Looks like good news regarding the 2008 Tribal crab season

[Dave]

Today I had a look at the commercial crab seasons which apply to commercial and tribal crabbers. This is what I found on the WFDW site.

Commercial Crab Fishery Information
REGION 2E SPRING FISHERY SCHEDULE

The Region 2 East spring fishery is scheduled to open at 6:00 p.m. on June 25, 2008 and remain open until 8:00 p.m. Friday, June 27, 2008. There will be a 25 pot limit per license. This schedule is subject to change prior to June 25.

Region 2E covers area 8-1, 8-2, and 9.


This appears to be good news as far as commercial and tribal crabbing goes before the sport season opens. If this is all of the head start they are going to get on the Dungeness crab before it opens to the public on July 2nd, then our pots should produce quickly with good numbers of keepers like years past. I had the opportunity to have a look at area 8-1 in front of Camano Island State Park today. When Tribal Crabbers are out fishing, this area is cluttered with commercial buoys. Today there wasn’t a buoy in sight which is unlike last year when tribal crabbers crabbed all of June before it opened to the rest of us in July. So, it looks like we are all in business this time around. If someone sees something other than what I found, or has other information on the tribal season, or if I'm mistaken with the info I found, please shed some light. Thanks.


Marine Area 8-1, 8-2, and 9 Dungeness / Red Rock Crab Season 2008;

Will open 7 a.m. July 2, 2008, Wednesday through Saturday only through September 1, plus the entire Labor Day weekend (Aug. 30-Sept. 1).

13 Days and Counting !

[A9]

Thanks for posting Dave. I hope we see some good crabbing right before the 4th. Tides I believe are pretty big swings, hopefully I can still pull some limits. Last year the beginning of the season was slow.

Let's hope for easy limits....Something about eating ribs, hot wings, burgers, and crab on the beach on the 4th of July afternoon...Good eats, beach, fireworks....Good times!

[produce2troutcat]

Does anyone know how many of those commercial & tribal licenses are out there and how many of those that are actually in use?

[A9]

Does anyone know how many of those commercial & tribal licenses are out there and how many of those that are actually in use?

I think the WDFW has that displayed on their website...Maybe....

It's easy to spot those boats out though. Especially those tribal boats...Ratty old boats and a dude who shoots you back a mean glare...They don't like us, we don't like them....

[Dave]

Hey Sam,

The feast on the beach you described on the fourth of July sounds ideal! I take it you are or will be home by then? You are so right about spotting the tribal boats. The tribal guys like to give dirty looks and a few years back one of their boats went by us very close at about 30 mph. I had my Sergeant on board and we wanted very badly to go contact them and explain reckless boating to the jerk but we resisted the major temptation. I would have loved taking that jerk right to jail. Anyways, you are right, they don’t like us and I’m not fond of them either because of their behavior. I really believe if the tribal crabbers are only getting a few days in June and that is it until or after the sport season opens, I think it will be like years past when the season opened at the same time for everyone. Easy and fast limits of very large Dungeness. Gotta love it!!!

Produce2troutcat, Here is the info on commercial licenses for crabbing. Directly from the WDFW site: http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/shelfish/crabreg/comcrab/

“Puget Sound is home to two fleets of commercial vessels, Tribal and State. The State commercial crab fleet possesses about 248 licenses. The fishery is currently limited to this number of licenses; however current license holders may transfer an existing license to a new party. Information on Tribal fishing in Puget Sound is available through the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission. ”

I found it interesting that there is no mention about licenses for tribes. It could be that there is just one license for each tribe but I’m not sure. I went to their “Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission” web site but didn’t see anything about licenses for these folks. Thinks that make you go hmmmm…

[A9]

Hey Sam,

The feast on the beach you described on the fourth of July sounds ideal! I take it you are or will be home by then? You are so right about spotting the tribal boats. The tribal guys like to give dirty looks and a few years back one of their boats went by us very close at about 30 mph. I had my Sergeant on board and we wanted very badly to go contact them and explain reckless boating to the jerk but we resisted the major temptation. I would have loved taking that jerk right to jail. Anyways, you are right, they don’t like us and I’m not fond of them either because of their behavior. I really believe if the tribal crabbers are only getting a few days in June and that is it until or after the sport season opens, I think it will be like years past when the season opened at the same time for everyone. Easy and fast limits of very large Dungeness. Gotta love it!!!

Flight in the morning baby! Getting home to finally put the fishing poles to usage!

Last year was a great year for me for those tasty dungies. I crab on a shelf that comes up from 90 to about 35-60 feet horizontally. So you are actually paralleling the shore and it goes shallower, not going away from the shore like usual... Last year I messed around on opening weekend because so many pots were right near where that shelf steeps off. I moved em past all the pots near that drop off and went past em, dropped pots just far enough from the others and found good crabbing all year. A few others put pots out there at times, I don't think I'm the only one that knows...

I saw an Indian crabbing boat out at my spot last year during late summer I believe if my memory serves me correct? I don't know how that dudes boat floated, nor how ugly of a boat you could have and still have it run and float. That thing was trashed. The guy came up to me and asked me if I was going good around here. Uh oh, I saw some commercial pots out there later the next day....

On a side note, make those commercial crabbers go off the coast. They have the boats and equipment for it. Let the sporties fish Puget Sound. I can't take my 12'er very far...:bom:

[Dave]

Good to hear you are on you way home in the morning. Ill bet you are excited to get back home. I was thinking about the area you crab. I'll bet its good all the time there. I'm surprised to hear the tribal crabbers found your spot. They definitely know my spot and it sucks. I just want the season to open at the same time for everyone, not the tribes being allowed to come out a month early. That is big time crap in my opinion!

[A9]

Good to hear you are on you way home in the morning. Ill bet you are excited to get back home. I was thinking about the area you crab. I'll bet its good all the time there. I'm surprised to hear the tribal crabbers found your spot. They definitely know my spot and it sucks. I just want the season to open at the same time for everyone, not the tribes being allowed to come out a month early. That is big time crap in my opinion!

It ain't good all the time there, but it's getting better for some reason, unlike much of the Puget Sound...The Tribes/Commercials find all the spots. I had a few other good spots in 8-2 and they are terrible now....Used to be good enough to do the ring net/pots stuff, way more fun and 30 minute soaks! Now you just get a TON of 4-5 inch males/females...Can't believe how much it fell of the map...

Last 2 years it's been good/decent about 3/4ths of the time. It does take some more work then most spots, especially keeping the sunstars outta the pots and keeping fresh bait in the pots.....Every few odd week/weekends it'll be crappy, usually it happens to be on the worst weekends when company is coming up and expecting fresh seafood...

The only issue I could see popping up with sporties and tribals crabbing at the same time is that it would be a zoo out there...Sporties pissed at the indians, cutting their lines and vice versa....I know there are a lot of guys who have a hateful feeling towards Indians and I wouldn't doubt that some of them would do something stupid...

[kevinb]

Does this mean the e-mails sent may have HELPED in anyway? Bring on the dungies!!!!

[Dave]

I just hope I didn't miss any other postings for tribal seasons. I looked all through the WDFW site so I think that's it for the tribe until the July 2nd opener. I sure hope that is the case. I can't wait.

[A9]

Went cruising in the boat over the weekend in Area 9 and wasn't happy when I went by my crabbing grounds...8 or 9 Indian pots sitting in a line....
Definitely a sore subject, had to give these guys the thumbs down


Hopefully there are some left