Thanksgiving wknd crabs/clams Hammond/Chinook

Spinner · 11-23-2003, 10:17 AM

I am planning on doing some crabbing this coming weekend on the Columbia out of Hammond or Chinook. We will be staying in Ilwaco but it looks like Washington has the Columbia closed to crabbing until December 1st...is this right? I thought WA and OR co-managed the Columbia?

I hear guys talk of buoy 20...how far is that out of Hammond? I have a 16' Lund and don't want to run too far in case the weather kicks up.

Any help is much appreciated.

Thursday night also looks like a good clam digging night...what beach is best close to Hammond?

5-Cents · 11-23-2003, 10:49 AM

Head out of Hammond, take a left toward the bar, stick to the OR side, around the first little spit you will see a large bay, go toward the west end (you will see a lot of pots out), drop down your traps, pull up tons of crab and start boiling the water!

WishinIwasfishin · 11-23-2003, 01:35 PM

5- cents, Do the seals mess with the traps if you use old salmon carcasses?

Jimmy Carl Black · 11-23-2003, 02:45 PM

Wishin-

I wouldn't count on fish carcasses anywhere. Never crabbed Hammond but chicken/mink seems to work everywhere so I always have some for backup baits if the seals are hungry.

5cents-

you seem to know the area pretty well, does anyone rent crabbing boats in Hammond? Sounds like its pretty good there and I am boatless (and crabless) at the time.

roadsend · 11-23-2003, 04:13 PM

Commercial pots go in to soak Friday morning 0800. If this happens, forget CR crabbing the rest of the season.

greenbuttskunk · 11-24-2003, 08:00 AM

crab tressle bay. Head out of hammond, turn left and proceed down river on the oregon side about 3/4 of a mile. Start about where the old pilings head out perpendicular from shore. drops pots in depths of 20-32' 26-30 being optimal. middle of flood tide make sure you have plenty of rope, 2 bouys or just crab in 24-26 feet. I'd try around bouy 22 (first red can), and on down to the sand spit just down river of it. Use shad if you can.
Take care to pull pots as quick and vertical as possible if using baskets or slip ring pots.
If you spot the seals, try to move away from them a bit. I do well when I try to avoid putting a pot
just downriver of another pot on the flood tide.
The scent is take upstream and if you have some untrapped open water in the direction of the scent trail, you'll do better. Just something I've personally learned.
There are still many keeper sized crab there, and some real hogs to.
Enjoy and good luck!
GBS

Tilla · 11-26-2003, 05:47 PM

First pass this AM with outgoing tide still in progress produced 28 legals, 8 pots, 30 minute wait. Just downstream of Hammond.

Went home with limits as people were still headed for the water.

FSH4EVR · 11-27-2003, 08:21 AM

If your staying in Ilwaco you may as well crab there. As soon as you come out of the channel markers at the entrance, the Island on your left is considered Oregon and open for crab pots. Try about 25 ft of water. 16 ft may not be enough boat if the wind is up though.

porter · 11-28-2003, 10:49 PM

Spinner, I'm from WA. I don't think anyone answered your first question. It looks like we can't drop a pot until Dec 1. From reading the posts it sounds like OR has diferent rules. How would I do this legaly. Purchase an OR license or do I just need to launch on the OR side. I was going to go tomorrow. Don't know if I will or not now. Please let me know how this all works.