Friday 4/10 northern coastal plan "B".

If the weather and seas out of PC are not cooperative on Friday, my back up plan "B" is to venture into the Sand Lake Estuary and hunt for flounder, and scope the area out in prep for a night crabbing trip on a later date.

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=sand+lake+oregon&sll=37.09024,-112.412109&sspn=33.160552,90&ie=UTF8&ll=45.279235,-123.957152&spn=0.013649,0.043945&t=h&z=15

Instead of driving 101 yesterday, I decided to follow the beach route between PC and Tillamook. There were a number of people fishing on and near the Whalen Island bridge. I asked them what they were after and they said crab. I never would have thought you could catch them that way.  It is a beautiful area to paddle through. I imagine it would be subject to the coastal winds however.

Jay

They were probably using crab snares.

http://www.terrybullard.com/crab_snares.html

That area is an awesome paddle!  Lots to see are far as wildlife and the fishing and crabbing can be great too.

I read somewhere that there are Purple Varnish clams, and a small population of Cockles in that area as well.  May have to "dig" into that sometime. 

However, I met a guy one morning getting his gear together to go out at low tide to pump shrimp.  Then go back out when the water returned to hammer on flounder with said shrimp.   He came by my camp in the Sandbeach campground and showed me his catch.  He did pretty good.   

I've also heard of crab being in the estuary, so a night paddle sounds in order.  Just paddle over them with a head lamp on, and scoop them up with a dip net, rake or some other similar device.