Crab Bouy Question.

[racfish]

Me and a buddy are taking a friend crabbing Sunday. Can our friend use our pots with our bouys if he has his own license. All of us have summer crab cards.Can he use our gear if he punches his own card?

[MotoBoat]

Each legal crabber must have at least one half white/half red buoy with there name, address, and phone number written on it. Maximum of two pots, with that information written on each of the two buoy's, per legal crabber. If you want to share pots. The buoy would need to be swapped out, with a buoy with that persons information before fishing that crab gear. Or somehow remove the information on the buoy (sand it off), and write in the friends legal information.

In short, only the person with there legal info (name, phone number, and address) written on that buoy can fish that gear...period!

[Larry3215]

Good point. Ive known several people - and read reports on here - that would load up the boat with extra people so they could keep extra limits. My brother in law used to invite me and my brothers along for that reason in addition to helping pull the pots.

It never occurred to me it was illegal, but I just re-read the regs and you are quite correct.

[racfish]

Thank you gentlemen. Ive never taken a guest out. Its usually my buddy and me that goes.

[hlindsay]

Each legal crabber must have at least one half white/half red buoy with there name, address, and phone number written on it. Maximum of two pots, with that information written on each of the two buoy's, per legal crabber. If you want to share pots. The buoy would need to be swapped out, with a buoy with that persons information before fishing that crab gear. Or somehow remove the information on the buoy (sand it off), and write in the friends legal information.

In short, only the person with there legal info (name, phone number, and address) written on that buoy can fish that gear...period!

What page of the regs are you getting that? What I see is
"Every shellfish pot, ring net, or star trap left unattended in Washington waters must have its own buoy line and a separate buoy that is permanently and legibly marked with the operator’s first name, last name, and permanent address (telephone number is voluntary). It is IllEgAl to set or pull unattended shellfish gear with a buoy that does not have your name on it, and only one name and address may appear on each buoy. any angler may assist the person whose name is on the buoy while he or she is pulling the pot.

If I am a licensed angler in your boat helping to pull your marked gear. Why couldn't I also get (mark as mine) some of the crab. I think this is the common practice, and when I have been checked I don't think they even looked for that. They want to make sure all crab are marked and you are not over limit and size is legal. As far as pulling pots they want to know you are pulling pots that belong to someone in the boat.

I would like to know if anyone has had a different experience with a game officer.

[hlindsay]

I just got off the phone with WDFW Fishing customer service desk(360-902-2700)
He said if the person in my boat has a license he can take the crab from my pot. He said "if you pull up 10 legal crab we do not expect you to throw them back". Given that you have two licensed anglers in the boat.

[Larry3215]

Thanks for checking with WDFW.

If I was a game warden I would read it differently.

"It is IllEgAl to set or pull unattended shellfish gear with a buoy that does not have your name on it, and only one name and address may appear on each buoy"

I would read that as you are the only one who can fish for and keep the crabs. The next part about "assist" doesnt seem to me to say the helper can keep the crabs for themselves.

Glad to know the officials think differently

[MotoBoat]

I just got off the phone with WDFW Fishing customer service desk(360-902-2700)
He said if the person in my boat has a license he can take the crab from my pot. He said "if you pull up 10 legal crab we do not expect you to throw them back". Given that you have two licensed anglers in the boat.

Just off the phone with the Mill Creek office 425-775-1311. There website is down at the moment regarding reading the reg's online. The operator stated in regards to the scenario: Two legal crabbers onboard, with 10 legal crabs in one pot. Only the person with there name written on that buoy can retain there legal limit of 5 crabs from that pot. The buoy could be duck taped, the other occupant could write there legal information on that tape. And then use that pot to catch up to 5 legal crabs. If the second individual (with there name not written on the buoy) retained the remaining 5 of the original 10 legal crabs (dungeoness) in the pot, that person would be in violation.

It was also said "that this is best left for enforcement to clarify". And that, a violation would be dependent on that particular enforcement officer.

The operator did indicate that there website was down at the moment.

[Larry3215]

This is what you get with poorly written regulations. It leaves the door open to interpretation. No telling what the officer who pulls you over will think it means.

Im going to play it safe I guess - no guests.

[G-Man]

Seems everyone has their own interpretation of the regs on this topic. I was told by an enforcement officer, what they check for is anyone who retains crab has their own gear/buoy. For example, 3 people on board, 15 total dungies, at least 3 buoys with 3 different names/addresses. What happens out on the water during harvest, they can't realistically control, but the regs are pretty clear that each person who harvests must have their own gear. I have a spare buoy or two and a magic marker on hand for just this kind of situation. Acetone will take off "permanent ink" and not damage the buoys, so after I get home the spare(s) gets wiped clean to be reused.

Now, a person could claim that they caught the crab using a method that does not require a buoy. These guys have a fairly accurate BS meter and I'm guessing you'd get the ticket anyway and have to go to court and plead your case to the judge.

