Feeling pier pressure? Embrace it!
No boat? Pier crabbing may be for you
Let’s see, now. I’ve found the rings, the traps and plenty of rope, plus a couple plastic buckets for the catch. I’ve dug the chicken thighs out of the freezer and the cheap tuna cans out of the pantry. I’ve consulted the tide tables — twice, just to be sure — and zipped my shellfish license into my pocket. Gloves, jacket, sweatshirt and hat, plus a bottle of sunscreen, because I’m feeling lucky.
I’m all ready to go crabbing. But still, I feel as if I’ve forgotten something. Hmm….
Oh! I remember. A boat!
Fortunately, there’s more than one way to catch a Dungeness crab. At the next weekend high tide, look around. You’ll see people of all ages setting rings and dropping traps from public piers, docks and jetties all over the Oregon coast. This method is generally less successful than bay crabbing by boat, but it’s blissfully free of the expense and planning that a watercraft requires.
The crabbing has been a little slow this summer, but the word among charter boat captains and local recreational fishermen is that catches are starting to improve. The most recent surveys done by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife show that the average bay catch is three “keepers” per person, far short of the limit of 12, but a healthy dinner nonetheless. If the season follows historical trends, catches will improve steadily through the fall. And, when the ocean commercial season closes on Aug. 15, there will be even less competition for the Dungeness.
Why wait for the fall? Get your gear and head out for a day of boat-free crabbing.
Let’s see, now. I’ve found the rings, the traps and plenty of rope, plus a couple plastic buckets for the catch. I’ve dug the chicken thighs out of the freezer and the cheap tuna cans out of the pantry. I’ve consulted the tide tables — twice, just to be sure — and zipped my shellfish license into my pocket. Gloves, jacket, sweatshirt and hat, plus a bottle of sunscreen, because I’m feeling lucky.
I’m all ready to go crabbing. But still, I feel as if I’ve forgotten something. Hmm….
Oh! I remember. A boat!
Fortunately, there’s more than one way to catch a Dungeness crab. At the next weekend high tide, look around. You’ll see people of all ages setting rings and dropping traps from public piers, docks and jetties all over the Oregon coast. This method is generally less successful than bay crabbing by boat, but it’s blissfully free of the expense and planning that a watercraft requires.
The crabbing has been a little slow this summer, but the word among charter boat captains and local recreational fishermen is that catches are starting to improve. The most recent surveys done by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife show that the average bay catch is three “keepers” per person, far short of the limit of 12, but a healthy dinner nonetheless. If the season follows historical trends, catches will improve steadily through the fall. And, when the ocean commercial season closes on Aug. 15, there will be even less competition for the Dungeness.
Why wait for the fall? Get your gear and head out for a day of boat-free crabbing.
Listen up, slackers
Before you set out, consult a set of tide tables that has been adjusted for your location. In other words, don’t think that the high tide in Newport will be the same height, or occur at the same time, as the high tide in Astoria. Sporting goods stores, general stores, hotels and restaurants often give away free tide table books. Heck, there’s even a free one in the Oregon Coast Today.
There are usually two high tides in every 24 hour cycle; look for the lower of the two. The two-hour period around that high tide is considered the “slack tide,” the period of relative calmness that’s most conducive to catching crabs. They don’t feed when they’re being jostled by massive inflows or outflows of water. They forage when it’s nice and quiet.
Advance your crab theory by consulting the low tides, as well. The very best slack tides are found when a low tide is high and the following high tide is low — are you with me so far? — so that the water is not rushing in very quickly. For example, if 2:44 a.m. low tide is 0.7 feet, and the 9:07 a.m. high tide is 4.8 feet, the water has only moved about 4 feet in six hours. That’s a good amount of slack.
Conversely, if a low tide of -2.0 is followed by a high tide of 6.4, more than 8 feet must be replaced in the same amount of time. Those little crabs are hunkered, not hunting.
What’s up? Dock?
Crab inhabit every Oregon estuary, but some offer larger populations than others. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife recommends Coos, Yaquina, Alsea and Tillamook Bays for the easiest catches year-round, but adds that smaller estuaries and those with more freshwater influence can be at their best in the driest part of summer, when salinity is at its height.
When choosing a land-based spot to crab, consider the proximity of services like restrooms, fish cleaning stations and marina stores. The Newport Public Pier, which juts out beneath the picturesque bridge on the south bank of Yaquina Bay, has all of the above and is just a tantalizing short walk from Rogue Ales Brewery and its restaurant.
Other locals flock to the public docks at the Port of Alsea, in Waldport, which they say offers the best quality crabs from a cleaner, quieter bay. Old Town Waldport, adjacent to the port, offers several restaurants, equipment rental shops and a crab cooker for hire.
Gear up
Everyone in your party over the age of 14 will need a shellfish license, which can be obtained at most sporting goods or general stores; the cost is $6.50 for a resident yearly permit or $9 for a three-day non-resident permit. [More about licenses.] You’ll also need at least one crab pot, ring or trap, complete with plenty of rope; these are available local sporting goods starting at about $20 for rings and $40 for heavier metal traps. Or, you can rent them from a local marina store.
