Crab fishing is a popular pastime for many anglers in coastal areas. Setting crab traps or pots and leaving them overnight can help maximize your catch. However, there are some important rules and tips to follow when leaving your crab pots unattended.
Overview of Regulations
Regulations on leaving crab pots overnight vary by region. In Washington state for example, it is legal to leave crab pots overnight in most areas. However, there are some restrictions:
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Pots must have your name, address, and phone number clearly marked on the attached buoy. This allows authorities to identify lost or abandoned gear
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Only one name and address can appear on each buoy
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Buoys must be made of durable material and remain visible on the surface at all times. Floating buoys attached to crab pots are required.
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The pot lid or side must be rigged with untreated cotton escape cord to rot away if lost. This allows crabs and fish to exit if the pot gets abandoned.
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It is illegal to pull in or tamper with crab pots that don’t belong to you.
Always check your local regulations before leaving pots unattended overnight. Restrictions may apply on the number of pots per person, escape cord requirements, and overnight soak times
Setting Crab Pots Effectively
When setting your crab pots overnight, follow these tips for best results:
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Choose a good location. Set pots in areas of muddy or sandy bottom, near eelgrass beds and rocky outcroppings. Target depths of 10-30 feet.
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Bait well. Use fresh fish carcasses or chicken legs/wings. Make sure to secure bait in a bait cage or pouch in the pot. Re-bait when needed.
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Weight pots properly. Weighting prevents pots from shifting overnight. Use lead weights or concrete blocks tied to the pot with rope.
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Use long lines. Allow enough rope for changes in tide level. Use heavy sinking line to prevent drifting.
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Avoid tangling. Set pots at least 50 feet apart to prevent lines from crossing. Coil excess line neatly.
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Check regulations on soak time. Many areas limit overnight sets to no more than 24 hours.
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Pull pots promptly. Retrieve gear as early as rules allow to prevent over-soaking. Overnight sets are typically best 12-18 hours.
Dangers of Leaving Pots for Extended Periods
While leaving pots overnight can be an effective fishing strategy, leaving them for extended periods has some dangers:
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Pots can continue fishing if lost. Escape cord will eventually degrade, but lost pots will keep trapping and killing crabs and fish. These are called “ghost pots”.
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Over-soaking reduces meat quality. Crabs held too long in pots have poorer meat texture and flavor. Optimal is 12-24 hours.
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Lines can get tangled. Currents, waves and passing boats can cause pots and lines left too long to become tangled messes.
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Pot theft. Despite being illegal, some unscrupulous crabbers will poach unattended pots, keeping your catch.
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Gear violations. Authorities may tag and/or confiscate pots left longer than regulations allow.
To avoid these issues, be sure to retrieve your pots daily or as soon as your local soak time limits permit. Do not leave pots unattended for more than 24 hours.
Dealing With Lost Pots
Despite the best precautions, pots and lines sometimes get detached and lost. If this happens:
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Note the general location where the pot went missing.
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Check the area again later to see if the tide moved it to a new spot. Look for the buoy.
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Report lost pots to authorities so they are aware of potential ghost pot dangers.
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If possible, drag grappling hooks in the area to try and snag the line.
Do not attempt to retrieve lost pots in certain areas without proper authorization. For example, special permits are required before attempting pot recovery in some regions of Hood Canal in Washington.
Preventing Theft and Vandalism
Leaving pots unattended does unfortunately open up the risk of intentional tampering and theft. Some tips to help prevent issues:
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Mark buoys and pots clearly with your name, address, phone number.
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Set pots in less frequented, more remote areas when possible.
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Avoid setting pots near crowded boat launches and ramps.
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Set pots in the evening and retrieve early in the morning.
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Report any suspected theft or vandalism to local authorities promptly.
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Consider adding a disguised tracking device in your pot to help recover stolen gear.
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Set pots in pairs tied together to make them harder to steal quickly.
Leaving crab pots to fish overnight can be an effective tactic to put fresh Dungeness crab on your dinner table. Just be sure to follow all local regulations, bait and set pots properly, avoid over-soaking, and take precautions against loss and theft. With smart practices, you can take advantage of the around-the-clock catch potential of overnight crab pot sets. Let us know your best tips and tricks in the comments!
