Crabbing off a pier

Where's the closest place to San Jose to crab off a pier and what is needed?

Michele

Santa Cruz and you'll need a fishing licence + crab pot/net + crab baits.

Pacifica or HMB jetty but dungies are out of season until Nov. If you have surf rods, head out of the gate on calm days with a crab snare.

Santa Cruz and you'll need a fishing licence + crab pot/net + crab baits.

Public piers in Calif are free you don't need a license

Pacifica is great, if you are willing to travel a bit Lawsons Landing can be a great spot. Crab season starts again in November.

S.C. pier.  See guys there all the time.  Wasn't aware a liscense wasn't required though....

HMB jetty is good if u use a crab snare, need fishing permit, and no dungies, but i got a few rockies, sometimes they fall off though by the time they get to u.

HMB jetty is good if u use a crab snare, need fishing permit, and no dungies, but i got a few rockies, sometimes they fall off though by the time they get to u.

You do not need to have fishing license to fish or crab on HMB jetty with accordance to DFG rues book.

Wait till November 3rd and go to Bodega Bay, at Doran Beach you will see about 100 kayaks with rings and pots, most people get their 10 crab limit.
There you have to make reservations for camping a year ahead, it usually books by the end of Nov for the following year, I made my reservations on Nov 8th, 11
Remember that it always open on the first Sat on Nov and it does not open for commercial for a couple of weeks after that so there is plenty of crabs there for you.

Do Not Take The Females.

Scubaluis

Look for ChuckE tips on crabbing, good reading.

http://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/index.php?page=18

You can catch Red crabs off the Van Ness pier in SF. Beautiful view.

HMB jetty is good if u use a crab snare, need fishing permit, and no dungies, but i got a few rockies, sometimes they fall off though by the time they get to u.

You do not need to have fishing license to fish or crab on HMB jetty with accordance to DFG rues book.

Need to be careful about fishing from the jetties as far as license requirement:

Q: Is a fishing license required while fishing from a public fishing pier in ocean waters?
A: No, but it must be a public fishing pier. A Sturgeon Fishing Report Card is required to take sturgeon from a public pier in ocean waters. A Spiny Lobster Report Card is required to take spiny lobster from a public pier in ocean waters.

(a) A sport fishing license is not required to take fish for any purpose other than profit by means of angling from a public pier in the ocean waters of the state. (b) For purposes of this section, ocean waters include, but are not limited to, the open waters adjacent to the ocean and any island; the waters of any open or enclosed bay contiguous to the ocean; the San Francisco and San Pablo Bays, with any tidal bay belonging thereto; and any slough or estuary, if found between the Golden Gate Bridge and the Benicia-Martinez Bridge (Fish and Game Code Section 7153).

A public pier is defined in the sport fishing regulations as a publicly owned man-made structure that has the following characteristics: is connected, above the mean high tide, to the main coastline or to the land mass of a named and charted natural island; has unrestricted free access for the general public; and has been built or currently functions for the primary purpose of allowing angling access to ocean waters (California Code of Regulations, Title 14, Section 1.88)

Additionally, publicly owned jetties or breakwaters that are connected to land, as described above, that have free unrestricted access for the general public and whose purpose it is to form the most seaward protective boundary of an ocean harbor are public piers. Jetties, breakwaters, promenades, sea walls, moles, docks, linings, barriers and other structures that are not the most seaward protective boundary of an ocean harbor, are not public piers.