Bait is a matter of personal preference. People have been known to use just about anything, from turkey and chicken to fish parts and clams. Whatever it is, fresh bait works the best. Secure it with metal or plastic ties, or in a bait bag that can attach to the bottom of the trap. The ODFW guidelines say that using a bait bag will deter marauding seals and sea lions.
You’re only allowed to keep male crabs that are at least 5 ¾ inches wide. To better make the call, bring an official plastic measuring device (these are also available at sporting goods stores, free or very cheap). It has a cutout to fit over the shell, and a little illustration of the difference between the sexes.
Last of all, you’ll need a cooler or a bucket, something with smooth sides that will safely contain your crabs on water or ice, until you can clean and cook them.
Make a big splash
Once you get your gear to the pier or dock, the process is pretty simple. Tie the long end of the rope to something solid and throw, toss or drop the baited device into the water. Then wait a while — 30 to 40 minutes for pots and traps, 10 to 15 minutes for rings — before checking to see if your bait is working.
For most dock crabbers, the waiting is part of the fun. It offers a little time to chat, smoke a cigarette, read a book or just watch the boats go by. Brian Mickley, who I met on the Newport Public Pier last Sunday, finds the process relaxing even if it’s not productive.
“For me, this is recreation,” he said, sitting back in his folding chair after checking his pots. “If I catch something, that’s just icing on the cake.”
More resources
Newport Chamber of Commerce
Oregon Shellfish Safety: Is it safe to harvest today?
Before you set out, consult a set of tide tables that has been adjusted for your location. In other words, don’t think that the high tide in Newport will be the same height, or occur at the same time, as the high tide in Astoria. Sporting goods stores, general stores, hotels and restaurants often give away free tide table books. Heck, there’s even a free one in the Oregon Coast Today.
There are usually two high tides in every 24 hour cycle; look for the lower of the two. The two-hour period around that high tide is considered the “slack tide,” the period of relative calmness that’s most conducive to catching crabs. They don’t feed when they’re being jostled by massive inflows or outflows of water. They forage when it’s nice and quiet.
Advance your crab theory by consulting the low tides, as well. The very best slack tides are found when a low tide is high and the following high tide is low — are you with me so far? — so that the water is not rushing in very quickly. For example, if 2:44 a.m. low tide is 0.7 feet, and the 9:07 a.m. high tide is 4.8 feet, the water has only moved about 4 feet in six hours. That’s a good amount of slack.
Conversely, if a low tide of -2.0 is followed by a high tide of 6.4, more than 8 feet must be replaced in the same amount of time. Those little crabs are hunkered, not hunting.
What’s up? Dock?
Crab inhabit every Oregon estuary, but some offer larger populations than others. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife recommends Coos, Yaquina, Alsea and Tillamook Bays for the easiest catches year-round, but adds that smaller estuaries and those with more freshwater influence can be at their best in the driest part of summer, when salinity is at its height.
When choosing a land-based spot to crab, consider the proximity of services like restrooms, fish cleaning stations and marina stores. The Newport Public Pier, which juts out beneath the picturesque bridge on the south bank of Yaquina Bay, has all of the above and is just a tantalizing short walk from Rogue Ales Brewery and its restaurant.
Other locals flock to the public docks at the Port of Alsea, in Waldport, which they say offers the best quality crabs from a cleaner, quieter bay. Old Town Waldport, adjacent to the port, offers several restaurants, equipment rental shops and a crab cooker for hire.
Gear up
Everyone in your party over the age of 14 will need a shellfish license, which can be obtained at most sporting goods or general stores; the cost is $6.50 for a resident yearly permit or $9 for a three-day non-resident permit. [More about licenses.] You’ll also need at least one crab pot, ring or trap, complete with plenty of rope; these are available local sporting goods starting at about $20 for rings and $40 for heavier metal traps. Or, you can rent them from a local marina store.
Bait is a matter of personal preference. People have been known to use just about anything, from turkey and chicken to fish parts and clams. Whatever it is, fresh bait works the best. Secure it with metal or plastic ties, or in a bait bag that can attach to the bottom of the trap. The ODFW guidelines say that using a bait bag will deter marauding seals and sea lions.
You’re only allowed to keep male crabs that are at least 5 ¾ inches wide. To better make the call, bring an official plastic measuring device (these are also available at sporting goods stores, free or very cheap). It has a cutout to fit over the shell, and a little illustration of the difference between the sexes.
Last of all, you’ll need a cooler or a bucket, something with smooth sides that will safely contain your crabs on water or ice, until you can clean and cook them.
Make a big splash
Once you get your gear to the pier or dock, the process is pretty simple. Tie the long end of the rope to something solid and throw, toss or drop the baited device into the water. Then wait a while — 30 to 40 minutes for pots and traps, 10 to 15 minutes for rings — before checking to see if your bait is working.
For most dock crabbers, the waiting is part of the fun. It offers a little time to chat, smoke a cigarette, read a book or just watch the boats go by. Brian Mickley, who I met on the Newport Public Pier last Sunday, finds the process relaxing even if it’s not productive.
“For me, this is recreation,” he said, sitting back in his folding chair after checking his pots. “If I catch something, that’s just icing on the cake.”
More resources
Newport Chamber of Commerce
Oregon Shellfish Safety: Is it safe to harvest today?
