Basic Crabbing Question

I've never crabbed before, so have a basic question. I bought three, 100' of leaded rope and buoy kits, diameter of 5/16-inch. I 've read the "Dummies guide to Crabbing" on here (thank you!), and it says your rope length should be 20% greater than depth of water.  I just bought two Promar Conical traps (I hope they arrive in time!) and I have a basic hoop net I got for pier fishing. I also have two Promar collapsible traps, but of course we can't use those yet. I've now spent way more money on crabbing gear than the cumulative lifetime amount I've spent on eating crab, which is consistent with about everything I've done with Kayak Fishing so far

I doubt I'll ever crab in very deep water, or even all that often. I imagine most of my crabbing will be in 80' ish of water or less. But sometimes it could be much less, I guess. I live in Marin. I'm going to Bodega this Saturday and will mostly do local spots.

Should I cut my 100' rope into 25 foot increments, so I can more precisely align my rope length to the FOW? I would have to do it to three different kits, so 12 different shots, and then rebraid it, etc., which will probably take me a while given I've never done it before.

Or can I just keep the 100' shots of leaded rope intact, and the weight of the crab trap will keep it on the bottom, and because the leaded rope is heavy, it will sink to the bottom, and the buoy will just float above it? What if there is current - wouldn't that move the buoy around? Would that create a boating hazard? Or because the rope is weighted, it doesn't create a boating hazard because it is underwater?

The 101 guide also says you can zip tie excess rope to the crab trap. This requires a bit of extra work on the water, so if it is not necessary if one has leaded rope, then I could skip it. But if it is a bad idea to have 100' of rope in 30' of water, then zip tying it to the bottom of the trap / net seems generally easier than cutting the rope into 25' increments.

And because I'm not going to be crabbing that much, and mostly in sub 100 feet of water, it seems nice / easy to just have 100' of rope because it would work in all the spots I would go and I wouldn't have to worry about trying to align the 25' of shots to whatever spot I'm going to.

Any perspectives would be appreciated. And if someone actually has a good one, I may even give them a crab I plan to catch a LOT this Saturday... (we're doing a cub scout camping trip at Bodega Dunes campsites that weekend, so hopefully I'll be a Dad hero and stoke everyone with a crab feed).

Best,
Stewart
 

I would keep 100' ropes without cutting.  You can always cut them later.
I prefer 1/4" diameter lead core rope instead of 5/16".  Much easier to handle and manage.
My video might be helpful in organizing your gears: https://youtu.be/bo8h8DNhCvk?si=8vR5Z2-6WEZhoTRQ
Also, always carry an extra crab gauge in your kayak.


Paul

Thank you. Great vid. I wish I watched that before I bought some of my stuff. I have a hobie compass. I was going to do the PVC pipes in the back scupper holes. Is it hard to lift the traps through them given they are behind you? Do you use the pedal drive when crabbing, or do you prefer to leave the pedal drive on shore to have more room for dealing with the crab stuff, and just use the paddle?

Thank you. Great vid. I wish I watched that before I bought some of my stuff. I have a hobie compass. I was going to do the PVC pipes in the back scupper holes. Is it hard to lift the traps through them given they are behind you? Do you use the pedal drive when crabbing, or do you prefer to leave the pedal drive on shore to have more room for dealing with the crab stuff, and just use the paddle?

I use a pedal drive when I go crabbing.  For our Oasis I keep the hoops behind me for my Outback I keep them in front.  I am not experienced with Compass but if you can, I would recommend keeping them in front.  If you store in the back, make sure you keep your head along the CL when you pick up your hoops or traps.  If you are uncomfortable, you can use a Hobie Sidekick stabilizer.
 

Paul

Thx. What is CL?

If you keep the 100-foot sections of rope intact, coil and tie or zip-tie all the unnecessary line near the buoy before you head out on the water. That way you won’t be coiling and uncoiling and tangling 75 feet of extra rope if you are in shallow.

Thx. What is CL?

