Late season Port Angeles crabbing report

After messing around dropping rings off the pier and only catching rock crabs, I wanted to see if any keeper dungies were around in the harbor, so Sat AM I paddled out and dropped pots among the others out there in the harbor straight off the pier.

The two pots were pretty loaded a few hours later, but it was all female dungies and more rock crab except for one jumbo keeper.

Upon checking sat morning, both pots had been opened, (three clips un clipped), but there was still a keeper in one pot.  And just tons more rock crab and female dungies after a couple more hours.

A lot of work for two dungies, but all in all a good time… and two big dungies is still quite a feast.

Weather was delightful, and the sea scouts were out doing their thing on Sunday.

Also had a shrimp flopping around on top of one pot at one point.  It would be fun to catch a load of those…. Anyone figure out kayak-friendly shrimp pots?

The meat from one 7.25” crab.

Eric, if you score some larger rock crabs, those are worth keeping. I caught some monster rockies back in HMB, and they were some good eating crabs.

Walmart here in Alaska carries frozen red rock crab claws and sometimes legs & claws in their frozen seafood case. Haven't tried them as their price is as high as dungies. After 32 years of closed dungeness crabbing for personal and commercial fishers on the Kenai Peninsula they still have not recovered enough for even a minimal open harvest season.   I am jealous of WA and OR who still have dungeness fisheries that are sustaining themselves.

It looks like a disaster has occurred in our North Pacific/Bering Sea king crab and snow crab fisheries. F&G has severely reduced harvest levels these past two years. Might not even open at all this winter. King crab going for $45-60/lb up here now in store and $99/lb for online ordering.

Eric, if you score some larger rock crabs, those are worth keeping. I caught some monster rockies back in HMB, and they were some good eating crabs.

Thanks, yea the reds are good eating, but I kind of feel bad harvesting reds just for the claws and legs when dungies are SO much meatier, and sweeter, too.m

Looking forward to winter season!

Here’s a nice red I caught by hand in the shallows.

Hi guys,
Nice to see some NorCal (and Alaska) kayakers up here that go after Dungies on kayaks.
My local buddies think I’m nuts and think “it’s a California thing” as they shake their heads.

I’m an old NorCal kayaker that only has used a kayak for crab up here.
I go out several times a week mainly solo.

My honey hole booms at the beginning of the season and then at the end the pots are full of females and shorts mostly.

They said they would make an announcement about winter season by the end of this month.
I am ready.