Dungeness Crab Buoy Identification With GO ID

December 1, 2016

Question: I enjoy sport fishing for crabs and am wondering if I have two buoys on each crab trap, am I required to mark both buoys with my GO ID number? Do you have a recommended method of marking the buoy with the GO ID number? I am assuming this number changes with each year’s new license? If yes, then writing the number on the buoy will look bad after a couple years.

My buddy and I share six traps. Sometimes he takes them on his boat, sometimes I take them on mine, but we don’t always fish together. Do you have any suggestions for whose GO ID number should be on the buoys? Are we required to change the GO ID number depending on who is using the traps, assuming we are not fishing together? (Steve W.)

Answer: Crab traps are required to be marked with a buoy, and “each buoy shall be legibly marked to identify the operator’s GO ID number” (California Code of Regulations Title 14, section 29.80). At least one crab trap buoy must be marked with the operator’s GO ID number. Your GO ID is tied to you and is your individual identifying number for all fishing/hunting license and tag transactions you may make over your lifetime. It remains the same over the years and will not change. The number must be marked in a permanent manner on your buoys. It may be applied via burning, painting, permanent marker, etc. Just make sure the number is legible and will not wear off or become unreadable.

If two fishermen are sharing traps, the buoys should be marked with both GO ID numbers. That way, whichever person is working the traps on a given day has his number on the buoys.

So if I want to steal a pot, I just need to bring a permanent marker with me.  Good to know. 

This is really dumb and defeats the supposed benefit to recreational crabbers of going through the exercise.  I guess it was never about stopping thieves and more about ease of enforcing the 7 day ban on crab traps.   Meanwhile, thieves aren't stopped at all and it's been a huge problem.

In no way should there be two GO IDs allowed on a crab trap buoy.  Write a letter to give permission, include your phone number.  Just like hunting private land.  You are pulling a private trap, the rules should be similar.  This is dumb.

So if I want to steal a pot, I just need to bring a permanent marker with me.  Good to know. 

This is really dumb and defeats the supposed benefit to recreational crabbers of going through the exercise.  I guess it was never about stopping thieves and more about ease of enforcing the 7 day ban on crab traps.   Meanwhile, thieves aren't stopped at all and it's been a huge problem.

In no way should there be two GO IDs allowed on a crab trap buoy.  Write a letter to give permission, include your phone number.  Just like hunting private land.  You are pulling a private trap, the rules should be similar.  This is dumb.

I had the same thought. But as I read your post I thought it might not be all bad. You would write your number on a pot you were raiding, if while the pot was onboard, you thought you were about to be checked. If you found your pot empty and a new go id number on it you would know who raided it. If you were checked before you were able to put your number on someone's pot you would be busted. If you were checked after you dropped the pot you would be busted. If they asked you the name that the other id number belongs to you would be busted. So it seems the risk of getting caught is the same as long as they ask the name of the person you are sharing the pot with. Just don't put your name on your pots.

So if I want to steal a pot, I just need to bring a permanent marker with me.  Good to know. 

This is really dumb and defeats the supposed benefit to recreational crabbers of going through the exercise.  I guess it was never about stopping thieves and more about ease of enforcing the 7 day ban on crab traps.   Meanwhile, thieves aren't stopped at all and it's been a huge problem.

In no way should there be two GO IDs allowed on a crab trap buoy.  Write a letter to give permission, include your phone number.  Just like hunting private land.  You are pulling a private trap, the rules should be similar.  This is dumb.

I had the same thought. But as I read your post I thought it might not be all bad. You would write your number on a pot you were raiding, if while the pot was onboard, you thought you were about to be checked. If you found your pot empty and a new go id number on it you would know who raided it. If you were checked before you were able to put your number on someone's pot you would be busted. If you were checked after you dropped the pot you would be busted. If they asked you the name that the other id number belongs to you would be busted. So it seems the risk of getting caught is the same as long as they ask the name of the person you are sharing the pot with. Just don't put your name on your pots.

I'm not talking about raiding pots.  I'm talking about outright theft and the wardens checking gear on the beach.  Pot raiders will still act with impunity, and I don't think that the buoy marking will help with that at all, nor do I think that it was ever intended to do so.  I had a couple conversations with wardens, both of whom said to have a note if using someone else's pot and said that they would probably be checking at the beach.

I hope that they go after the pot raiders too, but I don't think thats what this is about.