Crabbing Or and Wa cost.

I have noticed that there are qutie a few people on here from washington and Oregon. Does anyone crab? I used to go all the times when i was a kid but i havent been in years. Does anyone crab the mouth of the columbia or the bay between Longbeach and Ocean Shores? How would a 17 foot bowrider work for crabing? I am just talking about 2-3 pots with 2 people on board the boat. Are either of the areas i named any good? Where is a good place to buy pots? How does carp (very easy to catch and cheap) do for bait?<br /><br />Thanks<br /><br />Chris

Re: Crabbing Or and Wa cost.

Well Chris, I have not actually fished the Columbia since the sturgeon fishery went belly up (bad pun)<br /><br />But I have done quite a bit of crabbing here in ALaska, never commercial, just subsistance/recreational. We found red meat like a freezer burnt roast to be a very effective crab bait when going for both king crab and tanner or snow crab. There are still some herds of wild cattle left out in the Aleutan islands left over from failed ranching experiments. The locals will knock one of these over now and then to use for crab bait AND dinner. The 17'er might be a little on the small side for anything but the smoothest water, especially once you load it up with a few crab pots the space disappears in a hurry, I've fished around Kodiak island in a 24' bayliner trophy and Dutch Harbor on a 31' roberts, the roberts with it's semi displacement hull was a far better crabbing platform, it also had a davit for hauling those extra heavy pots aboard. We normally set the pots in 160'-220'<br /><br />I realize this isn't helping you find good spots a little closer to home, but thought I'd share what I've done<br /><br />Tinman

Re: Crabbing Or and Wa cost.

I don't know about alaska but here in Oregon, the use of Red meat for crabbing is illegal..... although it does work very well... I live in Bandon oreogn, 20 miles south of coos bay. We have mainly Dungenous (sp) crabs here at the coquille river.. the larger ones are just starting to come in... and a 17 foot boat is plenty big... infact I go over the bar and bottom fish about 1 mile out in a 16 footer..... <br /><br />Don't hesistate to contact me if you need any other info about the bandon/coosbay area...<br />dave

Re: Crabbing Or and Wa cost.

My brother crabs Tillamook Bay in a 16'Alaskan tin boat, 15 hp Nissan and 3 pots. Catches all we can eat during the winter and spring months which are the best eating. During summer and fall the meat doesn't fill in the shells so well. He uses any fish he can find; to my wife's dismay, we saved up a freezer full of shad which stink just right.....

Re: Crabbing Or and Wa cost.

Capn Mike, you from the tillamook area? that is my old stompin grounds.. (well grandparents lived there) And I love shad for bait!!!