Spots for Crabbing around Nanaimo with a tinny and kids?

J

j.lalani

New Member
Hey,

New to all this and still learning, but I was hoping to figure out a couple decent spots to drop some crab pots with my kids around Nanaimo. Daughter has been bugging me like crazy to catch some crabs. Plan was to pick my days and take the 12' tinny out, drop a couple pots and then maybe jig for some ling and salmon.

Basically looking for any advice on spots I could try, I've seen some people drop in departure bay so I was thinking of maybe trying that one day and then doing some jigging up around neck point/rocky pt. What about around the Nanaimo river estuary close to protection? maybe not as good because of log boom traffic?

Any and all advice is appreciated from crabbing to fishing, trying to learn some spots to crab and jig for ling/salmon around town here but also learning spots I can use the tinny at up and down the island. Can always pm if you want.

Thanks!
 
I never had very good luck off Nanaimo for crabs. But have caught them in departure bay, off protection island, outside of Newcastle and Jack point. Sounds like your on the right track.
 
Departure bay, years ago all over. Out by the island in 100’ ish deep. Stay out of the ferries way though.
Out by the marker by the assembly warf
 
Yeah I was thinking departure bay by the islands in the 80-100ft mark and then could go fish around neck point. I was doing a servicecall for someone on protection months back and he was saying south tip of protection he's always had good luck. But you have the ferries there and seems to be a lot of log boom traffic. I'll just have to get out and try them all out I think.

Question about China Creek, possible in a tinny? not familiar with the area but see many people talk about it. spending a week out that way at Sproat towards the end of the month and debated taking the tinny to try and fish/crab with the kids out there

Again, appreciate the insight! thanks!
 
Just watch your traps in Nanaimo, I have not crabbed there in a few years but heard they go missing. I have not had that happen ever. I use lots of extra rope on my traps for tides and currents. On a high tide I have 30' of extra slack in 100' water.
 
j.lalani said:
Yeah I was thinking departure bay by the islands in the 80-100ft mark and then could go fish around neck point. I was doing a servicecall for someone on protection months back and he was saying south tip of protection he's always had good luck. But you have the ferries there and seems to be a lot of log boom traffic. I'll just have to get out and try them all out I think.

Question about China Creek, possible in a tinny? not familiar with the area but see many people talk about it. spending a week out that way at Sproat towards the end of the month and debated taking the tinny to try and fish/crab with the kids out there

Again, appreciate the insight! thanks!
Click to expand...
China Creek is fine for a tinny until the winds come up. Gets a bit uncomfortable at that point
 
My biggest disappointment with moving to Nanaimo was the crabbing, I’ve never bought them from a store before I moved here. Salmon fishing is great though.
 
We generally just fish with my inlaws up in Campbell River, never crabbed though. Kind of the first time we will be trying to do it ourselves and out of the tinny. I want to buy a bigger boat in the next year or two but first ill have to pick my days and try and learn the areas in the tinny.
 
j.lalani said:
We generally just fish with my inlaws up in Campbell River, never crabbed though. Kind of the first time we will be trying to do it ourselves and out of the tinny. I want to buy a bigger boat in the next year or two but first ill have to pick my days and try and learn the areas in the tinny.
Click to expand...
Nanaimo River estuary in 35-60’. In 20 min you will have a full trap with maybe a keeper.
 
Crabbing can be really hit or miss in nanaimo. The commys hit it hard late in the spring and pull up alot of the keepable crab in dep bay and outside the bay among other areas. Dep bay was good up until they started dropping 20 traps in there at once cleaning it out a month or so ago.
 
Fun for the kids is more of the goal, but if we can get a few keepers then that's a plus. Worst case, I try my luck and get skunked and have to travel a bit I guess. I'm happy they are really wanting to get out and fish and crab, its getting me a lot more into it as well.
 
Hi my name is Maverick and I am 16 years old and I am wondering if anyone has any old meat that has gone bad like Chicken or Turkey because I would like to go crabbing hopefully today or tomorrow or early next week
 
Maverick burak said:
Hi my name is Maverick and I am 16 years old and I am wondering if anyone has any old meat that has gone bad like Chicken or Turkey because I would like to go crabbing hopefully today or tomorrow or early next week
Click to expand...
Go hang out at a fish cleaning station to try to snag a carcass someone is tossing or ask at meat department in your local grocery store or butcher shop, sometimes they will sell fat or waste for $0.01 because it needs a tag. Maybe give everyone a general location too. Good luck though.
 
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