FEASTING ON THE Fourth of July is much improved with the presence of Dungeness crab.
This is an empirical fact. I’ll allow no further discussion.
Just in time for some fine seafood options on the Fourth, the summer season for Dungeness and red rock crab opens today in Marine Areas 4 (Neah Bay-east of Bonilla-Tatoosh line) 5 (Sekiu), 6 (Eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca) and 9 (Admiralty Inlet).
The vast majority of anglers use a boat to set and soak pots overnight and to haul in the bounty the next morning.
Those lacking a boat have a solid option for hand-crabbing, also known as poor-man’s crabbing, in Marine Area 6: a trek on the tidelands at Dungeness Bay, near the former 3 Crabs Restaurant.
Harvesters need low tides to stalk their pinch-prone prey, and in a boon for hand crabbers, the tides are low at reasonable (read: daylight) hours through Saturday.
Today’s low tide in Dungeness Bay is -2.16 feet and comes at 10:12 a.m.
Friday’s low tide is -2.18 feet at 10:53 a.m., and Saturday is -1.91 feet at 11:36 a.m.
“Watch your fingers and count your toes,” said Brian Menkal of Brian’s Sporting Goods and More (360-683-1950) in Sequim.
Menkal said hand-crabbers should walk out to the water looking for eel grass, the preferred habitat for crabs.
Bring along a rake, a pitchfork, a dip net or some other gathering tool, a ruler or calipers to measure the crab and a bucket to stash your cache.
Sounds pretty easy right? I’m sure it’s the exact opposite.
I’ll find out when I test this method out Friday morning.
Other spots where this activity may provide results include the beach north of Chetzemoka Park in Port Townsend and along the Hood Canal at Duckabush and Dosewallips state parks.
Season looks strong
Test fisheries conducted in recent months by the state Department of Fish and Wildlife and tribes have shown good numbers in Marine Areas 6 and 9.
“Based on the crab abundance, we’re looking at a projected harvest of 2.5 to 3 million pounds in Puget Sound,” said Rich Childers, the state Fish and Wildlife crab resource manager.
“I think its going to be better than last year when total recreational harvest was 2.4 million, and we expect it to be around there or a bit more this year.”
Marine Area 6 provides the most Dungeness crab along the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
“The bulk of crab comes out of Marine Area 6,” Childers said.
“About 150,000 pounds total is harvested from the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and I would say 90 percent or so of that catch comes from Marine Area 6.”
Childers said a two-day tribal fishery was conducted in Marine Area 9 two weeks ago, and he believes crab stocks will rebound for the opening weekend.
“Marine Area 9 is also looking very good this year,” Childers said.
“The tribes are done for the summer and won’t be coming back through until later in the fall.”
Initial test fisheries in Hood Canal concluded Dungeness crab were in abundance and in hard-shell condition, leading to an early opening on June 15.
“Crabbing has been fantastic along the Hood Canal so far this season,” Childers said.
He explained that Fish and Wildlife test the same spots each year to check for abundance and condition.
“We have index stations that we test every year in the same spots,” Childers said.
“We set 15 pots at a station at three different depths: shallow about 40 feet, middle from 90 to 100 feet, and deep is set at 150 feet if waters are deep enough.
“Some areas like Port Townsend Bay, it doesn’t get that deep.”
Childers said that the middle set typically produces the best, regardless of location.
“We give the pots a 24-hour soak and we generally find that the 90- to 100-[foot] range is the most productive.”
Childers also calmed any fears about elevated marine toxin levels impacting Puget Sound crabbing.
In early June, Fish and Wildlife closed the recreational and commercial Dungeness crab fisheries in coastal waters from the Washington/Oregon border north to Point Chehalis after tests of domoic acid levels in crab exceeded standards established by the state Department of Health.
“That doesn’t affect Puget Sound,” Childers said.
“We’ve never had domoic acid in Puget Sound crab. It’s a coastal phenomenon.”
There’s also no reason to worry about other biotoxins that have closed some areas to shellfish harvesting.
“The toxins that cause paralytic shellfish poisoning don’t cause the same reactions in crab because they are not filter feeders,” Childers said.
He warned crabbers to record their catch on catch record cards immediately.
“We’ve been doing some emphasis patrols already in Hood Canal and the biggest problem is the failure to report crab,” Childers said.
“As you are putting them in the cooler or the bucket, you need to be recording them.
“We’re adopting a zero tolerance[stance] on that. Another one is making sure your crabs aren’t undersized.”
The daily limit for crab harvesters throughout Puget Sound is five Dungeness crab, males only, in hard-shell condition with a minimum carapace width of 6¼ inches.
For red rock crab, the limit is six of either sex per day, provided those crab measure at least 5 inches across.
The crab season runs through Monday, Sept. 7.
Crabbing is allowed Thursdays through Mondays each week, and is closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
Gear may not be set or pulled out of the water from one hour after official sunset to one hour before official sunrise.
All shellfish gear must be removed from the water on closed days.
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Outdoors columnist Michael Carman appears here Thursdays and Fridays. He can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5152 or at mcarman@peninsuladailynews.com.
