Camping and Crabbing

SWMBO decided we were going camping this past weekend.  Cool!  Loaded up the yak and crab pots and we headed to the Thousand Trails campground in La Connor on Friday night. 

Saturday morning I got up early and headed out with some fish carcs as bait.  Dropped one pot in about 80' a bit west of the fish pens.  Pot hit bottom, then as I was getting ready to move to another spot for the second pot I heard this sucking sound, and turned to watch my bouy go under.         

Went to the second spot I wanted to try out.  It's a little cove on the north side of Hope Is.  Dropped that pot in 35' or so.  Then went back to camp.  Got back just as the toddler was waking up.

Around 9-10AM we figured on taking the kids out to the beach.  While out there I looked, somewhat despondently, at the area where I'd dropped that first pot.  Then I though I saw something that looked like it might be my bouys out around the area I'd dropped it.  It was a minus tide that would be at it's lowest around 11:15.  I ran back to camp, got the yak ready and went back to the beach.  Launched from there and paddled on out to see if it was just my imagination playing cruel tricks on me.  Had to fight the currents a bit, but ground my way out there fairly quickly.  As I got closer I was pretty sure it was my "lost" pot.  Sure enough, it was my name on it!   

Hauled it up and there were several crabs in it, but only 1 keeper size dungie.  Set that pot on the back of my yak and figured I might as well check the other pot while I'm out there.  Resplashed the recovered pot about 50 yards from the second pot, then pulled the second pot.  One more keeper dungie, plus 5 red rock crabs. 

By the time I was done sorting the crabs in that pot I'd been pulled into the current ripping off each side of Hope Is.  Tried to get back to that cove to reset but the current was just too strong so I turned and headed back to the beach.  Showed the crabs to the kids, then got the cart secured and pulled the yak back up to the truck. 

Lunch was good!

I dropped the pots again last night after a run home for more bait.  I'm at work, and will pull the pots tonight then help SWMBO clean up camp so we can go home.