Winchester Bay crabbing

Bo Peep · Dec 18, 2017

Went Crabbing Sunday at Winchester Bay it was off the hook. We got three limits in 3 hours and through another limit back great day on the water. Crab were all big, hard and full.

rogerdodger · Dec 18, 2017

that's getting it done, we got us some good estuary crabbing in December here on the central coast!

Bo Peep · Dec 18, 2017

Yes i have never seen the crabbing like that in December should be good until the heavy rains come and flush them out.

rogerdodger · Dec 18, 2017

Duckcross;n608715 said:
Yes i have never seen the crabbing like that in December should be good until the heavy rains come and flush them out.

I wonder if the delay in commercial crabbing might be a factor this year also...

plumbertom · Dec 18, 2017

Looking good.
Wish I had gone.
By the way. I don't know where ya'll get your chicken for bait but I just bought two ten pound bags of frozen leg and thigh quarters at Winco for $4.89 each. That's 49 cents a pound.
If you know of a lower price, I'd like to hear where.
I cut each quarter into three or four pieces to make them easy to fit in the bait bags.
Seems to me I actually catch more crab, quicker with chicken than fish for bait.
And then I also have to buy my fish carcasses for bait because I don't seem to have the hang of local fishing just yet.
But then I'm still new at this PNW fishing.
Only thing I seen to have real success at so far is crabbing.

Gulfstream · Dec 18, 2017

I use squid and it works like a charm!

plumbertom · Dec 18, 2017

Gulfstream;n608733 said:
I use squid and it works like a charm!

Yeah? And where do you get your squid?
I used to fish them myself when I lived in SoCal and had my sport fisher.
My boat now is only suited for use inside the bays.

Diamond Lake Charlie · Dec 18, 2017

I bought some whole tuna to can this year and the carcuss works great for crabs.

plumbertom · Dec 23, 2017

I kind of like to avoid fish carcass for bait.
I've been told that sea lions are very attracted to it and will destroy a trap to get it.
I can't really replace traps very easily.
Even the cheapo Danielson wire traps I use can be hard on the wallet when it's as thin as mine.
All the traps I have came from Craigslist to save a few bucks.

rogerdodger · Dec 23, 2017

plumbertom;n608792 said:
I kind of like to avoid fish carcass for bait.
I've been told that sea lions are very attracted to it and will destroy a trap to get it.
I can't really replace traps very easily.
Even the cheapo Danielson wire traps I use can be hard on the wallet when it's as thin as mine.
All the traps I have came from Craigslist to save a few bucks.

sea lions attacking traps is something you hear from some specific locations but is not that common. I have never encountered that on the central coast (CoosBay to Waldport) and almost always use fish carcasses or heads (tuna heads are enough, toss the rest, stick a head in the trap).

DrTheopolis · Dec 24, 2017

Many years ago, I've had it happen in Tillamook Bay. There was a huge, grizzled old sea lion that used to hang out by the Old Coast Guard Station and brutalize traps.

I've had seals get into them at Nehalem, but seals aren't nearly as destructive as their larger cousins. And it seems they don't want much to do with poultry.

My personal belief is that bait doesn't matter much. I will say that I've done the best with chicken that wasn't refrigerated for a few days (but it's nasty). I think it's a matter of what disperses the best, casting scent the farthest. I think anyone who thinks that crabs are picky eaters needs to rethink their strategy.

Winchester Bay crabbing

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