Any reports from 9, 10, or 12? Rough weekend to be out for the opener in the remainder of 9 and area 10. Heard some of tribes have been out. Been tough past years and wondering if I should even bother to dirty the boat up. Thanks.

If summer crab was any indication there should be some around.

That being said I think last season was the best winter crabbing I have seen in my life....

Not sure if the tribes have been crabbing but the NT commercials were turned loose on 1 October in 2W (MA 9) and in 2E (8-1 and 8-2) and were shut down before the winter rec season opened 15 Oct.

Seriously begs the question of how WDFW can process the summer rec cards and determine that there is enough residual poundage in the State's share to have a full winter fishery AND still have sufficient poundage for a NT fishery so as to turn the commercials loose 1 Oct while keeping us on the beach until 15 Oct?

Opinion - In 2W and 2E there should now be sufficient history to conclude that there does not need to be a closure during Sept to determine if there is adequate poundage for a full winter rec fishery. Close the summer season then immediately open the winter rec in those two areas (at least) so that we do not miss the reasonably good September weather.

They just want you to buy another tag, for winter,

It's free if you had a summer catch card

Thanks for the info LB. I should know better to check the WDFW site for that. Curious that NT Commercials got a chance before us? Especially with the little rec participation that occurs in the winter. Not knowing the Biology of crab,couldn't they wait until after the first of the year to get their share? I'm going to try to get out So. of the NT Commercial 2W line in the next couple weeks. I'll post a report. Thanks.

But if you have one issued to you remember to send it in before the end of January or they will ding you an additional $10 in 2017 for being a bad boy.

It is more than curious!

When the current crab mgmt policy was being developed and later during its public review/comment period the intent particularly in 2E and 2W (where there has traditionally been both recreational and NT commercial in waters close to population centers) was to have first a summer rec season and then a full winter rec season but only if there was ample poundage available from the State's share. Any NT commercial fishery was to occur only if there was both a rec summer and (estimated poundage) full rec winter season leaving sufficient poundage out of the State's share. As I wrote before, it begs lucidity for WDFW to open the NT commercial season over two weeks before the winter rec season. The fact that the NT commercials were cut off before the rec winter season began is indicative that they hit it fast and hard!

So maybe if the winter rec season is not highly productive through December the WDFW will extend that season until the estimated rec harvest is ultimately achieved. To cut us off before that estimated poundage is achieved would be (another) travesty of mismanagement!

Keep your eye on the ball!!

I think you are missing the point Larry. By allowing the commercial harvest first, it just allows us to have a longer season and more opportunity. We should be thanking the department for allowing the recs more time on the water. If they go so far as to extend the season due to a lack of harvest, it will go even further in showing how much they care and how response they can be.

Hmmm, do I detect a tad bit of sarcasm????

Edit: For further consideration: If the NT commercials' harvested poundage exceeded the calculated allowable quota (that is, State share minus summer rec minus estimated winter rec) what will the Shellfish manager do to have total State harvest stay within its half of the agreed upon total poundage? Shorten the winter rec season or let it play out and if it runs over get together with the tribes and move the target thereby allowing equity?

By the way, where I previously may have used the word "opportunity" I now say "meaningful opportunity."

Recreational fisheries are about opportunity, not harvest. Time and again, surveys say that recs value most time on the water with friends, the outdoor experience, etc. with actual catch being well down on the list of values.

So, the ideal fishery to the manager (based on what we tell them) is 365 days on the water and no catch.

I could probably re-word their survey questions and end up with a set of responses which would include some reasonable anticipation of harvest as a measure of value. I also believe that the Director received feed-back to that effect during last year's open meetings - at least the one I attended.

I realize I am preaching to the choir here but a reality check would be to ask how many folks would go out all day trolling around with no hook on their lure because the season was closed? If that is "opportunity" for that manager then why were the parking lots empty in September? Guess those stakeholders modified their survey responses by voting to not participate in a hookless endeavor.

Anyone else remember when the then Dept. of Fish & Game had a season for mountain goats in units on the east side of the Olympics where there were absolutely no goats and they knew it? That went on for several years with drawings for tags, etc., before someone blew the whistle putting an end to meaningless opportunity.

It won't be long and you'll need a breath of fresh air license to go outside, a wildlife viewing permit to look out a window and a catch record card and game tag to harvest meat at the grocery store....

Crabbed area 10 yesterday. Beautiful day and eve on the water. Not many pots out for such a nice day. Found 14 keepers. Not hot but at least some. Commercials must have got their share.

Back in the 80s there were the closures in PS to Chinook harvest because of allocation imbalances. It was still open to C&R and certainly open for coho but to the vast majority it was "closed".

WDF should have recognized, but didn't, that there is a large cadre of people who want to actually catch a fish and quite a few who want to take one home.

But, time and again, all we hear is "opportunity".

Belllingham Bay sucked yesterday. Lots and lots of commercial pots and we ended up with four small crab for all the effort. Should have stayed home and mowed the lawn instead.

Just an FYI but I was told by a WDFW employee that the most recent several years of NT commercial crabbing in 2E and 2W ran into February and that their harvest after the initial couple of weeks was on crab which had molted and hardened up enough to harvest. So how is that pertinent to the quality of opportunity (as in meaningful opportunity)??

Had they not been harvested by NT commercials up to and into February they would have been available for (first) the tribes and then recreational crabbers come July. So given the fact that the NT season is closed in 2W probably for the rest of the season no further harm. But in 2E there is something like 181,000 pounds out of the State's share after taking out the rec summer harvest, two weeks of NT commercial harvest (currently closed), and the projected rec winter harvest. Will the so called shellfish manager let those crab go or will they (1) extend the rec winter season or (2) put the NT commercials back on the water?

With that excess on the table one has to suggest that we don't need a September closure (6 weeks this year) for WDFW to determine if there is adequate poundage available to start a winter rec season.

Hello Commissioners! Are you there? Adaptive management with emphasis on recs in those areas.

On our way in last night a purse seine boat was ahead of us in the locks. The wives talked with a nice gal on board and she said they were fishing for chum. I asked if any coho in the catch, she said some, and get $2 a lb. for them. I neglected to ask if they were tribal or not, but all appeared to be caucasian. Checked the WDFW commercial site and it appears they have been fishing off and on for a while now. Interesting that the site says all Chinook and Coho must be released using recovery boxes. Feel sorry for any "B" run coho crushed at the bottom of those nets.

Stopped by Everett ramp Saturday and noon rugged Justice boys we're working hard good on them pulled 2 undersized crab from one boat and then check the second boat. Dead Calm beautiful day at high tide obviously crab coming in.