Crab Pots

[Ken Cross]

In our area (Everett WA) some people drop crab pots near or in our only dredged channel into the marina. I can't imagine doing that. I've read many complaints from the other coast about lobster pots as well. Does anyone collect pots that were put in the wrong places? I'm sure there is something in the regs about impeeding navigation.

Ken

 

[jssailem]

Yesterday’s sail was glorious. Only irritation was the zigzag route along the Everett Naval Station pier, trying to not intrude on the 50yard warning zone where the guys with assault weapons stand guarding the ships on the east side and the silt deposits shoal on the west, sharing the channel with boats trying to enter or exit the 75yard wide channel. There were 2-3 dozen commercial crab pots strung in a line that due to, tide, River current and the wake of a tug towing barge were scattered in the limited channel field. Felt like a running back trying to weave through the backfield looking for open space and finding yet another defender in my path. At least football limits the number of players to 11 and there is no long tailed rope snaking about.

 

[LeslieTroyer]

I’m alway happy when crab and shrimp season is over. I would never purposely pull a pot belonging to someone I didn’t know really really well. Too many crazies with guns.

@Ken Cross did you put on line cutters when you did the strut??

Les

 

[Michael Davis]

there are no legal crab/lobster pots in any marked channel as narrow as a Canadian Football field is long. It's somewhere in ColRegs, can't remember where.

 

[Gunni]

I don’t mess with a man’s crab pot, but I will and do regularly call Maryland marine police to report traps in the “float free zones” that overlay our harbor channels. Have absolute zero tolerance for this kind stupidity. If I wrap a crab line around my prop during a night approach to my marina it will be a very long night...and this time of year a very cold swim. Report ‘em.

 

[Roland5048]

We have the same problem here in Fl. with the crab and lobster pots. Currents and wind blow them all over despite how heavy these things are. As long as the line is short enough, not too much of a problem. It's when the line is so long that the float is far from the pot and the floating line stretches across twenty or more feet of water. Usually, but not always, a recreational crabber. Line is too expensive for the commercial crabber to waste when they have thousands of traps out.

I don’t mess with a man’s crab pot

Only time I touch one is when I have to release it from my rudder or prop. When I lived in MA we used to say: "It's not the law you have to worry about, it's the lobsterman with his double barrel." Same goes here.