Crab Hawk

Are Crab Hawk traps still illegal in CA ??  Wonder if regulations have changed.  Saw a lot of them sold and used at Bodega last week.

They aren't legal.  They aren't considered hoop nets (obviously), and therefore would be subject to the crab trap definitions under 29.80(c).  They don't have escape rings or rot cord to allow an opening should they be lost.  Therefore, they fall under 29.80(a)(2) that states if a trap doesn't meet the exact definitions in 29.80(c), then it is not legal for use. 

Yeah, it's one of the weirder law interpretations imo and makes zero sense to me but this was spelled out pretty clearly on a CFW blog I remember reading and unless something has changed I have to assume they're still illegal.

A couple of years back I did use a couple crab-hawk style devices, but I felt okay about that because (to follow the letter of the law) I actually installed legal-sized escape rings into them. They worked pretty well too, though I could not cast as far as a snare so have pretty much given up on them.

Yeah, it's one of the weirder law interpretations imo and makes zero sense to me but this was spelled out pretty clearly on a CFW blog I remember reading and unless something has changed I have to assume they're still illegal.

I think the confusion comes from the fact that it's nearly the opposite approach in most other laws.  That is most laws tell you what isn't legal and anything outside of those is assumed to be legal.  This is one of the regulations where it's worded that all crab gear with the exception of these specific cases are illegal that throws most off. 

Saw a guy with one of these at Muir last Thursday.  Didn’t catch nothing with them but wondered how they could be better than snares. 

I think in most cases they are not. But, early season on Pacifica Pier on a non-crappy opening week.... if there are a lot of keeper crab, the crab hawk is much more of a "sure thing" than a snare. You are not at the mercy of the loops and crab legs being in the right place, and not in the mercy of losing the crab while you are pulling up.

It closes completely over the crab and as long as you are reeling fast enough, that crab is not going to get away. The couple of times at PP when conditions were ideal, I was cleaning up with the crab hawks. It was lower stress too since I wasn't worried about crabs falling off.

[I think the confusion comes from the fact that it's nearly the opposite approach in most other laws.  That is most laws tell you what isn't legal and anything outside of those is assumed to be legal.  This is one of the regulations where it's worded that all crab gear with the exception of these specific cases are illegal that throws most off. 

I agree.

What about this thing, is it still a trap if it's a circle? 

https://www.amazon.com/SENSORY4U-Folding-Castable-Dungeness-Measuring/dp/B08SVHQ5H1/ref=sr_1_55_sspa?keywords=crab+snare&qid=1637031582&sr=8-55-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEyNUVMU0daNEJJSDFBJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwMDU3MzI1MlNOTjNSWU42RERaWiZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwODMxOTExMzdPSlpVQktYOEYxTiZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2J0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=

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Legal Hoop Net Configuration - Type A (see Figure 1) 
• Fishing gear that is comprised of one to three rigid ring(s), with each ring measuring no greater than
36 inches in inside diameter nor less than 10 inches in inside diameter, which is/are connected to soft
mesh thereby forming a circular-shaped net with an enclosed bottom. 
• Lift lines shall be attached only to the top ring. 
• A second and third rigid ring(s) may be connected by soft mesh to the top ring; however, each ring
must be equal in size to or smaller than the ring above it. 
• When the net is being raised the top ring shall be above and parallel to all other rings, with the
enclosed bottom portion of the soft mesh even with or hanging below all other rings.
• All parts of the hoop net shall collapse and lie flat when resting on the ocean floor in such a manner
that the gear does not entrap or restrict the free movement of crustaceans until lifted. 
• When suspended from lift lines, the entire hoop net shall measure no taller than 36 inches. 
• The ring material shall not be thicker than one inch in any dimension.

You know, that's a great question. I actually have one of those types of rings as well and I also put escape rings in it assuming it would also count as a regular trap.

But the fact that it is ring-shaped when deployed makes it seem like it almost qualifies by the definitions you listed to be a hoop net. The main debatable part is whether the warden would be stickler about it being a "rigid ring".

It's all so dumb of course since these types of traps would in no way trap crabs if they got lost. They would just lie flat on the bottom until they rusted away.

Is there a definition of a "crab loop trap" in regulations ??  We know they are legal.  Only reference to this type of trap is  a single sentence on page 51 about a maximum of six loops.

Funny, I was looking up snare regulations, and this blurb says they are referred to as 'loop traps'.  So wait... Are they legal to use if they are _traps_    (just kidding)

https://wildlife.ca.gov/News/new-recreational-dungeness-crab-fishery-regulations-adopted-to-manage-entanglement-risk-for-whales-and-sea-turtles

Use of hoop nets and snares (crab loop traps) are not affected by these new regulations and can be used to catch Dungeness crab when the season opens.

https://wildlife.ca.gov/Fishing/Ocean/Regulations/Sport-Fishing/Invertebrate-Fishing-Regs

All I see is:

(d) Crab loop traps may have up to six loops.

But there are good definitions for hoops and traps.

Good intel, I was confused and some of this stuff doesn't make much sense to me

Silly rule.  I would think these would be safer for the crab than a hoop snare

Yeah, but change is "hard".  Better to stay confusing....