Winter Crab Season

[Whidbey Fish]

Here is the winter season:

WDFW NEWS RELEASE
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
600 Capitol Way North, Olympia, WA 98501-1091
http://wdfw.wa.gov/

October 27, 2010

Contact: Steve Burton, (425) 775-1311 ext. 126

Four areas of Puget Sound reopen Nov. 15
for late-season crab fishing

OLYMPIA - Four marine areas of Puget Sound will reopen to recreational crab fishing Nov. 15, based on summer catch assessments by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) that show more crab are available for harvest.

At 8 a.m. on Nov. 15, marine areas 6 (eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca), 9 (Admiralty Inlet), 10 (Seattle/Bremerton) and 12 (Hood Canal) will reopen for sport crabbing seven days a week through Jan. 2, 2011.

Crab fishing will also remain open seven days a week through Jan. 2 in marine areas 4 (Neah Bay), 5 (Sekiu), and 13 (south Puget Sound), where the fishery has continued uninterrupted since June 18.

Sport crabbing will not reopen this year in marine areas 7 (San Juan Islands), 8-1 (Deception Pass, Hope Island and Skagit Bay), 8-2 (Port Susan and Port Gardner) and 11 (Tacoma/Vashon Island), where the summer catch reached the annual quota, said Rich Childers, WDFW shellfish policy coordinator.

All crab caught in the Puget Sound recreational fishery after Sept. 1 should be recorded on winter catch cards, which are valid until Jan. 2. Those catch reports are due to WDFW by Feb. 1, 2011. For more information on catch record cards, visit WDFW's website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/shellfish/crab/crc.html .

"It's important that people submit their reports, even if they didn't catch any crab," Childers said. "A report showing no crab caught is just as important in calculating the catch as one that shows lots of crab caught."
The daily catch limit in Puget Sound is five Dungeness crab, males only, in hard-shell condition with a minimum carapace width of 6¼ inches. In addition, fishers may catch six red rock crab of either sex per day, provided those crab measure at least 5 inches across. Additional information is available on the WDFW website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/shellfish/crab/ .
________________________________________

[Dave]

On that note, I am hoping someone might be willing to PM me with a productive spot to crab in Area 9 so I can give this winter season a try. I've tried a few spots in Area 9 in past winter seasons with no results. In return, I am willing to reply to your kindness with a few very productive spots in Area 8-1 where limits come easy. Thanks in advance for your kindness.

Dave