JUST A CRAB

Essential Info

Pier gear, two knots, and how to steam crab and carry the catch home cool.

Gear Rod, traps & bait

A pier rod, a cast trap or snare, and cold bait cover most trips.

Required

  • Crab gauge: Required. Measure every crab before you keep it, using the minimum for that marine area. Dungeness, inside the points: 6 1/4 in in Puget Sound (Area 4 east of Bonilla-Tatoosh and Areas 5-13), 6 in on the coast (Marine Areas 1-3 and Area 4 west of Bonilla-Tatoosh), and 5 3/4 in on the Columbia River. Red rock is 5 in and Tanner is 4 1/2 in, both at the widest part of the shell.

Rod setup

  • Rod: Daiwa Beefstick BSS1102XXHFS or BSS1202XXHFS. Either has the length and backbone to lift a crab or a light trap clear of the rail.
  • Reel: Penn Battle IV, size 5000 or larger. Penn Pursuit IV and Penn Fierce IV are more affordable options in the same size.
  • Line: 65 lb or stronger braided line, with 80 lb recommended to prevent line snaps and lost traps.
  • Hook: Stainless steel snap swivels, size 7 or larger.

Traps

  • Folding cast trap: A collapsible square or round trap with a weighted floor and a bait cage in the middle. Cast it, let it sit, then pull in one steady lift so the doors close. If it holds crab while it sits, it is pot gear: 1 1/2 in mesh, two 4 1/4 in escape rings in the upper half, a cotton rot cord, and a volume under 13 cubic feet. Leave it unattended only on its own half-red, half-white buoy marked with your name and address, on line that sinks. In Puget Sound each person may fish two units of crab gear.
  • Snare: A weight with open loops around a piece of bait. The loops lie flat, so a crab can walk on and walk off until you lift. A steady pull cinches the loops around the legs. Check the marine area: snares are crab gear other than pots, and that season is often open when pots are not.

Bait

Chicken legs. Zip-tie them onto the cast trap for extra retention so they stay on through the cast and the lift.

Extras

  • Check and land: Gloves and a long-handled net.
  • Hold the catch: A cooler, a towel, and seawater to soak the towel.
  • Night and spares: A headlamp, pliers, spare swivels, and a few pounds of weight for a light trap.
  • Paper: A catch record card if you are keeping Dungeness.

WDFW shellfish gear rules

Knots Arbor & Palomar

Gear tip: Wet the knot before cinching; trim the tag short

Arbor knot: Main line to the reel

Line and reel before the knot is tied Line laid around the reel Tag end brought back over the standing line Tag end passed under the standing line Tag end passed through the loop First knot snugged, with the tag still long Stopper knot started on the tag Finished arbor knot, with the loop around the reel and the stopper on the tag Finished arbor knot drawn tight
  1. Wrap the line once around the reel arbor (the center of the spool) and bring the tag end back over the main line.
  2. Tie a loose overhand knot with the tag end around the standing main line.
  3. Tie a second overhand knot near the tip of the tag end as a stopper so the first knot cannot slip free.
  4. Pull the main line so the first knot slides down tight against the arbor; the stopper knot jams against it. Trim the tag, then wind line under light tension.

Palomar knot: Main line to the swivel

Doubled line and hook before the knot is tied Doubled line passed through the hook eye Overhand knot started in the doubled line Overhand knot formed, with the loop still open Loop brought toward the hook Loop passed over the hook Loop folded onto the knot Knot starting to tighten against the hook eye Knot drawing tight Tag end cinched against the knot Knot snugged, with the tag still long Finished Palomar knot on the hook eye
  1. Double about 6 inches of main line and pass the loop through the eye of the hook.
  2. Tie a loose overhand knot with the doubled line, leaving the hook hanging below the knot.
  3. Open the end loop and pass it completely over the hook.
  4. Wet the knot, pull the standing line and tag evenly to cinch it, then trim the tag end short.

Cooking Steam & ice brine

  • Steam depth: 2-3 in water, no salt in the pot
  • Time: 18-20 minutes for crab halves
  • Finish: Quench in salted ice water until cool
  • Carry: Cool and moist, above the meltwater

Quick ice brine stops the cook and helps meat release clean.

  1. Heat 2-3 inches of water in a large pot. Add any seasoning you like except salt (salt does not evaporate in steam). Bring the solution to a steaming boil.
  2. Steam crab halves for 18-20 minutes.
  3. While the crab are steaming, prepare a container of salted ice water large enough to quench all the crab. Salt the cooling water with as much salt as dissolves (sea salt works well). The salt lowers the temperature of the cooling water and adds a nice salty flavor to the crab.
  4. After steaming, immediately submerge the crab in the salty ice water until all the crab is cool to the touch. Quick cooling stops the cooking and helps release the meat from the shell, making it easier to pick.

Store and carry

  • At the pier: Keep crab cool, damp, and in the shade. A seawater-soaked towel over them is enough for a short hold.
  • Do not submerge: Still seawater in a bucket or cooler runs out of oxygen and the crab die. Fresh water, including ice melt, kills them too.
  • In the cooler: Set the crab on the soaked towel and put ice on top. Keep them above the meltwater.
  • On the ride: Keep the cooler closed and out of a hot car. Cook the same day.
  • Before cooking: Do not cook a crab that died in storage. Washington DOH advises killing and cleaning crab before cooking. If you clean them in the field, keep the carapace to show it was legal size.

WDFW recreational crabbing tips