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Ilwaco Crabbing

5K views 3 replies 3 participants last post by  SHJunky 
#1 ·
Thinking about making the drive down on the 21st for a few days, how has the crabbing been.
Thanks
Pete
 
#2 ·
Pete!

Don't know how the crabbing has been, don't get out to Ilwaco much since moving to South Carolina, but I do know this.....

If you head across (from Ilwaco) towards the Hammond boat ramp and go west towards the "backwater" area inside the south jetty (and follow me now) imagine a straight line that the water would flow outward under a heavy ebb tide between the backwater area and the jetty area. Lay your pots along this line, incoming water to high flood and you'll knock 'em dead. Two more things: use chicken for bait (cheap stuff, think Winco) and only have ONE door on the cage working (wire the other ones shut). The cage modification goes like this....

Only big crabs will circle a cage looking for an entrance to get at the bait. I hear the sighs now, and I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't done it myself many, many times but it works. I got that little advice from a commercial crab guy and thought he was pulling my leg until I went out with him and saw it first hand. As back up a friend of mine owns a machine shop in Oysterville where he builds professional crab pots, all of them only have one door.

Again, strange but true. One door = bigger crab and less lost bait to undersized crab. Leave it to a fisherman to figure out that one.

So when are you going to tow the boat down to South Carolina so we can head out here where it's WARM!!! And what's up with the new location: Kingston? was there a sale on beer that I was unaware of, or did you lose a bet?

You know the girls in South Carolina wear bikinis when they fish, not Grundens!

All the best,
-John
 
#3 ·
Pete!

Don't know how the crabbing has been, don't get out to Ilwaco much since moving to South Carolina, but I do know this.....

If you head across (from Ilwaco) towards the Hammond boat ramp and go west towards the "backwater" area inside the south jetty (and follow me now) imagine a straight line that the water would flow outward under a heavy ebb tide between the backwater area and the jetty area. Lay your pots along this line, incoming water to high flood and you'll knock 'em dead. Two more things: use chicken for bait (cheap stuff, think Winco) and only have ONE door on the cage working (wire the other ones shut). The cage modification goes like this....

Only big crabs will circle a cage looking for an entrance to get at the bait. I hear the sighs now, and I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't done it myself many, many times but it works. I got that little advice from a commercial crab guy and thought he was pulling my leg until I went out with him and saw it first hand. As back up a friend of mine owns a machine shop in Oysterville where he builds professional crab pots, all of them only have one door.

Again, strange but true. One door = bigger crab and less lost bait to undersized crab. Leave it to a fisherman to figure out that one.

So when are you going to tow the boat down to South Carolina so we can head out here where it's WARM!!! And what's up with the new location: Kingston? was there a sale on beer that I was unaware of, or did you lose a bet?

You know the girls in South Carolina wear bikinis when they fish, not Grundens!

All the best,
-John
Hey John,
Nice to hear from you. So how is life in South Carolina??? I took a job with the Government at Bangor Sub base on the Kitsap Peninsula. I will have you know
I repowered the boat went with a new 250 Yamaha f/s and man is it nice. I made a trip this summer 243 miles and burned 80 gallons of fuel. I plan on taking a full seven days next year at Newport for Tuna / Halibut if you are interested sometime
Late July early August.
Hope all goes well with you and your wife.
Tight lines
Pete
 
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