Fishing the Smith and crabbing South Beach Crescent City - 12/11

Had a mid-day appointment in Crescent City after a few things to do in Eureka this morning, so I squeezed in dropping my pots off Whaler Island as I got to Crescent City.  On the drive up from Eureka I stopped briefly at Big Lagoon - it's really full and ready to pop.  I took a few casts and pics.  Also stopped at Redwood Creek on the way up - a minute off 101 to casting on the riverbar.  Water's too clear...  Got to Crescent City, set my pots to the south of Whaler Island, and hit my appointment.  Then had time to go scouting the Smith.  It's too clear and the last of the salmon are moving through.  It's steelie time.  I saw a drift boat with an 8-10 pound steelie, and I heard of 1 salmon caught.  I took some casts up on the north fork at a beautiful emerald hole that emptied into a gnarly rapid, then hit society hole where I saw that steelie with a driftboat, then headed down to Ruby Van Deventer County Park where I paddled and drifted while casting into the too-clear water.  It was like being in Tahoe with that clear water...  Headed back to grab a great soft taco at Los Compadres before picking up my pots.  I had high hopes (like last night!) but there were kelp heads showing where I'd dropped my pots at high tide!     The pots in close, right in the mouth of the "groin", are on the spot...  I talked to a guy who'd done well right there before, but lost pots to a storm there too - direct south-facing exposure.  He also said he crabbed in the harbor on opening day and got 5 in 4 pots in an overnight soak - NOT a great crabbing year...  I got no crabs (1 little rocky released), I saw no fish, I got some work done, I had a great day.   

thanks for the report and photos. both nicely done. sorry no crabby-love. i've heard all the good crab are deep 165+ft.

Abking, you fishing stud, how do find the time!!  We camped at Ruby the other day and used it as a midway stop for lunch. Society hole to the public launch is an excellent 1 day drift. You can do it in a morning if you take out Ruby. I've taken to stashing a cheap bike at the take-out and riding back to my car. This eliminates the need for a second person and shuttle. Let me add that I'm a pro who can run any water on the planet. I don't reccomend solo adventures for anyone but Abking is not just anyone.

Thanks, Hawk - check's in the mail, PR guy!     I was cruising the river in my Silverado!  I put in at Ruby and took out there too - just drifted the hole a couple of times and paddled back up.  No rapid-running for me.  If I ran that river on a kayak this time of year I'd wear a full wetsuit and liner...  and maybe a helmet!   

The message on trapping Dungeness crabs (anywhere) and fishing the Smith river:  neither is easy, but both are fun whether you "hook up" or not.

A'KING!!  way to get your $$ worth out of that camera! ....river-shots, OTW-shots and the beach-sceens too?! where's the work-shots?
DUDE! your taking, taking pictures to a WHOLE nutha' level!    &IMLOVINIT
....doUneedaHELPER@wrk?   i'm cheap!        

Beautiful pictures.........great narrative....

Abking has ENERGY.....
        .....lots and lots....of ENERGY....

Hey tell me, where's "Society Hole" in relation to "Oregon Hole" on the Smith River?

Judd

I haven't heard of Oregon Hole, Judd.  I'd bet Juan or Hawk have.

Adam - I run a male brothel.  I s'pose you can apply...   

I run a contracting company (kinda like a male brothel!   ).  Yesterday I boogied through office tasks first thing, got one of my guys going on a mold remediation job, capped off some plumbing, assessed rot damage to a roof, then hit the road for Crescent City where I did some air testing on another mold job and applied some paint to the cleaned areas, and then after my adventures I inspected a flood damaged house in Klamath at sunset-thirty.  The cool thing about lots of these spots is their proximity to 101 (THE 101 if you're so-Cal!).  That Big Lagoon spot is literally 5 seconds off 101.  Redwood Creek, 1 minute to casting from the river bar.  Whaler Island Groin - 30 seconds from 101.  Ruby - 3 minutes.  I max my time, and the energy comes from desire, PMA, and good Mexican food.   

Adam - I run a male brothel.  I s'pose you can apply...  

I'll take that as a compliment!   and they'll get you EVERYWHERE!    i'mpackinitup & grabbinmyhammertoo!

AK,
you wear me out just reading about your days.... I figure by the time they plant you, you'll have two or three lives under your belt... More power to ya!!

Nice pics and report. Do those square pots work well? I noticed no added weights attached to the pot. All the crabbing articles say to add lead . They state that with out the lead the pot might not land upright. I'm thinking about buying a couple and any info would be greatly appreciated.

THANKS,

Matt

Matt- not to speak for abking but we usually drop pots on the side of the kayak that the current is flowing. We always have a current up here so it takes your pot down at a slight angle. If you Tied your rope off proper then the leading edge will hit the ocean floor which you'll feel initially. Then just let out a foot more and it settles on the bottom.
We go weightless cause were in yaks and weight can equal trouble.

We go weightless cause were in yaks and weight can equal trouble.

I agree with that.  I try to crab at times of no current, and I've had no problems with the square pots.  I just hold it by the rope off the side of my yak and drop it so it sinks in an upright position.  I think if you have a bait setup that would cause resistance on one side then it could get fouled, but it's not likely or common, and your bait should be secured to the middle of the pot anyway.  Using rings is more fun, but that requires constant monitoring.

Why do you consider the rings more fun?

More fun...  when you pull up a ring you approach your buoy carefully from the down current side, you gather up the excess rope as gently as you can because you don't want to scare crabs that are (hopefully) feasting on your chicken leg or whatever by moving the entire rope too early.  When you gather the excess to the point where you feel you're right above (or close enough to it) your ring you pull like a mad-man because you're basically making that flattened ring into a basket as the outer ring comes up and traps the feasters in the middle.  If you slow down or do it sloppily your big daddy Dungeness may just scurry over the edge and you'll never know it!  So pulling up a ring with a big crab or more on it is very exciting - much because you know you 'snuck up' on it and hauled it in before it could scurry away.  A pot just traps them and you can pull it up at an angle and whatever's in it will be in it at the surface.  I love crabbing!  I just wish I liked to eat crab more!   

Glad someone's getting out and enjoying things!  Nice shots, keep 'em coming!