[env-trinity] Red Bluff Daily News

[Byron Leydecker]

Popular dungeness crab sport fishery to open statewide

Red Bluff Daily News-11/3/10

 

The much anticipated annual Dungeness crab sport fishery opens statewide on
Nov. 6, according to the California Department of Fish and Game.

 

Every November in northern and central California, the season opener
triggers recreational crab fishing enthusiasts to set out in pursuit of
these tasty crustaceans.

 

Some set hoop nets and crab traps from boats and piers while others fish
crab loop traps on the end of a fishing rod. Still others will dive in the
cold waters to take the crabs by hand.

 

The daily bag limit is 10 Dungeness crabs per person, except when fishing
from a commercial passenger fishing vessel (or party boat ) south of
Mendocino County, in which case the limit is six. Dungeness crab may not be
taken within San Francisco or San Pablo bays, which are important crab
nursery areas.

 

A legal-sized crab must be five and three-quarter inches measured by the
shortest distance through the body from edge of shell to edge of shell
directly in front of a excluding the points (lateral spines).

 

Crabs taken from party boats must measure six inches minimum distance. 

 

In California, the Dungeness crab range is from the California- Oregon
border southward to Santa Barbara, although they are uncommon south of Point
Conception. 

 

Dungeness crabs prefer sandy or sand-mud bottom, but may be found in almost
any sea floor habitat. They range from the intertidal zone to a depth of at
least 750 ft., but are not abundant beyond 300 ft.

 

 

Byron Leydecker, JcT

Chair, Friends of Trinity River

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 land

415 519 4810 mobile

 <mailto:bwl3 at comcast.net> bwl3 at comcast.net

 <mailto:bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org> bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org
(secondary)

 <http://fotr.org/> http://www.fotr.org 

 

 

 

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