Tips and Tricks to Catch More Crab!
Instructional Videos:
12,000 crab pots are lost in Puget Sound each year. A single lost crab pot can kill up to 15 crab per year. That adds up to 180,000 harvestable crabs lost each year. To avoid this, follow the tips and access the resources below to keep your pot and catch more crab.
- AVOID MARINE TRANSIT AND FERRY LANES
- CHECK TIDES AND CURRENTS. Avoid crabbing during strong tidal changes and currents.
- USE HIGH VISIBILITY BUOYS to clearly mark your gear.
- USE A WEIGHTED LINE to sink below the surface and avoid being cut by passing boats.
- WEIGHT YOUR POT so they do not move in high currents or tidal changes
- USE LONGER LINE. Use 1/3 more line than water depth to allow for changes in tides and currents
- SECURE LID AND ESCAPE PANELS WITH BIODEGRADABLE COTTON ESCAPE CORD. This allows crabs to escape from lost pots after the cord degrades.
Resources to Know When and Where to Set Your Pot – Click on any of the links below For Tides and Currents: NOAA Tide Predictions, NOAA Current Predictions, DeepZoom Tides and Currents; IPhone Apps: Tides Near Me, TideGraph; Android Apps: Tides Near Me, TideGraph For Marine Traffic: Washington State Ferries-Route Map, Tug and Log Tow Routes, Commercial Vessel Tracking, Commercial Vessel Tracking App for iPhone & Commercial Vessel Tracking App for Android Rules & Regulations: Seasons and Limits, Crab ID and Softshell Crab
2020 Virtual Crabbing Workshop Audio File