Crabbing deep..deep...

[The Quadfather]

So I am just curious about your opinions and experience.... I have plenty of experience crabbing. I usually drop my gear in area 10 near Shilshole and do fine in about 80' of water just off of the North Beach community.
I will have pots in the water from now through Sat. Tonight I was pulling up a lot of small crabs, which is unusual for this area. I was wondering if anybody has crabbed in water over 100' in depth? Your typical weighted crab pot line comes in lengths of 50 or 100'.

So, has anyone gone like 140'? I realize how different tidal zones work, etc. but it can't hurt to ask.

[racfish]

I dont go to deep because the crabs like the eel grass and kelped areas best imo.I prefer 80" max on my pots. For Red Rocks I only go 60 " max. The other is the tidal currents will grab your pot with rope and all and dissapear.The current will pull it for miles.I found a couple rell nice pots a few years ago between Bainbridge and Shilshole.

[nickbell]

I do my crabbing from piers, in 60-70 feet of water, maybe less, depending on tide.

[Dex]

I dropped mine about 85-90 feet all weekend and got some real nice ones. This was my first time crabing and lost a pot when the tide rolled in, went back a few hours later but was unable to find it....


Lesson learned..

ND

[A9]

In certain spots its effective. Bigger males are usually deeper than the smaller ones/females.... Just make sure to weigh your pots with rebar or some sort of weight cause your more prone to lose your gear when fishing your pots deeper...

[bionic_one]

I use a Promar Collapsable and have a 2 pound weight on it. I've been staying in 50 foot of water or less, because I'm afraid of the current taking it away (I'm a newby to crabbing!) Is 2 pounds enough weight for a trap like that? (it's this trap Promar Trap )

I also drop it from my Kayak, so going really deep is a pain to pull up too. I also learned the hard way that Dungy crabs can go right through the metal mesh glow bait holder.

[racfish]

I use a $19.00 Danielson so if it drifts away no big loss.Crabs dont know the difference. I use this rule of thumb alot. If I'm catching females I move my pots. I was told by the commercial guys that females and males only mix in mating times.

[Dex]

How much weight are we talking about adding here, and how is it added????

thanks guys

[The Quadfather]

Also be aware of days that have larger tide changes.

[BentRod]

How much weight are we talking about adding here, and how is it added????

thanks guys

How much added weight depends on the conditions/gear:

Pots - Heavier pots obviously need less additional weight than lighter ones.

Line - The typical yellow nylon rope floats, so that is added boyancy, they make leaded lines, that help keep things down

float - how big is your float. Some people put extra stuff on their floats or run two floats for ID purposes. Of course your float puts tension on your line when completely spooled, so if it goes underwater at high tide, it can pick up your pot and walk it or float it away.

current - if you drop in an area where the current rips at tide change, then that can suck your float under and cause the conditions listed under float. If you drop at low tide on a day with a large tide change, your line might not be long enough at high tide. In addition to this, even if you drop in an area where you know you have enough line and your pot is heavy enough, the current/debris can cause your float to go under and you won't see it again until the current backs off (slack tide) and allows your line to stand straight up.

debris in the water - if there is a lot of flotsam in the water and combine that with current, your line will pick up all that stuff and create drag that can bury your float and potentially cause your pot to walk.


On more than one occasion I've watched a float go under during the high tide and we had to come back the next day at low tide to pick it up. On another occasion I dropped a pot at the maximal line depth and watched the float (standard red/white bouy) go under at high tide and I thought I'd get it when the tide went out like before, but when the water receeded, the pot was no where to be found (it surely walked).

Therefore, depending on what your crabing with and where you're dropping your pots, 2-8 lbs of added weight can be helpful, but that is more weight that you're dragging from the bottom. Oh, and how you add it is up to you. Typically I just ziptie or wiretie it to the inside bottom of the pot and I use scrap lead.

Hope something in these ramblings help.

[jbball50]

We use 5lbs for all our crab and shrimp pots and never had a problem with losing gear from it. We've done shrimping in 150-160 feet and it hasn't been a problem but most of the time crabbing we do in shallower water.

[racfish]

I do same about 5 lbs of rebar. I too use leaded line so the nylon dosent foul up in someones prop.My float is on a 3-4' pvc pipe with streamers so I can just grab it easier and not have to reach way over the side of my boat to retrieve it. The foil streamers are just for my old bad visibility eyes.Also I put a donut weight on the bottom of my pole to keep it floating upwards.

[Dave]

Interesting to hear several of you are using weight in your crab pots. I've never felt the need to do that but maybe the areas I am crabbing in have less current. In response to your question Chris, I have crabbed in water around 75 to 80 feet and also in about 140'. At times I have found much larger males out deeper and have also noted that when the Tribe is out there crabbing they tend to set their gear in about 140 to 160 feet of water in the spots I fish. I agree with Rac that crab love to hang out in the eel grass and I also use the 19.00 Danielson pots that sell at some stores for up to 30.00 for just the pot which is a rip off. If a person shops around, they can find the Danielson traps for 19.00 and 100' of weighted rope with a buoy for 19.00. Add a bait cage for about 7 and you are good to go for under 50.00. I am amazed by the price variation with these traps and have seen this set up “complete” for 80.00. I the stores selling them at outrageous prices are hoping for Mr. Inexperience to walk in the door and drop the extra inflated 35.00. Not me!