Crabbing in Yaquina bay

[Phish_on]

There's a public boat ramp right by the Rogue Brewery ... I think it's a $5 fee ... try crabbing by the Big Green Tank or just across from there, where you see a hundred other crab pots. Should be pretty good unless there's a flood on the way!

[Pilar]

Hey Grits. Now thats a righteous name! I've heard it stands for Girls Raised In The South. We all know how much fun they can be!

Watch out for the Sea Lions in Yaquina Bay. They will raid your crab pots and steal your bait. You can get Mink and Nutria carcasses at the South Beach Marina store by the boat ramp. Sea Lions will not touch these and the crabs love em.

Fish only the incoming tide from low slack to high slack. The slack tides are the peak times. Don't get disgusted and leave before high slack. I get most of my really nice crabs on the last pull right before the tide runs out again.

After you make a few trips to learn the ropes, try it at night. The bay is surrounded by street lights and you can see good at night. GPS your crab bouys or use Chem Glo lightsticks. The Sea Lions won't be so bad at night and the crabbin is awesome!

I usually fish in the deep water (40 - 50 ' deep) 100 ft off the Hatfield marine science docks. If you see flat sand on the sonar, that's the spot. Avoid the rocky areas or all you'll get is (go figure) Red Rock crabs.

The other good spot is on the sand bar across from the Coast Guard boat shed. This is very close to where the Sea Lions lay up on docks at the Embarcadero so don't hover near your pots, they will swim out and raid you! Good luck and be careful about crab pot ropes in the motor, use a boat hook.

The bend is your friend!

[Bait O' Eggs]

I totally agree with Pilar about night crabbing. You get the bay to yourself, good parking, no lines at the boat ramp, and the sounds are really cool on the bay at night (all a priceless experience).

I paint my crab pot floats with flouresent paint the day before I go night crabbing. The paint doesnt stay long on the floats. I can get a couple trips before the paint comes off. But when a spotlight hits the floats at night you can see them for 1/4 mile.

Another great night experience is crabbing in Netarts bay at night with no boat. Netarts is a very shallow bay. December usually has good minus tides in the late evening. It needs to be dark for this. While trying to hold a gas lantern, clam rake (to pick up the crabs), crab measure, and a gunny sack you walk along the channels edge picking up crabs. I had an innertube rigged up with a bottom I could haul stuff around the bay with. Chest height waders are needed for this. Work your way up the bay, because you will see crabs moving ahead of you. It doesnt take long to catch up with them. If it has rained or is windy the bay will be muddy and hard to see. But there can be some nice calm nights with a clear sky for this, expecially since it wont rain this year.

I use to look forward to night crabbing Netarts with several other people when I still lived in Tillamook. I never had the bay to myself when doing this, it isnt that big of a secret.

[Grits]

Thanks for the info. I had never thought of crabbing at night but now that you bring it up I guess it would be as good of time as any. In the past I have found that turkey legs with a can of tuna with a few holes punched in it works and doesn't seem to get robbed by the sea lions.

[Grits]

I am interested in doing some crabbing in Yaquina bay. I have heard that it is an easy bay to run around in. Does anyone out there have some info on where to launch and which way to head?