Northwest Fishing Reports

I have a friend that is new to the area and was looking to go crabbing this weekend. I only know the north sound or san juan island places to crab. Anybody know of online maps that show places or areas that are ok for crabbing? Not looking to score big but just to find spots that might work. Thanks in advance.

Adam

I'd like to see some south sound recommendations as well. in my experience south sound has not produced well, but in the fishing reports there was at least one hot spot last weekend!

I bet jens will get that south sound crabbing thing dialed in before long, although think he mentioned being new to crabbing down there.

There are several place in the south sound for crabbing. Usually the mouth on any river that dumps into the bay will have Dungeness crab. In area 11 quartermaster harbor has been producing numbers of dungeness as well as right off Katie downs restaurant on Ruston Way. the grain silos off of Ruston have dungeness as well. Also off simpson craft paper mill has crab. If in area 13 Horsehead bay produces as well as anywhere around anderson island.

Can you be more specific as to what you consider "South sound"

I can't help with where to crab, but I can tell you where not to crab. Henderson Bay has nothing but Pacific Graceful crab and a few Red Rock. There have got to be better places down there than Henderson Bay.

We have good luck in Oro Bay, off Anderson Island. usually catch our limit on dungeness. Be careful not to leave your pots unattended, its a den of thieves.

Steamboat Island has some giant redrock crab, and I've gotten a few Dungies up to 13" but they're rare. But there are millions of rock crabs, and I prefer 'em to dungies when they're bigger, just have to be more patient cracking 'em. My dad lives out there and I drop a pot whenever I come visit.

All King and Thurston have very high toxin levels. Red tides across the two counties. Now in todays paper it was 22 people sickened by South sound oysters. Check the Red Tide Hotline.