Commercial shellfishing in Alaska is thought to be one of the most dangerous jobs in the United States, but people who are good at it can make a lot of money. To do that though, takes fortitude, experience, perseverance, and a bit of luck.
Here, we’ll explore the vessel, the crew, the location and conditions needed to snag Alaska king crabs.
King crab is one of the most prized catches for commercial and recreational fishermen alike But where can you find these tasty crustaceans? Here’s a guide to some of the top king crab fishing locations.
Alaska
Alaska is perhaps the most famous location for king crab fishing in the world. The frigid waters off Alaska’s coast are home to three main species that are caught commercially:
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Red king crab – The most valuable and largest species found in places like Bristol Bay Norton Sound, and the Kodiak Archipelago. They live between 120-600 feet deep.
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Blue king crab – A smaller species found around St. Matthew Island and the Pribilof Islands. They live between the intertidal zone and 600 feet deep.
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Golden king crab – The smallest but sweetest species, found in the Aleutian Islands between 600-2400 feet deep.
Commercial king crab fishing in Alaska takes place during the fall and winter months, when the crabs are most active. Crab pots are deployed along strings, baited, and left for 1-2 days before being hauled up. Strict regulations are in place for size, sex, and season length.
Recreational fishermen can also try their luck catching king crab in Alaska. A sport fishing license and pots are required, and limits are set on the number and size of crab that can be kept. Good spots include near Kodiak Island, Cook Inlet, and around the Aleutian Islands.
Pacific Northwest
While not as abundant as in Alaska, king crab can also be found in the chilly waters off the Pacific Northwest coast from Oregon up to British Columbia. The main species here is the red rock crab, a smaller cousin of the Alaskan king crab.
Prime red rock crab fishing takes place in the summer months close to shore and in bays and estuaries. Good spots include around Vancouver Island, the west coast of Vancouver, and Puget Sound. Recreational fishermen use ring nets or pots to catch them. Size and catch limits are regulated.
Russia and International Waters
Russia also has valuable king crab fisheries, especially in the Barents Sea near Siberia. Red king crabs were introduced here in the 1950s and have flourished. The Russian commercial king crab fishery has impacted the market for Alaska crab with large imports of crab caught at lower prices.
King crabs are also present in smaller numbers in waters near Japan, Norway, and even in the Atlantic Ocean off Greenland and Canada. Most of these fisheries are relatively small scale and regulated.
Tips for Catching King Crab
The best way for recreational fishermen to catch king crab is through the use of pots (also called crab traps). These are cube shaped cages made of steel frames covered with wire mesh, with bait placed inside. Pots are dropped to the seafloor in likely crab areas and marked with a buoy. After 1-3 days they are hauled up to check for crabs.
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Look for rocky or sandy bottom areas 60-150 feet deep. Steep drop-offs are good crab hangouts.
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Bait pots with fresh fish, chicken, or turkey. Stinky bait works best to lure them in.
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Keep an eye on tides, currents, and weather. Pick calm days with weaker currents.
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Set pots 20-30 feet apart. Leave them for at least 24 hours before hauling.
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Check local regulations on seasons, size limits, and catch numbers. Get proper licensing.
With some luck and the right approach, you can land some tasty king crab for a seafood feast from the waters where they live. Just be sure to respect catch limits so these spectacular crustaceans remain sustainable.
The Fishing Vessel and Crew
For men and women who are willing to take risks in the Bering Sea, a king crab boat is a home, a guardian, a source of wealth, and a warm place to stay.
These fishing boats are usually between 50 and 300 feet long, and they have huge hydraulic systems for moving crab pots that can weigh up to 700 pounds! The hydraulic systems that move the pots up and down are also made to work in Alaska’s cold weather.
A boat and its crew are typically out to sea for 3 to 4 weeks at a time before coming back to shore. But it wasn’t always that way. Up until about ten years ago, king crab fishing was conducted like a derby. Over 250 boats registered at a time to partake in 3 to 4 days of king crab fishing. However, due to the reduced stocks available, the lower wholesale price of king crab and the danger associated with king crab fishing, the catch period has been extended in order to prevent derby style fishing. Today, there are just around 100 boats fishing for king crab.
On deck, there are many roles that help a crab fishing vessel on its mission:
- A new crab fisher is referred to as a Greenhorn.
- A Bait Master puts herring and cod in each pot as bait to get king crabs to come in.
- A Pot Launcher’s job is to set the pots when the ship’s captain tells them to.
- Pot Retrievers throw a hook out to catch the pot line and then use a system of pulleys to bring the pot back to the boat.
- A chef is the person on board who is responsible for making meals for everyone.
- Generally speaking, experienced king crab fishermen are called Deckhands.
