Big Water Crabbing

(Originally written for 11-2-2016 newsletter)

Now that the salmon door is padlocked it’s time to look elsewhere for our ocean fare. That would be on the bottom where dungeness crab and various species of rockfish roam. Starting Saturday is the opening of crab season with prime time being the first couple weeks.

Crabs have been given a clean bill of health and will hopefully be plentiful given a shortened 2015-2016 endeavor. The Argo will be doing crab/rockfish combos getting in a few hours of bottom fishing while the traps fill up. This will continue until the rockfish close December 31, or the ocean tells us it’s time to shut it down.

An alternative to big water, or when the weather kicks up, is the swell free waters of San Pablo Bay. Generally, by December the Argo is spending at least some time on the anchor waiting for striped bass and sturgeon to bite.

This has been a very productive venture when conditions line up as they have past few years. Moving water is key so being a little flexible on your days can help put you in the sweet spot. Expect lots of bass bites of varying sizes, and with a good push of freshwater there should be some sturgeon joining the party.

The first two weekends of crab season are already filled, with November 20 being the first open weekend. There is plenty of room most weekdays.

Looking ahead, there is a sturgeon/bass trip planned with premium tides on December 11. There’s currently room for four, but it will fill up.