by Sandra Piddock

Created on: June 26, 2010

The Dungeness Crab, or Cancer Magister to give it its correct appelation, is so called after Dungeness, Washington, where the crab was first harvested commercially. It's native habitat is the waters from Southern California, up to the Aleutian Islands. It can be landed anywhere north of Santa Barbara, and its image can be seen on direction signs around Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco, which tells the visitor how important the Dungeness Crab is to the West Coast fishing industry.

So where do the best crabs come from and where can the sporting fisherman catch them? That depends on who you talk to.

San Francisco Bay

Californians claim that crabs caught in their warmer waters have a better texture than those harvested further north. The season starts in November, and Dungeness Crab is as much a part of many Thanksgiving dinners as the traditional turkey. The season is fairly short, as numbers of Dungeness Crabs decline south of Monterey Bay, so you may prefer to go further north.

Netarts Bay, Oregon

Netarts Bay is situated between Cape Meares and Cape Lookout.  You can crab all year here, although during the summer months, when molting is taking place, the crabs may not have much meat on them. Catch crabs in the deep water channels, and even in the upper bay, where they hide in the eelgrass beds. Or cast out a crab snare from the shore with a spinning rod.

While there are lots of ways to catch crabs in Netarts Bay, there are also restrictions on activity. You need a licence to fish shellfish in Oregon, and you can only use 3 rings, lines or traps. The limit is 12 male crabs per day - female crabs are never taken - and they should be at least 6 inches across at the widest part of the shell, to ensure they conform with state sport fishing regulations.

Puget Sound, Washington

To fish here, you must hold a Dungeness Crab Endorsement and a Catch Record Card (CRC), to allow the proper management of the crab fishery. CRCs must be carried at all times, and filed at the end of the year, or you risk fines and penalties on next year's endorsement. CRCs enable the state to estimate harvests and maintain sustainable stocks of crabs.

The system works, because over 1 million pounds of crabs are caught recreationally in Puget Sound each year* - you can even wade in and catch them with your bare hands, if you're brave enough!

Great locations, great crabs and plenty of them - what more can a dedicated crabber ask for?

Source: http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/shelfish/crab/index.htm 

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