# Ever thought about Crabbing for dungeness crabs in BC?



## trevorhoang (Oct 13, 2010)

I discovered the crabbing hobby last year and decided to make my new love of crabbing into a blogging journey. I plan on talking about the gear I use and blog about every time I go dungeness crab fishing.

If you have time, check it out. 
Mr. Dungeness Crabber


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## scott tang (Jan 29, 2012)

me and my grama have been caching and eating since i was 5 we go down to point roberts and chach em by hand


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## tony1928 (Apr 22, 2010)

Yeah if you have a boat crabbing is more or less just collecting crab. It's awesome eating. 

Sent from my gigantic Samsung Note 2


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## trevorhoang (Oct 13, 2010)

Caught my first red rock crab a few days ago. was quite exciting to see a different crab in the cage.


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## Grimas64 (Sep 28, 2012)

I love crabbing. I had a dock to my self in Sechelt until someone saw me catch my keep in 10 mins.(I said this dock sucked for crab)


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## MEDHBSI (Sep 4, 2011)

I usually go crabbing in port moody  so close to home :bigsmile:


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## tony1928 (Apr 22, 2010)

Yeah my friend has a place in Point Roberts and we probably pulled almost 20 large crab out of 2 traps after soaking for 4 hours. It's so awesome. 

Sent from my gigantic Samsung Note 2


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## trevorhoang (Oct 13, 2010)

tony1928 said:


> Yeah if you have a boat crabbing is more or less just collecting crab. It's awesome eating.
> 
> Sent from my gigantic Samsung Note 2


I love eating crabs too but with this hobby, I ate my fair share and now i enjoy taking friends out and having a fun time on the waters rather than eating the crabs.


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## TigerOscar (Sep 10, 2012)

MEDHBSI said:


> I usually go crabbing in port moody  so close to home :bigsmile:


Care to share the location? or should I say "spot"


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## spit.fire (Jan 3, 2011)

I used to snorkel for crab off Hornsby island, got a few scars from when my bag broke and tried to get them to the surface by carrying them


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## theinnkeeper (Sep 12, 2011)

I've caught over 2000 lbs in a day before.


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## Hollyhawk (Mar 28, 2011)

I grew up in White Rock. When I was a kid there were so many we would go down and grab them up by hand. My bestie back then lived on Marine Drive. We had crab for lunch almost every day in the summer. Man I miss those days! mmmmmm crab

Maybe the next time you go get a big haul you could invite the BCA Members for a feast


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## trevorhoang (Oct 13, 2010)

Hollyhawk said:


> I grew up in White Rock. When I was a kid there were so many we would go down and grab them up by hand. My bestie back then lived on Marine Drive. We had crab for lunch almost every day in the summer. Man I miss those days! mmmmmm crab
> 
> Maybe the next time you go get a big haul you could invite the BCA Members for a feast


I do catch quite a lot but the limit to bring home is only 4 legal size per person with a license. i generally go for the enjoyment now.

I had a bbq at the beach once. There was about 20 of us and i catch as many as I want and everyone savagely feasted on them crabs. The rule only states how many you can bring home but it doesnt say anything about eating the crabs there =)


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## nigerian prince (Mar 8, 2013)

i believe the fishing laws/limits are to curb commercial sale, picking up a few for you and your friends are always nice, point roberts is a great place to catch em/


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## Foxtail (Mar 14, 2012)

Be careful, my buddy got pinched with 4 extra crab between 5 guys because one guys licence had expired... Its like $1500 a crab fine. He had to fight it in court. It got thrown out but it was a big hassle. 

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2


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## Grimas64 (Sep 28, 2012)

4 a day limit of males from both types. I think its 8 possession of each at home.


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## trevorhoang (Oct 13, 2010)

Foxtail said:


> Be careful, my buddy got pinched with 4 extra crab between 5 guys because one guys licence had expired... Its like $1500 a crab fine. He had to fight it in court. It got thrown out but it was a big hassle.
> 
> Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2


I read the law that was posted at the pier. It says:

with a license, you are allowed to bring home 4 legal size (6inch).
you are also allowed to boil 8 crabs in a pot at once. 
you must throw back the female once you catch it.
you must also throw back the undersized male when you catch it.

It doesnt state how many 'legal' size crab you can have at your picnic area . All it says is you can only have 8 crabs in your boiling pot at one time. So that tells me that I can have a crab fiesta at the beach as long as there is always a maximum of 8 crabs in my pot at one time.

Went crabbing again today. Caught quite a bit but i threw a lot back. Took only 2 home for family since I didnt feel like eating em.


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## SeaHorse_Fanatic (Apr 22, 2010)

As long as you have enough people there with valid licenses then you should have no worries. If you are going over 4/person with licenses, I don't think your argument will get you out of a ticket from the DFO officer. By your logic, that means as long as you only have 8 in the pot and cook 100 crabs for everyone, but only a few people have licenses, then you are ok. I don't think that is how these rules will be interpreted by the DFO enforcement officers or anyone else with the power to write you a ticket. 8 in a pot, cook, eat, 8 more in the pot, cook, eat, 8 more in the pot, cook, eat, etc. etc. That's what you are arguing but that is NOT how it works in Canada. 4 per person with a license per day, whether you eat it at the beach or take it home. It's not endless crab feast as long as you are at the beach and then take home another 4 because that's your daily limit. 

