Crab Pot Crowding

Was out in the South Jetty of the Slaw today and someone came and set their pots about 30’ from mine.  Curious as to at what distance other crabbers feel infringed upon.  Am I being too territorial by thinking this was rude?

Was out in the South Jetty of the Slaw today and someone came and set their pots about 30’ from mine.  Curious as to at what distance other crabbers feel infringed upon.  Am I being too territorial by thinking this was rude?

Nobody owns the ocean. When I commercial crabbed we'd have strings 100 pots long running parrallel with each other, crossing each other - all sorts of things. If your gear was down first you're more than likely going to catch all the crab in the immediate area anyways, just laugh at them for being dumb and hope they didn't run your gear.

Second what workhard said.  No hard rules out there.  Crab don't travel for miles just to get to your pot.  If you are first down in an area and have good scent, chances are you got the good ones right away, particularly at slack tide.  I've had some combat crabbing days at Newport, not so much at Netarts.   When I crabbed out of Everett in Puget Sound, certainly had some tense moments but just have to work it out.

A slightly related subject. How do you feel about scuba divers that do figure 8's around your gear and scoop all the crab that were headed into your pots?

A slightly related subject. How do you feel about scuba divers that do figure 8's around your gear and scoop all the crab that were headed into your pots?

How do you know that they are not pulling them out of your pot for that matter.  In one word - grrrrrrrrrrr

A slightly related subject. How do you feel about scuba divers that do figure 8's around your gear and scoop all the crab that were headed into your pots?

How do you know that they are not pulling them out of your pot for that matter.  In one word - grrrrrrrrrrr

I can tell by their bubbles that they aren't directly on top of my pots. I use zip ties if they will be out of sight while fishing, or brass snaps on tuna cord (that I doubt they would take the time or effort to reattach in the same manner) if I'm near by. While technically they aren't doing anything illegal, it is shitty. The crab they are harvesting are there because my bait is there. The divers are there because my bait is there. It's happened to me at least a half dozen times.

As a diver myself, I think it's a real asshole move & it pisses me off.

A slightly related subject. How do you feel about scuba divers that do figure 8's around your gear and scoop all the crab that were headed into your pots?

How do you know that they are not pulling them out of your pot for that matter.  In one word - grrrrrrrrrrr

I can tell by their bubbles that they aren't directly on top of my pots. I use zip ties if they will be out of sight while fishing, or brass snaps on tuna cord (that I doubt they would take the time or effort to reattach in the same manner) if I'm near by. While technically they aren't doing anything illegal, it is shitty. The crab they are harvesting are there because my bait is there. The divers are there because my bait is there. It's happened to me at least a half dozen times.

A slightly related subject. How do you feel about scuba divers that do figure 8's around your gear and scoop all the crab that were headed into your pots?

How do you know that they are not pulling them out of your pot for that matter.  In one word - grrrrrrrrrrr

I can tell by their bubbles that they aren't directly on top of my pots. I use zip ties if they will be out of sight while fishing, or brass snaps on tuna cord (that I doubt they would take the time or effort to reattach in the same manner) if I'm near by. While technically they aren't doing anything illegal, it is shitty. The crab they are harvesting are there because my bait is there. The divers are there because my bait is there. It's happened to me at least a half dozen times.

Makes sense.  Definitely shitty.

After years and years of dock, boat, and kayak based crabbing with bait, with or without crowds or divers, I've gotten completely burned out dealing with all of that nonsense.

So, over the past 10 years I figured out a technique that completely eliminated all of those issues, but I keep this technique off the internet.