Isn't "Todd W" ready for retirement?  How about "Halibut God"?!   

You are so dialed, bro.  Very nice job and super impressive season.   

I caught some nice ones in Humboldt Bay later in our season (Sep-Oct), but I haven't hit the 40" mark yet on Cali's.

I did get my ass handed to me by a twentyish pounder that probably went high 30's (inches).  It was heavy coming up, and when it hit the surface the white side was up because my big trailer treble was in its gill plate.  I netted it pretty easily, but when I grabbed the net frame in both hands it erupted and flipped itself over, twisting my net and escaping.  Last thing I saw was a big brown flying carpet - right out of my net!

I'm more of a gaff believer now.

I assume you gaffed both of these and most/all of your others this year?

What's your tally for the year?

Your name strikes a bell...   

Welcome to NCKA.   

Powerboaters...

I am a volunteer with MLML for the last 5 years.

Well done, Sonny!  You have always been a member who makes the community proud.   

Go get 'em!   

Rings or "hoops" as some call them are the best way to crab, in my opinion.  32" is the standard, and I believe they cannot be over 36".  24" does sound too small.

I take 6 to 9 out with me, and they lay flat nicely, with the buoys taking up more space than anything.

Pots, traps and ambush contraptions don't interest me.  I'm never just out to collect meat, and that's how those devices make me feel.  I enjoy a sporting time where I must perform in order to capture the crabs, as opposed to just waiting for crabs to become trapped so I can collect them.

Also, when you put rings out around traps, you'll get the crabs faster, because your bait is exposed. 

It helps to use something to protect your bait, so they stay longer trying to get at it.

This is true, and it's good advice, but you can look at it in a different way:  put nice fresh chicken or a fresh fish carcass on there right out in the open, and you'll have crabs on there faster than any other devices in the area.

I start pulling my rings as soon as they're all deployed, and I've limited on jumbos in less than 30 minutes when the crabbing's good.

Enjoy!

Ever since they opened up more depth a few years ago I've thought it was a shitty idea.  Why not just make people fish in less than 100' of water?

I hardly ever encounter barotrauma - by design.