If I am hooping for crab, can I get away with using a bait pin and a rockfish carcass (probably together with a Scotty bait jar), or do I need to use a more dog-proof bait container?

So based on my read of the current CA regs, there are two issues with the relatively inexpensive Danielson FTC 24x24 folding traps:

1) escape opening created when rot cord fails is not at least 5" in diameter
2) the cotton rot cord holding the escape ring over the escape opening is 4 pieces, rather than "a single strand" (sic).

If so, both problems would be solved by cutting an opening in the top greater than 5"x 5", adding a hinged door lid of PVC wire mesh, and using appropriate cotton rot line with the bungee for the fastener for the lid. (Basically like the top-loading door of the similar, but CA compliant, Promar TR-555). (And then permanently affixing the escape ring by replacing the cotton with zip ties or stainless wire).

Does that sound right to everyone, or am I missing some other deficiency?

(I know that one can also bend the corners of the escape port to make a 5" opening and threading a single piece of cotton rot cord around the perimeter of the escape ring. But I like the doors on the Promars, and I have access to wire mesh to make lids).

Hi All,

I am down in San Diego, thinking of coming up to visit my folks and family friends in Sonoma County for a couple of days, and also thinking of bringing kayak and crab traps (or possibly even bringing my 14ft skiff).

Wondering how the crabbing is around Bodega Bay and/or other relatively easily accessible areas now that the commercial season has opened?

I'd be interested in making some local connections to have some company on the water and learn the local spots.

FWIW, I've crabbed from my Hobie Revo up in SE Alaska.

Peter
https://www.instagram.com/pbfishes/

While I no longer have my old Malibu Stealth 12, I thought folks might benefit from this DIY, which could be applied to many paddle yaks with adjustable foot braces.

(Sorry, I don't have all the sizes of the parts handy, but this gives the idea of what I did).

Here's a first pic which (in addition to showing my kludgy short-term fix) shows an allen wrench in one of the back screws holding on the left foot brace:


Here's what I replaced the screw/bolt with. It's a RAM mount small ball with female threads that matched the original screw. I screwed the new screw into the female threaded RAM ball, and then cut off the screw head with a hacksaw and cleaned up the cut with a file.  I used brass for both corrosion resistance and something softer to cut than SS, but one could use SS.




Here's the final install of the FF mount. (You can kind of see the top my DIY PVC pipe scupper mount, too, for a completely no-drill/no-hole install).


I was initially using a small LiPo battery in a sealed tuperware-like cup in the cup-holder. That battery died pretty quick, so I'd recommend sticking with good, old-fashioned SLA stored inside the hull. On most yaks, if you want a no-drill install you can just close the front hatch on the wire without much leakage.