Crabbing in Puget Sound with SCUBA?

[PuyallupCoug]

Has anybody ever gone hunting for crab with your SCUBA gear, is it legal?

I know Crab season isn't until later in the year but I was doing some poking around on the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife website and I couldnt find anything regarding gathering crab in your SCUBA gear.

If it is legal, has anybody on here done that and if so, do you have any tips? Gear recomendations?

I know it's a weird question, but thanks for your help!

 

[wkyongae@aol.com]

When in season for whatever area you will be crabbing in go for it. I see it done all the time. It is a lot of fun chasing the little critters down and catching them. I freedive for em with a little fishing net. Watch size and limits closely and make sure you have your license ready in case you are checked. Also try and post threads about hunting in the hunting thread forum. Trust me we who hunt the great northwest are there. There's no problem with this sight just better there and you will get better responses.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Yeah, it's legal ... and fun.

Tips? Sure ...

- Work together with your dive buddy ... it's a lot easier. One of you get in front of the crab, and the other behind. The one in front swims toward the crab with arms outstretched to your sides. The crab will scuttle backwards away from you ... right into your dive buddy's outstretched hand. Works every time ... we call it "crab herding".

- Put tape or bold black marks on the "legal" notch on your crab gauge ... the numbers are hard to read underwater. And always ... ALWAYS ... measure before bagging the crab.

- Make sure you test for soft shells before bagging ... soft shell crabs are not legal, no matter what the size.

- Never ... ever ... come out of the water with an illegal crab in your bag. Fish and game guys figure divers are easy marks, and they're not the forgiving type. I will also keep my license on me ... in a pocket inside my drysuit ... because they're sticklers for you having it on your person.

- It's also a good idea to bring along a cooler, which you can fill with sea water to transport the crabs home in.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Rainer]

Yeah, it's legal ... and fun.

Tips? Sure ...

- Work together with your dive buddy ... it's a lot easier. One of you get in front of the crab, and the other behind. The one in front swims toward the crab with arms outstretched to your sides. The crab will scuttle backwards away from you ... right into your dive buddy's outstretched hand. Works every time ... we call it "crab herding".

- Put take or bold black marks on the "legal" notch on your crab gauge ... the numbers are hard to read underwater. And always ... ALWAYS ... measure before bagging the crab.

- Make sure you test for soft shells before bagging ... soft shell crabs are not legal, no matter what the size.

- Never ... ever ... come out of the water with an illegal crab in your bag. Fish and game guys figure divers are easy marks, and they're not the forgiving type. I will also keep my license on me ... in a pocket inside my drysuit ... because they're sticklers for you having it on your person.

- It's also a good idea to bring along a cooler, which you can fill with sea water to transport the crabs home in.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Does seawater work for your Pacific craps? It's a terrible idea with lobsters and craps here. Just place them on ice in a cooler. In a brown bag at home in the fridge, they'll stay alive for days. In sea water in a cooler or pot, dead within hours.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Does seawater work for your Pacific craps? It's a terrible idea with lobsters and craps here. Just place them on ice in a cooler. In a brown bag at home in the fridge, they'll stay alive for days. In sea water in a cooler or pot, dead within hours.

It works for me ... but then, my crabs never last for hours anyway. I usually cook them as soon as I get them home.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Rainer]

Gotcha. For whatever reasons, sometimes cooking has to wait a day. Your other suggestions, however, all seemed spot on.

 

[PuyallupCoug]

When in season for whatever area you will be crabbing in go for it. I see it done all the time. It is a lot of fun chasing the little critters down and catching them. I freedive for em with a little fishing net. Watch size and limits closely and make sure you have your license ready in case you are checked. Also try and post threads about hunting in the hunting thread forum. Trust me we who hunt the great northwest are there. There's no problem with this sight just better there and you will get better responses.

Thanks for the heads up, I wasn't sure of how many people from the Puget Sound area were in the hunting forum so I posted it here. Thanks though

 

[PuyallupCoug]

Yeah, it's legal ... and fun.

Tips? Sure ...

- Work together with your dive buddy ... it's a lot easier. One of you get in front of the crab, and the other behind. The one in front swims toward the crab with arms outstretched to your sides. The crab will scuttle backwards away from you ... right into your dive buddy's outstretched hand. Works every time ... we call it "crab herding".

- Put tape or bold black marks on the "legal" notch on your crab gauge ... the numbers are hard to read underwater. And always ... ALWAYS ... measure before bagging the crab.

- Make sure you test for soft shells before bagging ... soft shell crabs are not legal, no matter what the size.

- Never ... ever ... come out of the water with an illegal crab in your bag. Fish and game guys figure divers are easy marks, and they're not the forgiving type. I will also keep my license on me ... in a pocket inside my drysuit ... because they're sticklers for you having it on your person.

- It's also a good idea to bring along a cooler, which you can fill with sea water to transport the crabs home in.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Bob, thanks for your help! I knew you would probably be the one to answer this question.

I hunted for crabs through some crabgrass a few years back by wading through the water with a bucket and rope. I'm sure on scuba it's much more fun.

 

[TSandM]

I went out with Ben McGeever (the X-scooter guy) crabbing last year, and it was an absolute BLAST! The little buggers run FAST, and it was swim like crazy, grab the crab, and wave it at Ben (who had the measuring device). We kicked up TONS of silt and ran into each other and laughed so hard I cried. We caught our limit of crabs, too . . . You have to buy a license to go crabbing, but it wasn't much (twelve dollars, if I remember correctly, and it was good for the whole crabbing season). You can get the licenses at the same franchise offices that renew tabs and such.

 

[RockyHeap]

The real cool part of crabbing is having a cold water salt aquarium set up at home.......no chiller required in the winter months. I've keep crab alive for weeks!

Yup Dungeness are darn fast underwater, They flee, where-as the red rock crab stand their ground and fight with raised claws.

Both taste yummy in garlic and butter.