[hlindsay]

The number I called is listed on page 126 of the regs. Under "Know the Rules". I have had bad luck with calling a random person at a local office.
I keep a PDF copy of the regs on my computer and a paper copy around.
The officer on the scene would make the call, but like I said that was not something they ask about when we had 4 people in the boat with only two of us with two pots each.
As far as "Each legal crabber must have at least one half white/half red buoy with there name, address, and phone number written on it." That is not correct. What I put is cut and paste from the regs. They could use a attended trap or snare and would not need the marker.
I would tell an officer I called the # that the regs direct me to for questions about the regs.

[kodacachers]

Sounds like G-Man's solution is the only one we can have comfort in....Yet another trip to the sporting goods store...

[Gringo Pescador]

This is a very interesting thread and I can see many valid points of view.

Pulled from the regs..

Crab: Two units of crab gear per person, and no limit on the number of units of crab gear per boat.

Every shellfish pot, ring net, or star trap left unattended in Washington waters must have its own buoy line and a separate buoy that is permanently and legibly marked with the operator’s first name, last name, and permanent address (telephone number is voluntary).

It is ILLEGAL to set or pull unattended shellfish gear with a buoy that does not have your name on it, and only one name and address may appear on each buoy.

Any angler may assist the person whose name is on the buoy while he or she is pulling the pot.

I don't see anywhere in the regs that states you are required to have a pot, there is a maximum #, but not really a minimum.

IMO pulling limits for two licenses out of one pot shouldn't be an issue. Essentially I see it like boat limits in fishing (or two people limiting with 1 fishing rod). But since my opinion has as much weight as..well. nothing..

Both my daughter & wife have their crab cards. We have 3 pots & I have my name and info on all three and never thought much about it. Now that I am reading this though, It looks like I need to make sure I have bouys just for them to swap & switch as needed as well as a "guest" bouy or two

[Larry3215]

......

........
Both my daughter & wife have their crab cards. We have 3 pots & I have my name and info on all three and never thought much about it. Now that I am reading this though, It looks like I need to make sure I have bouys just for them to swap & switch as needed as well as a "guest" bouy or two

You're only allowed 2 pots with the same name, so your already in trouble

Id put the wifes name on one pot and the kids on the other if all three are on the water at the same time.

[Gringo Pescador]

You're only allowed 2 pots with the same name, so your already in trouble

Exactly!

Id put the wifes name on one pot and the kids on the other if all three are on the water at the same time.

But I will want enough bouys to cover all scenarios (I go out without them, daughter goes/wife doesn't, vise versa, etc.) Maybe need to invent a dry-erase bouy

[racfish]

You're only allowed 2 pots with the same name, so your already in trouble

Exactly!

Id put the wifes name on one pot and the kids on the other if all three are on the water at the same time.

But I will want enough bouys to cover all scenarios (I go out without them, daughter goes/wife doesn't, vise versa, etc.) Maybe need to invent a dry-erase bouy

Im taking my 4" white duct tape with us so he can write on one of our buoys.

[gfakkema]

...

[kodacachers]

I like the white duct tape, but not sure it will meet the "permanent" requirement. The name would be permanent, but the tape would not. I'd hope that the officers would overlook such a technical issue if everyone had a catch card and you were at or under the limit. If they were that persnickety I suppose there would always be something they could find.

[MotoBoat]

Crab: Two units of crab gear per person, and no limit on the number of units of crab gear per boat.

[/quote]Not true. You can have 500 pots with your name on them IN THE BOAT. The 2 pot reg is only regarding how many pots you have in the water. If all 3 of those pots are IN THE WATER at the same time, yes it's a violation. I also keep a spare buoy on board with some duct tape.[/quote]

I don't agree with that logic. If each person is allowed 2 pots, rings, or snares each. Why would one person need there identifying information on any more than 2 pots, let alone the 3rd thru 500th pot? Buoys 3 thru 500 become spares, or placed in some sort of rotation. As if they wear out quickly, which they do not. All that would do is give reason for scrutiny by an officer (in my opinion). That just smells bad.

The way I read the above rule provided by Gringo is: Two units of crab gear per person. Be it any combination of pot, ring, or snare. No limit on the number of units of crab gear per boat, because 100 people could be on a yacht. All having a crab license. Translating to 200 units of crab gear on board. Each two units of gear having the same name on the buoy. That is 100 different names, not one person on all buoys.

In no way would it be necessary for one person to have on board, more than two units of gear with there name on more than two buoy's.

Well, there would be one unforeseen reason: That being, a person out crabbing with two units. Just happened upon a derelict unit of gear they had lost during that season or recent previous season. In that case, not having that gear in the water would be key to your defense.

Gringo, having 3 pots in the water with your name on all of them, even though more legal crabbers on on board is not good. There is no benefit, only risk!

[G-Man]

Here is where reading the regs and trying to figure out why they are written they way they are is helpful. When I'm out crabbing from my boat, I'll have two pots, with lines and buoys, along with a ring trap and a snare or two. Technically that makes 3 sets of crab gear for one person. If I drop one pot and fish my ring trap, that's my two I'm using and withing my rights. Drop two pots and fish with the ring trap and I'm now in violation of the law.

BTW - The ring traps I have can be "folded" to make them quite compact and they stay in my boat year round. They make great "pier nets" and can also be used for crayfish.