Kayak Crabbing with a 3 y/o

Hi all,

I'm based in the East Bay, new to the mid-coast region, and looking to take my 3 year old daughter out on the kayak to do some crabbing this fall.

I'm not trying to hotspot anyone, but I'd love it if you guys were willing to share some easy put-ins to a calm water crabbing spot. Obviously, I'm a little limited in how rugged my put-in and haul-out can be with my tiny friend along, and I'd like to find something protected that will be reliably on the calmer side.

Is Tamales Bay or Bolinas a realistic option for this kind of fall crabbing? I've considered Muir but it's a long drag to the beach. Stinson seems like a good option, but the shorebreak can get ugly if there's any swell.

Thanks in advance on behalf of my tiny kayak angler.

Just my .02$ but I'm not taking a 3yr old out kayaking crabbing in the winter. Tomales can be just as nasty as the open ocean.

Just my .02$ but I'm not taking a 3yr old out kayaking crabbing in the winter. Tomales can be just as nasty as the open ocean.

Might be a good idea get yourself acquainted with crabbing first. Bodega bay is protected on days , if you know how to read swell reports and direction of swell.

I personally wouldn't consider a 3 yr old onboard when crabbing. Too many moving parts when releasing/retrieving pots. Especially in the winter.

Al

Have you done a lot of crabbing on your own? If not you need to be very experienced before taking a little one out in the bays, or ocean. I fish regularly in the ocean, bays, and find crabbing to be the most challenging by far.

When mine were little I would rent a boat at the East bay lakes, and take them trout fishing. The lakes just started planting last week, and I think you and your child would have a great time.

[quote author=Mark L link=topic=101255.msg1133980#msg1133980 date=1698106278

When mine were little I would rent a boat at the East bay lakes, and take them trout fishing. The lakes just started planting last week, and I think you and your child would have a great time.
[/quote]

Would definitely be a much more enjoyable time for someone of that age.

Los Vaqueros reservoir does like a 30% discount on electric fishing boats on days during the week. I have had some great times on them. They have some huge stripers there as well.

Al

Thanks for the input everyone. I really do appreciate the concern but, (and no criticism intended here) I'm a little surprised at the caution!

I have done a little kayak crabbing but also spent lots of my childhood on my dad and godfather's commercial fishing boats. In my 20's I even did a stint on a commercial crab boat out of Fort Bragg and the SF bay. So I'm not new to the conditions or the gear.

I'm also not talking about a big expedition here, and maybe that's the confusion. I'm thinking a couple hours on a mild November day in protected water, with a few hoop traps on the back of my very large and very stable 13ft trident, with a wetsuit and a lifejacket on both the little Bean and me.

She's already catching her own boogie board waves in the shorebreak and swimming through small surf with her lifejacket on. I think she can handle a low pressure day of kayak crabbing in good conditions.

Does that sound irresponsible or unrealistic? I'm open to feedback on this.

Also, fwiw, I particularly appreciate the tips on easy trout fishing for the kid. Those do sound fun too!

I would at least ..... practice this type of outing on a lake with similar weather conditions. Wind, wind chop on the water.
Full crabbing gear with tadpole in tow.

Self-rescue for her. Great learning experience.

Enjoyed boogie boarding and body surfing early on in San Clemente. Now i have to much mass. 

Al

Sent PM

I worried like crazy taking my kids out when they were less than 5...on my 22 foot sport boat I had already had and operated for 10 yrs. No way, no place, no how would I put a 3 yr old at risk in a kayak. Can they swim a mile to shore solo? 

Its not recommended by alot of Really experienced  ocean kayakers .

Can they swim a mile to shore solo?

If that’s the standard, I think I’ll have to get a new hobby…

Ugh, I've started writing and erased 3 times now. I'm not trying to rain on your parade by any means. I don't think this a good idea. There are too many variables on a kayak in the salt with crab gear. That's the big one for me. Secondly, if something scary happened for her, even mildly, she's not going to want to do it at all for a long time.

I'd take her on a short-ish paddle if she's liking it, with immersion gear and snacks in some calm freshwater near the shore. Don't even take fishing gear, just go sightseeing and look for animals or whatever she'd like at 3 years old. And be prepared for the old,  "dad, I've gotta go potty," at any given moment. If she digs it, I'd give it a couple years, get her her own kayak, you carry the crab stuff and let it rip.

Oh, I appreciate this from GrimKeeper, and the others who I'm reading as concerned fathers. I know that feeling and I just want to say to you really clearly: I would never intentionally put my daughter in a truly dangerous situation or force her into something that scared her. I think you may be imagining something different from what I'm actually proposing: A calm day in protected waters, wearing wetsuits, close to shore, at slack tide, on a stable boat, with light duty hoop traps. Importantly: Hot chocolate in the thermos. If conditions aren't right, we don't paddle out.

And again, please understand: I'm not new to the NorCal coast. I regularly lived on commercial fishing boats from birth up into my teens. I crabbed commercially in my 20's. I'm a freediver, a surfer, and an open water swimmer. Kayaking is easily the safest thing I do in the ocean.

Honestly, the kid's not new either. She's been wearing a 5 mil wetsuit and riding on the nose of my longboard since she was 2! Even better, she knows how to tell me she's scared, and I know how to listen.

So, please, rest assured that I'm not setting the scene for tragedy. I came here looking for some ideas on how to make this as safe and easy as possible. If we were up north, I'd have my spots. But I live here now and they're all a little far for a trip on my day off.

And regarding the possible "I've gotta go potty" moment: Peeing in her wetsuit is already her favorite thing about being in the water. She has been known to intentionally hold it until she's suited up and standing in the surf.

Oh, I appreciate this from GrimKeeper, and the others who I'm reading as concerned fathers. I know that feeling and I just want to say to you really clearly: I would never intentionally put my daughter in a truly dangerous situation or force her into something that scared her. I think you may be imagining something different from what I'm actually proposing: A calm day in protected waters, wearing wetsuits, close to shore, at slack tide, on a stable boat, with light duty hoop traps. Importantly: Hot chocolate in the thermos. If conditions aren't right, we don't paddle out.

And again, please understand: I'm not new to the NorCal coast. I regularly lived on commercial fishing boats from birth up into my teens. I crabbed commercially in my 20's. I'm a freediver, a surfer, and an open water swimmer. Kayaking is easily the safest thing I do in the ocean.

Honestly, the kid's not new either. She's been wearing a 5 mil wetsuit and riding on the nose of my longboard since she was 2! Even better, she knows how to tell me she's scared, and I know how to listen. 

So, please, rest assured that I'm not setting the scene for tragedy. I came here looking for some ideas on how to make this as safe and easy as possible. If we were up north, I'd have my spots. But I live here now and they're all a little far for a trip on my day off.

And regarding the possible "I've gotta go potty" moment: Peeing in her wetsuit is already her favorite thing about being in the water. She has been known to intentionally hold it until she's suited up and standing in the surf.

Sounds like you got this.  Doran is your best, calmest launch on the beach along the jetty.  Just not sure where she sits on a 13ft. trident.  Behind you facing the stern?  The only load balancing act is when the trap is at the side up yet in the water and hoisting it onto your lap.  That movement calls for a mental and balance intuition for a second.  No standing for toddlers allowed I can imagine as your main rule.   Paddle out.  Drop your traps.  wait 30-45 minutes and check em', if no yield move em', kick it on shore a bit.  Paddle out, check em', limit, paddle back.  Not sure where the burlap sack is going.  Usually sits in your little Bean's area.  Get it dad and we don't want to read about ya' in the paper...