A new study just completed by the Northwest Straits Foundation found that some crab pots are better than others in allowing crabs to escape if the pots are lost. The ubiquitous Danielson square pot does a good job, but the pots with top opening escape panels that require crabs to push their way out don’t work well. Making those top opening escape hatches spring loaded by attached a bungee cord helps make them more effective. Read the study fact sheet or full report at www.derelictgear.org.

WOW that's great.

Is bait still allowed or is it artificial only now days.

That study has previously been referred to a couple of times here.

While Ms. Drinkwin suggests utilizing a bungee cord on the top opening escape panels discussion during their presentation of the study in Mukilteo was that that "fix" does require ongoing replacement as the bungee loses elasticity over time and exposure.

Even with the top opening operating properly those pots with a lip extending out from the side of the pot to the opening were less "successful" in allowing crab to escape than the top opening design without a lip.

Another tidbit is that the "ubiquitous Danielson square pot" also allowed the fewest numbers of successful escapes under normal operating conditions of the pots tested.

One thing that may be easy to address is that narrower diameter rot cord would allow for earlier activation of the escape mechanism on lost pots.

While the study appeared to have a good design the fact sheet also included an assertion of 12,000 pots lost per year. Not so sure that the study establishing that number has been peer reviewed.

I find the traditional Danileson pots, if left any significant time after bait is gone, are generally empty, despite the fact that the escape mechanism is not yet active. I suspect they eventually, perhaps accidently, are able to open the doors and get out. I've mined many of these square pots with downriggers or fishing gear over the years while dredging the bottom for blackmouth, and have never seen a crab in one.

Like Chip said, if the doors on the Danielson pots aren't weighted the crab simply leave when the bait is gone. In most instances there are currents strong enough to blow those flimsy doors open if not weighted.

I think they leave the Danielson traps even if the doors are weighted.

I think crab can get out of any pot once they conclude there isn't anything left to eat. The study showed that crab were less successful in escaping the Danielson pots but the pots being tested were in tanks not subject to current flows.

Of course, the best way to minimize escapes is to ensure that there is always bait in the pot which is why I went to the smaller mesh bait containers.

Watching the Go-Pro-in-a-crab-pot videos on YouTube was instructional. The crabs generally head to the interior perimeter of the pot and start trying to get out. When they hit an obstacle, they go the other way and I think that must be why many pots have tunnels- makes it harder for a crab to get out but easier to get in.

So in summary, what pot catches and holds crab the best? I have the Danielson, have 2 stainless ramped two door, and a big 4 door ramped. Even have a commercial pot which is a pain in the ass. None of them in my experience out fishes the other consistently? They all have their day. So I'm at the point of buying the cheap Dan. Weight the pot and doors custom and go. Any thoughts?

Sure makes it easier to replace them after they're stolen. Went over 30 yrs without loosing pots fishing dozens of times a season. Had two sets of pots stolen in the past 3 yrs. Add$ up if you're into it a couple hundred a setup. I modify the Danielsons now so the doors don't stick, wrap some pencil lead on the doors, bait cage, 100' of leaded line, oversize float with trailing net float. Works great and into it less than $50 a setup.

I crab right in front of my place and still use the Danielsons for the same reasons as OceanSun. They are cheap, effective and easy to handle hand pulling into a skiff.

I do weight the pots, use 125-150 feet of leaded line with a primary red/white float then a float/staff with customized flagging. The staff and customized flagging combo lets me easily keep track of my pots from shore and so far none lost/stolen - absolutely no excuse for someone to "accidentally" be pulling the wrong pot.

So far I have not been weighting the doors but have been bending the protruding wires at the bottom of the doors inward to prevent them from sticking into the bottom effectively locking the doors closed.

I think a key is to make sure that there is plenty of good bait and use a bait container that prevents crab from quickly eating it all. Bait gone? Crab want to get away either to find food or not become food. I use the wire bait boxes that are wider at the open end. They come in two mesh sizes and I use the smaller mesh and zip tie the box to the bottom/center of the pot with the opening facing the panel I plan on using - then wire or zip tie the other panels to firm up the pot structure.

TO WHOM IT MY CONCERN:
I may have "stolen" your crab Pot... If you are the genius that attached 100 yrds of floating Poly line to to your Crab Pot. Im the one who ran over it and got tangled in my Main Prop and wrapped around my new Yamaha T9. When it did get tangled, it managed to bend the F**** out of my EZ Steer Rod and Break off the the Bracket to the outdrive. Which then resulted in chewing the F**** out of the edges of my Prop. almost $300.0 damage to my boat... After all of that, I got to strip down to my underwear and jump in with a fillet knife to cut it all loose.... So thanks a****** for your inconsideration and Illegal gear BTW.... Im over it now, and I still have your pot. Bring $300.00 and you can have it back

Danielsons for me. I've incorporated most of the ideas mentioned above.

Sickpup - sorry to hear of your problem. I've found that a serrated knife blade or a hacksaw blade works much better than a straight/fine blade for cutting through "poly" line or mono that is wrapped tight.

BB - You must have a secret or two for the masses!

The key to a long soak is bait. Once the bait is gone there's a way out. I recently (winter) had an 8 day soak that normally would have had zero (bait is done) that had 8 crab all over 7.25. One at 8". The bait was one of our chickens that an eagle killed but we chased off. Whole chicken feathers guts and all. It brought and kept them interested for 8 days. With that said I have pots with identical openings that fish different. I think electrical charge has a lot to do with that. I have several pots I don't fish because they ALWAYS have mostly females. I used the 360 degree opening type up in Alaska with good success.

Please elaborate? Electrical charge? I think when you mention 360 degree openings your talking 4 openings in the circle. At that point your talking a big pot, other than the Danielson, commercial? Pain in the ass size? Kinda big for most P.S sportese. You make a good point on bait, that keeping it fresh and abundant produces. Another point to make is that Dungeness crab has been found out world wide for it's rich and delicate flavor. IMO even better than King crab. The $$$ motive could be the demise of our great P.S. resource if not kept in check. East Asian markets bode well for the commercials, but when supplies get thin, conservation has to prevail. Don't want to return to the days when everything was closed because it got fished out!

The 360 degree pot is literally a continuous opening. Yes electrical conductivity plays a role I believe