Crabbing!

[Matt]

The opener is Friday and I can't wait. Bawkbawk and I will be out in the sled out of Everett punching our limit and having a dogfish derby, hahaha.


Mmmmmm, dungies.

[ResQ]

Pretty stoked! Just sucks that they messed the dates of the season this year. Any word why the changes? Love crabbin!

[Dave]

The opener is Friday and I can't wait. Bawkbawk and I will be out in the sled out of Everett punching our limit and having a dogfish derby, hahaha.


Mmmmmm, dungies.

You and thousands of others.... It's gonna be busy on the water for sure! I usually wait until this first weekend passes but I may not be able to resist. In Area 8-1 I saw no Tribal crab gear the last two weeks in front of Camano Island State Park so I'm hoping they didn't all but fish it out like they have over the last several years. Gotta Love Crab! Let us know how you do in Everett Matt.

[A9]

Looking forward to it too, but got my calendar marked for July 16th, thats when the real fun starts

[Bodofish]

Friday morning the pots go out. The pots are ready and waiting for me. Put them in the boat and down the tracks to the the water. this year I just sit and wait for them. Too many theives, can't trust anyone!!!!

[Matt]

Yah I agree Bodo, that's why we do the dogfish derby. We just throw out the hook, eat some lunch, and catch dogfish on trout gear while we wait for the pots to fill. Last year I had some old geezer with a flybridge boat run over one of my pots and just keep driving and dragging it off, if I hadn't ran over to talk to him I would have lost the whole shabang.

I am not too worried about the crowds. The launch at Everett is more than adequate size wise and it is always easy getting in and out despite the crowds. I won't be getting up early, probly just go out mid-day at my leisure.

[Bodofish]

It'll probably be the earliest I get up! No need to worry about a ramp or anything. I was kind of thinking about catching some flounders or something. I've seen guys out fishing off the bottom out there..... Meat on a hook!

My boys used to love to catch doggies. We called it "Club Mud".

[jens]

I can't wait! This will be my first go at it. I have 39 Shad and 3 Springer carcass that I hope will fill my pot. Not sure how well the fishing is off Nisqually Reach, but that's where I'll be.

[cobrar543]

I spent all day yesterday getting both motors running smooth, GPS installed, and two out of 4 traps repaired and ready. Been begging salmon scraps from the butcher for two months getting ready. LOL Dave, did you see many Native Balls over on the 8-1 side of the Island?

[racfish]

I too crab 8-1 and 8-2. We drop pots and 1/2 hour later we got our first crabs. Sometimes just a couple of sets were done. I dont leave my pots at all. Id rather drop my pots then go to shore for a bit of lunch then go back and empty them before the Indians do.

[knotabassturd]

Looking forward to opener too but am stuck on the local pier.
That's OK! I have caught nice dungies on occassion in the past so keeping fingers crossed.
Last year sucked for me though. Got skunked a few times and gave up. Empty card.

It was a zoo every time I went out last year and got ckunked on Dungies to boot so this year hoping for a li'l change of wind.

Good luck to everyone gettin' out for the opener!

[Dave]

Bodo, you are so right about the theft issue out there. Smart to stay with your gear!

Matt I also agree with you that the Everett launch will be fine despite the big crowds. Just like during pink season. In fact after talking to my fishin buddy Dan we (my wife and I) might drive into Everett to launch just to get some opening weekend crab and hang out boatside with Dan and his family while the gear soaks. I can't see myself fighting the Camano State Park launch on the opener. Thankfully the big crowds seem to die down a bit on the Island after a few weeks. I also need to go to the boat Forums and see what boat you and the other WALakes.com members in my area are sportin so I can keep an eye out.

Can't wait!!

[Matt]

There is a Washingtonlakes.com sticker in the drivers side window as well.

Sounds like my partner has some earlier commitments that day so we will be launching out of Everett around 3pm.

I really prefer to use chicken rather than salmon, it has outperformed salmon 10 - 1 in the past for me. Fresh flounder and bullheads chopped up works wonderfully though!

Good luck all!

[Toni]

I only have crab nets and will toss them over the side at Dash Point Pier. Last year we had a 3 rings one had chicken, one old pink salmon carcass, one had several kokanee carcases. There, the crabs preferred the pink carcass (which was freezer burnt and stunk) then the kokanee, and lastly the chicken.

[Bodofish]

I don't get to far away from Utsilady bay but there I'd be in the 14' Sorenson with a 9.9 Johnson.. White glass.

On the river or lakes I could be in my red CustomWeld. There is a thread for members boats........ Somewhere????

[flinginpooh]

Im with Toni I toss rings off the piers. I usually go to Westport visit the kids grandparents and toss the rings in for crabs. I use chicken that I open and leave out the night before. Gives it some stank to it. Toss em in and wait bout 5-10 min pull em up and grab the big ones. We usually take about 2 hours to get limits. That is usually 2 kids and 2 adults. Sometimes I make sure all the kids have Endorcements and get a few more. I do have 5 kids, and they love fresh crab. We usually never have enough to bring home though. We will boil them for dinner each night were out. Nothing beats fresh crab and some steak with cold beer for a dinner on a nice summer evening, just chillin by the camp fire. Fun times.

[racfish]

I crab the same area Bodo. Im less then 100 yards offshore from either Utsalady launches. I crab the 50-75 ft deep water. Then I motor or row back to shore ,wait 1/2 hour and pull them up.

[cobrar543]

Last Year we could walk around the island without getting wet, did you have a lot of Native floats there this year? Dave said 8-2 was left alone, but I thought I seen a bunch off Driftwood shores a while ago.

[spokey9]

Looking forward to opener too but am stuck on the local pier.
That's OK! I have caught nice dungies on occassion in the past so keeping fingers crossed.
Last year sucked for me though. Got skunked a few times and gave up. Empty card.

It was a zoo every time I went out last year and got ckunked on Dungies to boot so this year hoping for a li'l change of wind.

Good luck to everyone gettin' out for the opener!

hey knot you gonna be at dash on the opener?

[Dave]

Last Year we could walk around the island without getting wet, did you have a lot of Native floats there this year? Dave said 8-2 was left alone, but I thought I seen a bunch off Driftwood shores a while ago.

Could very well be. I usually see the Tribal pots right out in front of Camano Island State Park during the month of June and this year I didn't see em. My friend who lives right at the Maple Grove Launch on north Camano said the Tribes crabbed right there in front of the Maple Grove Launch for 11 straight days in June so that might affect the crabbing there. Who knows? I guess we will just have to get out there and see where the crab are like we do every year.

Matt, thanks for the pic of your boat. I will keep an eye out for ya this crab and pink salmon season. My boat also has a WALakes.com sticker on the driver’s side window. Hope to see ya out there this summer..