Victoria Crabbing

[ipbuckin]

Has anybody else noticed the sudden absence of legal sized Dungeness crabs off Victoria? Whenever, I go out fishing I drop a crab trap off the inner harbour and retrieve it on return. I always used to limit out but lately I get nothing but small undersized crabs and plenty of sunfish. DFO has talked about restricting the commercial crab fishery but they always seem to lock the barndoor after the horse is gone!

 

[scott craven]

Crabbing is really poor in Oakbay too right now....[V]

 

[halitails]

Crabbing in Pedder Bay is also a waste of time, only 2 legal size dungeness crab in 8 pulls this season.

 

[primetime1]

vancouver crabbing is terrible as well

 

[silverbullet77]

The Crabbing has been great in the canal so far this year.The prawns 2 weeks ago were bigger than ive ever seen

lance

 

[JuandeOne]

San Juan Bay last weekend was excellent in terms of legal size numbers (5 or 6 a trap) but only about 10% were good quality.

The commercial guy up there was strung all over the place but would be wasting his efforts because of all the unmarketable softies.

 

[Gypseas]

Same in Sooke [V]

 

[silverquest]

I don't bother putting mine out anymore in the harbour...i've had one keeper. Something gets into them as well.....either the seals or the otter i see around all the time.

 

[Giterdone]

Did they ever fix the problem with the raw sewage running off into water , think it was somewhere around Clover Point or the Breakwater?

 

[scott craven]

quote:Originally posted by Giterdone
[br]Did they ever fix the problem with the raw sewage running off into water , think it was somewhere around Clover Point or the Breakwater?

nope still puking out millions of gallons of treated effluent [V]

 

[Hoochiebob]

good luck dropping traps off of Sidney either.haven't bagged a keeper last three times

 

[baz]

ive done not to bad of oakbay,
been out 3 weeks in a row, soaked them for 5 hours and had 4-7 in the trap with 4 keepers every time,
the bad thing is the meat/shells were really soft.

 

[Last Chance]

When it's slowed down for me, moving deeper has helped. Hell, when I was in Cow Bay, I was going 200 Feet, but, it was well worth it.

 

[alley cat]

The crabs moved into deeper water about 2 1/2 weeks ago ; 140 plus feet.
Chemainus / Crofton area.

AL

 

[Brisco]

Last week I pulled a prawn trap up from 350feet. Sitting on top was a 7 inch crab that was full.

 

[Pangaea]

Never done it before, but this season, all my crabbing (Vancouver) has been between 150 and 200 feet. Never had such good sets. Who knew? In my 40 years of crabbing I never set deeper than 80', but it works. Never had a pot puller before though... [8D]

 

[ipbuckin]

Thanks, guys. I shall try deeper next time. I hate to get out into the trolling lanes, although it certainly does not bother the commercial crabbers. Obviously, 65feet does not cut it anymore.
I will try the 140 foot contour.

 

[ipbuckin]

Thanks Alley Cat, you were correct! I tried two pots at 100 feet one had one keeper and the other had three keepers!