To read more about some popular king crab fishing vessels (F/V), here boats from the Discovery Channel show “Deadliest Catch”:
Where to Find King Crab
Outside the refuge and warmth of a crab fishing vessel lies deep waters and freezing temperatures. Though people who do it for a living say the reward is worth the risk and the hard, careful work So where do these crews find king crab? In general, it’s in the waters around Alaska and Russia, but each type of crab has its own region and home. Stocks of blue king crab are typically found off the Pribilof Islands and St. Matthew Island. They usually get caught between 600 feet of water and the intertidal zone, which is the part of the ocean that is dry at low tide and wet at high tide. The Aleutian-Adak Islands are home to the golden king crab, which lives in deeper water, between 600 and 1,600 feet. The fishers mark the depth of each pot with a buoy for identification. Like blue king crabs, red king crabs like to live on ocean bottoms that are flatter and made up of sand and silt that are 120 to 600 feet deep. Of all the king crab, red king crab is the most sought after for commercial use. Red king crabs are also less aggressive than blue or golden king crab. In Alaska, the Gulf of Alaska, the Sea of Okhotsk, the Pribilof Islands, and along the Kamchatka shelf are all places where red king crabs can be found. In general, king crabs are sensitive to water temperature and like it when it’s cold, so a red king crab may move a mile every day. Red and blue king crab tend to go from shallow water to deep water each year.
However, the season will depend on the fishing rules or quotas set for the year. Usually, king crab fishing happens in the winter, from October to January. Most people who fish for Alaska king crab use something called a “pot,” which is a steel trap with a square frame and a wire mesh cover. These pots can weigh anywhere from 600-800 pounds each. Depending on the size of the fishing boat, crews will have between 150 and 300 pots per boat. Larger fishing boats of 100 feet or more average around 250 pots.
Pots are thought to be less harmful to the seafloor than moving equipment because they stay in one place and don’t affect a large area. Also, the big king crab pots are less likely to damage crabs’ homes in sand and soft sediments than other types of habitat.
People who fish for king crab like to stay close to the edges of the ice because the crabs like it cold. King crab are usually lured with herring or codfish, which are, ironically, two fish that eat king crab. The bait is put into the pot, and then powerful hydraulic systems lower it to the bottom of the sea. Most of the time, these pots are lined up to make it easier to pull them back up. Buoys are used to mark their spot above the water. After 1-2 days in the sea, the pot is raised back up to the surface and sorted through. On the boat, it’s unloaded to a general sorting area where deckhands determine king crabs within regulation. Those that don’t meet the requirements will be put back in the water. The rest that are kept will be kept in a live tank until the boat gets back to shore.
When fishing for Alaska King Crab, certain legal requirements must be met — the majority of which revolve around crab size and the fishing season. For example, only the male Alaska King Crab can be kept, and quota limits are strictly enforced. Any violator of these laws receive hefty fines in the hundreds of thousands. (Check out Alaska Commercial Fisheries for entry information.) The reason for these regulations is to sustain the crab and fish population. The State of Alaska has also instituted minimum size and sex restrictions, vessels registration, seasons, observer requirements, and gear restrictions. Each year, crab boats are aksi given an individual quota based on prior years’ catches and the estimated biomass. Fisheries are managed by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. To address the needs of Alaskan crab fisheries, the North Pacific Fishery Management Council has developed a Crab Rationalization Program. The program is intended to address the conservation issues associated with the overfishing caused by derby fishing, reduce bycatch and associated discard mortality, and increase the safety of crab fishermen/women by ending the race for fish.
AMAZING King Crab Catching | Discover The Fishing of Tons of Alaskan Red King Crab
FAQ
Can you get king crab in the US?
Where is the best king crab caught?
Why is king crab so hard to find?
Where are king crabs caught in Alaska?
Alaskan king crab fishing is carried out during the fall in the waters off the coast of Alaska and the Aleutian Islands. The commercial catch is shipped worldwide. Large numbers of king crab are also caught in Russian and international waters .
Where do king crabs come from?
Large numbers of king crab are also caught in Russian and international waters . In 1980, at the peak of the king crab industry, Alaskan fisheries produced up to 200,000,000 pounds (91,000,000 kg) of crab. However, by 1983, the total size of the catch had dropped by up to 90% in some places.
When is king crab fishing?
Red and blue king crab tend to go from shallow water to deep water each year. Though the season will depend on the fishing guidelines or quota established for the year, king crab fishing takes place during the winter months of October through January.
How do you catch king crabs?
Crab pots and traps are your best bet for catching crabs. You should also have a long-handled net to help you scoop up the crabs once they’re in the trap. Best Practices: When it comes to catching king crabs, it’s important to use best practices. This means setting the traps during the day and leaving them out overnight.