New Recreational Blue Crab Trap Requirements in Effect
From March 1, 2023, recreational blue crab traps will need to have bycatch reduction devices added to the throats of the traps, or the throats will need to meet new size and construction standards. This proposal is part of a larger approach to prevent further decline of Diamondback Terrapins.
People aged 16 and up who fish for fun must fill out a free online recreational blue and stone crab trap registration form before they can use blue or stone crab traps. This includes people who don’t normally need a license.
To register, visit GoOutdoorsFlorida. com and follow the steps to sign up for either the recreational blue crab trap or the recreational stone crab trap.
When the job is done, each person will be given a unique trap registration number that must be written on each trap along with the full name and address of the owner. For blue crab traps, the registration number starts with the letter “B.” For stone crab traps, it starts with the letter “S.” ” This information must be legible and must be permanently attached to each trap.
With this free registration, FWC can get important data about these recreational fisheries that will be used for future stock assessments and management decisions.
Traps must be registered annually but unique registration number will not change year-to-year.
Florida Regulations Gulf and Atlantic State Waters
Size Limit: None
Daily Bag Limit: 10 gallons whole per harvester per day
Harvest of egg-bearing crabs prohibited
Gear Requirements:
Legal Gear: blue crab trap (max. 5 per person), dip or landing net, drop net, fold up trap, hook and line, push scrape, trotline.
Note: Crab snares are not considered legal gear for blue crabs in Florida.
- NEW: All recreational blue crab traps must have a throat that is no bigger than 2 inches tall and 6 inches wide at its narrowest point, and it must be made of rigid material.
- The largest trap that can be used is 2 feet by 2 feet by 2 feet, which is 8 cubic feet.
- Mesh size must be 1 1/2 inches or larger
- You can’t go more than 6 inches into the inside of a trap through the throat or entrance.
- At least three escape rings must be present, one on each of the vertical sides next to each chamber.
- The diameter of the escape rings must be at least 2 3/8 inches.
- The trap must have a biodegradable panel that is at least 3 inches by 6 inches.
- Degradable panels can be made from untreated jute twine, non-coated steel wire that is 24 gauge or thinner, untreated pine dowels that are no longer than 2 inches long and 3/8 inch in diameter, or untreated pine slats that are no thicker than 3/8 inch.
- The harvester’s name and address must be clearly written on the trap and stay there.
- A unique trap registration number issued by the FWC must also be permanently attached to the trap and be readable.
- The buoy can’t be less than 6 inches across and must have a 2 inch-tall “R” on it that can be read.
- Traps can’t be pulled by a machine; they have to be pulled by hand. If your boat has a trap puller on it, it will be considered a commercial boat and need the right licenses.
- Traps must be pulled only during daylight hours.
- There are certain areas where traps are not allowed. These areas include the Intracoastal Waterways and areas that are maintained and marked by any county, municipal, state, or federal government agency.
- You can’t catch anything with a trap outside of state waters, which are nine nautical miles from shore in the Gulf of Mexico and three nautical miles from shore in the Atlantic Ocean.
Checking the crab pots after an overnight soak.
Can you pull crab pots at night?
As a result, you should not pull any pots at night before checking with your local fish and game department. If your local regulations ban night time crabbing or fishing, you can leave your pots overnight and pull them up in the morning. Do crabs feed at night?
How long do crab pots last?
It’s recommended that you leave crab pots to soak for 6-36 hours, depending on how soon you want your crabs. With enough bait inside the trap, it can last for days at a time. Just be sure to make sure there is enough, otherwise, the crabs might eat one another. I created a whole article tackling this question, which you can read here.
What if a crab pot is lost?
A derelict crab pot without proper escape cord can attract and kill crabs for years after the pot has been lost. The minimum mesh size for crab pots is 1½”, and all pots must have two 4¼” minimum inside diameter escape rings in the upper half of the pot, except in the Columbia River where the minimum ring size is 4″ inside diameter.
How long does it take a crab to soak a pot?
Soaking times for pots and traps can vary from an hour to overnight. Crab can find their way out of a pot, but as long as there is some bait left to feed on they will stay. Make sure to use plenty of bait for an overnight soak.