Klondike Kid:
Its only been a couple of years since the reopening of the personal use/sport Tanner Crab fishery in Cook Inlet, Kachemak Bay and Resurrection Bay. Unfortunately when the regulations were written for this shellfish fishery they forgot to include the use of ring nets or hoop nets as legal gear for the taking of these crab. All other regs for Alaska crab fishing allows the ring nets.
In the last Board of Fish cycle I submitted a proposal to get the use of ring nets added to the regulations. And the proposal was adopted. So kayakers can now use two ring nets for Tanner crab fishing in KBay and Cook Inlet which are far easier to handle and transport than a normal crab pot.
More good news is the recent trawler survey showed even more abundance of Tanner crab in the area than expected so the limits have been increased to 5 males 4.5" or larger (it was 3) per day AND two pots or ring nets per vessel (it was one).
You can get your sport/personal use tanner crab fishery permit online at the ADFG Store for free. Note the CLOSURE period in January for the KBay area.
One more note to pass on to Alaskans who use these permits. The following is an excerpt from the Application form to get your tanner crab permit. Note that IF you don't comply with submitting your harvest report by the official date, you WILL LOSE your privileges for getting a permit the next year. ADFG means business. A friend of mine was informed he was not eligible for a permit this year because his submission of his harvest info did not arrive at the office. So they banned him and there was no appeal.