Daily limit means that is how many you are allowed to catch and keep or eat in a day.

If you ever get caught by DFO, everyone there who doesn't have a license could be fined $1500. If you try to use the "I only had 8 max in the pot at any one time" argument, they will probably laugh and you'll all have to fight your tickets in court. They take their animal conservation very seriously in Canada to protect this natural resource for future generations, so they WON'T accept your argument as having any merit in court. 

As long as all your friends have a valid license and you keep within the 4 per day limit, you're safe. Otherwise you're breaking the law and won't get much sympathy from the Conservation officers.

If you don't believe me, call up Department of Fisheries and Oceans and ask them, but do it from a pay phone so they can't trace your number


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## trevorhoang (Oct 13, 2010)

thanks for the detailed info. But i knew all this already. my problem: The sign isnt very detailed with their rules and regulations and leaves alot to assumptions.



SeaHorse_Fanatic said:


> As long as you have enough people there with valid licenses then you should have no worries. If you are going over 4/person with licenses, I don't think your argument will get you out of a ticket from the DFO officer. By your logic, that means as long as you only have 8 in the pot and cook 100 crabs for everyone, but only a few people have licenses, then you are ok. I don't think that is how these rules will be interpreted by the DFO enforcement officers or anyone else with the power to write you a ticket. 8 in a pot, cook, eat, 8 more in the pot, cook, eat, 8 more in the pot, cook, eat, etc. etc. That's what you are arguing but that is NOT how it works in Canada. 4 per person with a license per day, whether you eat it at the beach or take it home. It's not endless crab feast as long as you are at the beach and then take home another 4 because that's your daily limit.
> 
> Daily limit means that is how many you are allowed to catch and keep or eat in a day.
> 
> ...


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## Andrew M. (Aug 28, 2012)

Belcarra Park. Caught 4. One of them was "supermarket" size.


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## Grimas64 (Sep 28, 2012)

You can't just eat as many as you want at the beach. Its 4 red rocks and 4 Dungeness a day. You can have 8 of each at home. Don't abuse the rules they are there to keep the crab population up and to allow recreational fishing.

... I don't mean to be a phallus head but I want my great grand children to have fish and crab too.


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## SeaHorse_Fanatic (Apr 22, 2010)

trevorhoang said:


> But i knew all this already. my problem: The sign isnt very detailed with their rules and regulations and leaves alot to assumptions.


Not sure how it "leaves a lot to assumptions" when it clearly states the daily limit per person with a valid license. Unless you intentionally misinterpret it to mean that you can have 4 to take home and 8 in the pot while at the beach for a daily total of 12. The daily limit is 4 dungeness crabs. NOT open to assumptions or interpretation.


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## Grimas64 (Sep 28, 2012)

It is pretty clear in the regulations to me.


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## Grimas64 (Sep 28, 2012)

For everyone here who likes fishing in B.C. and wants to keep recreational fishing alive put this in your phone. 1-877-952-7277 DFO Report all Poachers and Polluters line. Keep our fishing alive and well for everyone for a long time. I love crabbing and fishing and I want to be able to catch them until I am a old man. poach the poachers.


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## trevorhoang (Oct 13, 2010)

o ya for sure. i love this new hobby n i plan to enjoy it for years to come.


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## brezilian (Apr 21, 2012)

I go crabbing in annacortes... The dungeness are terrific!!


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## Grimas64 (Sep 28, 2012)

Sorry Trvorhoang I don't mean to be a jerk but If you don't know or it isn't clear phone them up (DFO) they are always friendly and helpful and will tell you in plain language what the rules mean.


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## charles (Apr 21, 2010)

Go read the regulation, it said 4 crabs per person with valid license. Procession limited is 8 crabs. That means if you are out on a trip for 3 days, you can only take 8 crabs, not 12 crabs. You are supposed to read through the booklet or DFO regulation on site before you go harvest from our BC nature. 

Just because you have a boat, trap, and a bunch of people without license doesn't mean you can keep bringing them in to feed others. I also want my and other people's grand children to have a chance to see what beautiful coast of BC has to offer.

Your argument with the sign by the dock will never win in front of the DFO officer or the judge. If you don't think we were right, phone up DFO and tell them you see someone was doing that and see what DFO said.


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## charles (Apr 21, 2010)

Your daily limit is 4 crabs per day. That means you caught your four, you are done. The fact that you bring in more than your daily limit for a picinic by the shore already broke the rule. Please be considered about your daily quota.


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## trevorhoang (Oct 13, 2010)

no, its not rude at all. I stick to my limit . i mainly go to enjoy drifting around the river while catching crabs. =)
ya , lookin back, it mite not have been a good idea . live n learn i guess. =)



Grimas64 said:


> Sorry Trvorhoang I don't mean to be a jerk but If you don't know or it isn't clear phone them up (DFO) they are always friendly and helpful and will tell you in plain language what the rules mean.


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