It is time to stow away the summer fishing gear and prepare for winter interests. Crab season starts soon, and anglers are gearing up for fresh Dungeness crabs as the rockfish season — a good one this year — draws to a close.
On Nov. 7, crab season starts for sport anglers, and people are getting ready with great anticipation. Sport anglers are allowed 10 crabs per person per day, as long as they measure 5.75 inches across at the shell.
“We had great success last season, with limits of crab as the rule,” Capt. Jim Rubin reported.
Jim is gearing up for this year’s crab opener, even as he continues to catch rockfish: “We had big limits of rockfish last weekend at New Year’s Island — we also had 10 lingcod for the weekend’s catch.”
Jim will run crab and rockfish combo trips until the rockfish season ends Nov. 15.
Commercial crab season begins Nov. 14, and commercial crab fishers are tending to their gear in hopes of a decent season.
As usual, the price is not set, and the season in Northern California is set to open Dec. 1. The influx of large, transient commercial fishing boats in the area always poses a risk of catch depletion and the market getting flooded with too many crabs.
“We are gearing up for another year and hoping for the best,” Brett Shaw reported from Santa Cruz Harbor.
This year is not expected to be banner one, though.
“The crab stocks sound similar to last year, the current cycle of crabs is fair, and we will have to work for the product this year,” Brett added.
Fresh crabs should be available off the docks and in the local marketplace shortly after the season starts. Until then, there is still time to get some rockfish.
• Mike Baxter has fished in the Monterey Bay Area since he was a boy and has been a licensed charter boat captain for more than 15 years. Contact him at ca************@ya***.com. He also hosts a fishing show on radio station KSCO (1080) from 7:06 to 8 p.m. Thursdays April through September.
