break since it's 3hrs away.

I'm so excited!
 
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We used to figure any month with an "R" in it was good crabbing. You catch crab all year, it's just that in the summer months, a lot of them are soft shelled, with no meat.

Don't forget your crab gauge/measure. They say you can measure legal size using a dollar bill. Don't believe it. You'll have the same luck with traps, as rings. We used to use traps, because we would leave them set longer. With the rings, If you are not there to pull them often, as soon as your bait is gone, so are the crabs. With the traps, crabs check in, but the don't check out. Your biggest challange will be dealing with the sea lions. They will steal your bait and trash your traps. Pick up some turkey drumbsticks, or wings. They work almost as good as fish heads and the seals won't bother them. Rememember to take along extra ties, or the metal clips for your bait. When the seals steal your bait, they take the ties/clips too. Another advantage of turkey, is the skin is too tough for the crabs to tear up, so they last all day. Good luck and good fishing.
 
Thanks, thats some good information.

I didn't find a crab ruler in town, so will have to find one when I'm down by the water. I heard that if you let the meat sit out for a night or two they get real stinky and work even better than "fresh". I have one of those wire bait cages that go inside the traps or are attached to the bottom of the rings. Should I just tie the meat out in the open instead? Thanks!
 
First let me say that I looooooovvvvveeee crabbing. Especially in Newport. Second, I don't eat anything that lives in water. YUCK!!!!!! The two traps you showed are both wrong for your average dock/bay crabber. Crab rings are cheap (20-30 bucks) and much easier to use.
https://02c01e9.netsolstores.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=381
(no affiliation to site. Just for a pic.)
I have found that those are best all around. I just use turkey/chicken legs for bait. I have never had to leave it out though. One thing to look into whether it is legal or not: The last year when I was there, people were spraying their bait with wd-40. Not sure if it works because one of the main ing. is fish oil or what. Doesn't seem to be something that is either legal though.
EDIT: Store bought turkey/chicken legs.
 
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One of those in Silkiechicken's picture is a crab ring. Never had a problem using either one from a dock, or boat.
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