Northwest Fishing Reports

At the risk of opening up heated discussion, I'm looking for advice on new crab pots. I have two of the folding square jobbers that are nearing the end of their life. They've been good, but I'm wondering if there is something better. I have one of the "commercial style" round stainless steel pots but it doesn't seem to catch as well as the cheap square ones. I'm thinking about the octagon pots with ramps and 4 doors with the built in bait cage---or just pick up more of the cheapies.
Thanks.

The cheap folding square units with 4 gates work great and are hard to beat as far as results and price are concerned. If you are the type who wants to soak their pots overnight, they should be modified for best results. You can buy weighed replacement gates which are less prone to opening under heavy current flow or you can , as I have, wrap some flattened pencil lead around the the lower gate wires to achieve the same results. Again, if leaving your pots out overnight and you like to use large buoys, you'll want to weight them down as well otherwise they have tendency to drift away. If you opt for using a standard sized float with 3/8" leaded line, your pot should stay in one place under normal tidal conditions without any added weight. I also don't buy into the whole round vs square debate. I feel a square trap with 4 gates will catch crabs at the same rate as a round trap with 4 gates, I haven't seen evidence to prove otherwise. I pull my pots by hand and will check them after 30 to 45 minutes, if they aren't producing, they get moved. Using the lightweight traps make this task much easier on the body. Also, keep in mind that a load of crab can easily add 50+lbs to the weigh of the trap. This can make getting the trap into the boat quite difficult without a davit and another reason why I prefer the lightweight folding traps.

Almost forgot, get some bait pins and use them! I hang 2 to 4 perch/squawfish/suckers/sandabs/etc in each pot along with some bait in a box. Feeding crab won't try to leave the trap and also attract more crab than just the scent from your bait.

Thanks G-Man! Sorry I can't make the derby tomorrow. Got a family think in Portland

Whats a good price for the square fold up traps? Been looking at the local sports stores... 50-60 bucks?

Sideburns wrote:Whats a good price for the square fold up traps? Been looking at the local sports stores... 50-60 bucks?

~$20 for the pot and an additional $15-20 for float and rope. (All bought separately)

To buy the whole thing set up for you will probably be about $50. If you go that route though try to find one with leaded line.

Sideburns, check Johns Sporting Goods online in Everett, they have always had the best prices I could find and I don't know if they still offer it but they used to have free shipping. I always hate to use craigslist or other online personal sales sites because of the time, gas, and personal safety issues, but that's just me. Good luck

You should be able to get them at around $20 a piece at Sportco or Outdoor Emporium. If you put together the kit yourself, you'll be able to get the trap, bait box, 100' of leaded line, float and bait pin for around $50. I don't bother with the harness that helps attach the line to the trap. I just weave a line through the center squares on the top of the trap to help distribute the weight and tie the main line to that.

I also don't crab in waters over 100' deep. That puts your gear near in the fishing lanes and the shrimp have a tendancy to come in and clean out your bait.

Thanks guys, for the quick replies. I'll check out sportco and john's for sure. The local pots had the dreaded plasticy poly line included.. hate that stuff.

Just saw Doug's Boats in Woodinville having a special 39.99 for the kit with leaded line and buoy.

I remember back in the early '90s there was a box trap that was similar to the Danielson (that we all know and love) in construction but was a bit smaller in width. It was however as tall as it was wide, so basically cube shaped.
I first saw it at the Puyallup Sportsmen Show where they were playing video of the trap in action. The advantage to the trap was that as new crab entered the pot, the crab already in the pot would be forced upward inside, allowing many more crustaceans into the pot. When they pulled the pot up it had a solid 2 foot depth of crab inside.
I remember seeing them all over for awhile, but haven't seen one lately, it was a good design with a proven advantage, and not priced too much higher than the standard one carried by everyone.

onmygame

I use the Danielson type square pot/ For 20 bucks you cant go wrong. Too much pot stealing goes on. If my pots get taken let it be a cheap pot. Ive done real well with the square pots.

racfish wrote:I use the Danielson type square pot/ For 20 bucks you cant go wrong. Too much pot stealing goes on. If my pots get taken let it be a cheap pot. Ive done real well with the square pots.

Unfortunately that's the truth. Those cheap Danielson pots have always worked well for me too. Add a couple wraps of 1/4" pencil lead on the doors to keep the current from blowing them open and I'd say they're just as good as the more expensive ones.

I'm a total fan of Protoco Slip Ring crab traps. When the pot's soaking, the side mesh rings collapse flat allowing the crabs to enter from the side meaning when you go to pull up the pot, the sides raise up closed, making it impossible for the crabs to escape. You can find Protoco Slip Ring pots by typing it into any search engine. They're well made and the steel frame is factory dipped in vinyl to prevent rust or corrosion. Great traps! If anyone's looking, I have a Danielson conical shaped crab trap plus some ring nets for sale or trade for an open seat in north MA 8-2.