Intro - kayak crabbing

Hey, I’m Noel. I discovered kayak crabbing last year after a couple of seasons of just crab-snaring from the shore. It’s all exotic to me — I’ve lived everywhere but never really spent much time catching my next meal until recently.

Hobie Mirage Passport.

After a wildly successful crabbing trip to Coos Bay last February, I’m ready to start doing this locally here in the Bay Area. We’re in Novato, so I plan to head up to Dorian / Bodega and down to Baker Beach on a regular basis this winter. Perhaps Half Moon Bay on an ambitious day. Perhaps staying inside the Bay when I’m seeking just the red ones.

Today looks like a perfect day for crabbing and a picnic. 70 degrees and noon low tide. See you on the beach.

Hey, I’m Noel. I discovered kayak crabbing last year after a couple of seasons of just crab-snaring from the shore. It’s all exotic to me — I’ve lived everywhere but never really spent much time catching my next meal until recently.

Hobie Mirage Passport.

After a wildly successful crabbing trip to Coos Bay last February, I’m ready to start doing this locally here in the Bay Area. We’re in Novato, so I plan to head up to Dorian / Bodega and down to Baker Beach on a regular basis this winter. Perhaps Half Moon Bay on an ambitious day. Perhaps staying inside the Bay when I’m seeking just the red ones.

Today looks like a perfect day for crabbing and a picnic. 70 degrees and noon low tide. See you on the beach.

Hi Noel, I'm in Novato as well...glad to have ya' aboard...fishees are food not friends...or something like that...

Hi Noel, welcome 

Welcome!

Welcome to the Madness.   

Thank you all. Madness indeed — today I tried and failed miserably in getting past the waves at Baker. Swamped. My previous trips had all been in areas like bays or lagoons with smaller waves. Despite my prep and research, I blew it. It was a frustrating and humiliating lesson.

Advice requested: I need to practice making it past the surf in my Hobie.  Is this something I should just get out and do, repeatedly, or should I get a lesson from someone?

Thanks.

I highly recommend taking a surf class. I took a class at MBK and it was fantastic. I learned several things that greatly improved my ability to launch and land through the surf. After the class I practiced what I learned for a couple of hours to reinforce it. One piece of advice is to stow your gear, especially your fish finder, for ALL surf launches and landings. It's easy to flip in even tiny surf and, despite the manufacturers claims, fish finders are not very tolerant of dunking in salt water. They may not die right away, but a few dunks can greatly reduce their lifespan.

Oh, and welcome to the forum. I go up to Coos Bay once or twice a year and the crabbing and clamming is indeed fantastic up there.

Didn't want to be the one to post on your inital post that Baker is going to be challenging compared to a harbor launch.  Many things about kayaking can be humbling.  Always have respect for the ocean, be prepared for anything, and well learning is a big part of the process. If you want to learn to surf launch, I'd for sure do it without any gear on board.  Spend time learning to read the waves, and understand the sets, and how to time them.  Get decent at it before you decide to haul a bunch of heavy gear out there with you through the swells with lots of lines that could drag you under if things go wrong.  For sure I'd go with instruction if your up for it.  I've taken several kayak safety courses, and probably due for another one this coming year.

Dang...level 301 surf launch for sure...so sorry...glad your ok...China beach is a little kinder.  It's good to get womped as a gauge of limitations.  Like Al said, go out with a crew or instructor, or watch the sets, even on a "check it out day" and tell your skills, "that's the window, the lull of fear and hope!"  Full safety gear, all gear locked down or stowed, shove off like a boss and don't look back, oh nooooo, I'm gonna get slammed, push through perfectly perpendicular to the slam, spear that thing and paddle on like a boss until your through the set, phew...I made it out, slam in those peddles and get pumpin' then rest and gather the goodness."

Side note, same is true for ankle slappers to 3ft faces which I rarely hope to meet...thanks for sharing...

Launching is the easy part. It’s the landing that will get you!

All good points here, and I will say it again when you start surfing with gear make sure everything is very secure.

Thank you all. Madness indeed — today I tried and failed miserably in getting past the waves at Baker. Swamped. My previous trips had all been in areas like bays or lagoons with smaller waves. Despite my prep and research, I blew it. It was a frustrating and humiliating lesson.

Advice requested: I need to practice making it past the surf in my Hobie.  Is this something I should just get out and do, repeatedly, or should I get a lesson from someone?

Thanks.

I was out there yesterday as well.  Baker is a tricky launch especially loaded with crab gear. I've spent many a time chasing down my 3 traps after flipping them in the surf.

I typically prefer the west side as it's more protected, I ended up walking past the creek mouth yesterday to launch/land.

Launching/landing is mostly about timing.  Wait for the lull between the sets, walk out to waist deep, confirm that a set isn't about to start, and hop on and paddle.

If a set starts forming, abort and wait.

It's good practice to just watch waves come in, see the sets, watch the lull as the water calms down, and then see a new set start up.

As soon as I have eyes on the launch when I'm walking my kayak to the water I'm watching it like a hawk.  I'm watching how and where the waves are breaking, how long the sets are, how long the lull is, etc. 

Besides that keeping the kayak perpendicular to the waves is crucial.  I hop on/off in about waist deep water. Standing in that deep of water lift the bow of the kayak over any waves coming in making sure to keep kayak perpendicular.  If my kayak starts going sideways due to wash or current while I'm standing next to it, I straiten it out or abort.

Now in terms of crab there were tons of them.....but hardly any keepers.  I ended up with 3 dungies and 4 jumbo rock.  Must have pulled close to 100 shorts.  Short soaks I was pulling almost every 10 minutes.

Thanks for the report.  Always curious about Baker...

Welcome to the madness Noel 

Hey thanks everyone. I appreciate the commiseration and guidance.

It's time for lessons. I need to get wet. Again, and again, and again.

Good stuff. WTTM