Anyone going for CRAB on Nov 7th ?

Anyone going out for CRAB Nov. 7th ?

Im thinking about hitting Tomales Bay.

Looking for suggestions, and other people to fish with.

This will be my first time out for CRAB on the Kayak.

Go early because it will be crowded.  Set your pots on the north side of Hogg Island starting around daymarker 7 (the green sign)  just off the channel in about 25-40 feet of water.  You can also set your pots in "White Bluff Bay" (the area west of Hogg Island) in about 40-50 feet of water. Lots of fresh bait and you should do OK.  You won't be alone so be careful of the power boaters.  Good luck.

Please note that there is a health warning on crabs this year.  I, for one, am probably going to pass on crabbing.  Read this report from Lawson's fish report.  Every other crab tested is over the limit for domoic acid:  Yikes

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2015
Dungeness season is around the corner and the warm water conditions this year have affected them as well. A plankton bloom has produced something called domoic acid which doesn't affect fish and invertebrates but can kill warm-blooded animals like seals, birds and us. A mild case of poisoning causes a case of weeklong "intestinal distress", medium poisoning can give you a permanent loss of short-term memory, and a bad case kills you. That said, the testing that has taken place puts the Dungeness in this area barely in the OK column. The rules are that if half or less of the crabs test below the danger level then they are OK. Half of the crabs tested from the Bodega Bay area tested slightly above the level and half were slightly below. That wind that blew this past summer and frustrated a lot of fishermen kept the water cool enough to prevent a worse case, at least. FYI, the domoic acid tends to concentrate more in the crab's guts, so you folks that like to eat the "butter" maybe better pass on it this year. Try real butter; it's better for you. How often are you going to hear that? I usually clean my crab before cooking them and I think that I will continue to do that. The red crab are eating a lot of the same things as the Dungeness, and lots of people have been eating the reds, as far as I know without injury, so it seems like the Dungeness should be OK. The season will open but with an asterisk from the Department of Public Health.

I'll probably be going for the opening. Drop pots early early and then drift around and see if anything is biting. Pm me if you want some company.

Also here is an idea of where to go

News from CDPH today: http://www.cdph.ca.gov/Pages/NR15-082.aspx


CDPH Issues Warning about Dungeness and Rock Crabs Caught in Waters Along the Central and Northern California Coast

Date: 11/3/2015

Number: 15-082

Contact: Anita Gore, Orville Thomas - (916) 440-7259

SACRAMENTO

The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) today advised consumers not to eat Dungeness and Rock crabs caught in waters between the Oregon border and the southern Santa Barbara County line, due to the detection of dangerous levels of domoic acid, a naturally occurring toxin.

Recent test results have shown persistently high levels of domoic acid in Dungeness crab and Rock crab, which have been caught along the California coastline. The levels have exceeded the State’s action level for the crabs’ body meat as well as the viscera, commonly referred to as crab butter, and therefore pose a significant risk to the public if they are consumed.

CDPH in conjunction with other state agencies will continue its sampling efforts to monitor domoic acid levels in Dungeness and Rock crabs until the levels subside and no longer exceed the State’s action level of 30 ppm in the viscera and 20 ppm in the meat. Domoic acid accumulation in seafood is a natural occurrence that is related to a “bloom” of a particular single-celled plant called Pseudo-nitzschia. The conditions that support the growth of this plant are impossible to predict, and it is unknown when the levels found in crab will subside. The health advisory will be lifted once the levels are no longer above acceptable levels.

Symptoms of domoic acid poisoning can occur within 30 minutes to 24 hours after eating toxic seafood. In mild cases, symptoms may include vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, headache and dizziness. These symptoms disappear within several days. In severe cases, the victim may experience trouble breathing, confusion, disorientation, cardiovascular instability, seizures, excessive bronchial secretions, permanent loss of short-term memory (a condition known as Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning), coma or death. There have been no reported illnesses associated with this event.

Officially the open for recreational has been delayed. Just saw it on the news. No date set for open.