Sorry, center line

Hi, MP. Having started kayak crabbing only two seasons ago, I am far from the expert on this, but I do have the same boat as you, and my beginner's mistakes are still fresh in my memory. My first big mistake was not gluing all the joints on my bow-mounted PVC rack, but instead relying on friction for a few select joints. I did this thinking that I could disassemble the rack for easier transport/storage on dry land. I learned the hard way that when you are yanking hoops on and off the rack, it will come apart on the water if you don't glue all the joints.

The second big mistake I made is not unspooling my brand new lines on dry land to remove the line coil memory. Plan on spending 15 min per line doing this at home or you will end up spending more time OTW untangling lines than crabbing.

Best of luck!

Thank you! 

How do you like the rack in the bow vs behind the seat? Is it easier to get the traps? I’m assuming you used the bow Bimini hole, and made an H for both facing up (for the traps) and down (for support)? Or if you have an alternative design, I’d be very interested to know (and see it if it isn’t too much trouble)

Thx for the other tips! I just ordered some pvc cement  because of it. And I’ll be sure to straighten out the lines.

So, like others have said, I wouldn't cut your lines.  I have hoops too, and use just the regular line that came with them, and it works fine.  100', and I mostly crab in 45-70' of water.  I don't even bother coiling some of it up, but I also don't crab in places with a lot of boat traffic. 

As far as carrying crab hoops on a kayak - lots of ways to achieve this.  I don't have a rack or anything special.  The way my rear deck is configured, I can set the hoops on top of the sides of the well, and sink a gaff and fishing rod though the hoops into my flush mount rod holders.  They are very secure like this, and it is dead simple.  I can reach far enough behind me to grab the hoops and pull them around for deployment.

Always check your lines before going out.  I store and carry them in a very particular way, but I have never had big tangle on the water.  I coil them carefully, and use a "tarp bungee" to secure them.  The little bungee loop with the toggle ball.  Doubled or tripled over if it is too long to hold.  Then when ready to deploy, I unbundle, and toss the buoy off my port side, and pay out the line 'til I get to the trap, then toss it over too, making sure it is relatively straight/flat.  Then, when checking them, I pull the line up from my starboard side, and just toss it over my lap and straight to the port side, until I get the trap next to me.  Dump the contents on deck, get the trap soaking again, and sort through my catch.  When collecting for the end of the day, I will coil my lines neatly for stowage, and set the hoops back on my rear deck just like when I launched.  Easy peasy!

A gaff helps A LOT when retrieving your hoops, BTW.  It completely eliminates the need to lean over to grab your line/buoy, and it also gives you a lot more reach/room for error in your approach.  Leaning over with hoops and crab on board can be a little dicey - lots of weight that isn't normally there when just fishing, and in my case, that weight is all kinda high too.

The only hiccup I've had with this method is one time the netting on one of my hoops got a little snagged on my rudder attachment.  It was NOT going to come off without a hand un-sticking it.  Luckily, a fellow NCKA member helped me out, and we carried on with our day, no big deal.  Always a good idea to have other kayakers around - we look out for each other. 

Be safe, and have fun!  Post pictures of your setup, and of your haul once you get onto some crab!  Crabbing is about as much fun as you can have on a kayak - and they are so tasty!  Win-win for sure!

Thank you! 

How do you like the rack in the bow vs behind the seat? Is it easier to get the traps? I’m assuming you used the bow Bimini hole, and made an H for both facing up (for the traps) and down (for support)? Or if you have an alternative design, I’d be very interested to know (and see it if it isn’t too much trouble)

Thx for the other tips! I just ordered some pvc cement  because of it. And I’ll be sure to straighten out the lines.

I went with the bow-mounted rack because I can carry a milk crate and beach wheels in back. More so, I thought turning around in my seat for my hoops would be difficult for me, and would only get harder as I age. I'll try and take a photo of my rack and upload today.

But if you don't need to carry anything else in back, or aren't worried about turning in your seat while holding somewhat-heavy/bulky stuff, others obviously pull it off. If I were starting over, I would consider that because less stuff on board is always better than more, all other things being equal. Maybe set your boat on the lawn, install the chair, stack your hoops on bow and stern, and give both a try.
 

For line management I use an extension cord organizer. I use a clip to basically stop unwinding the line when I reach the depth I want.

Ive been crabbing for 30 years, the past 10 on a kayak. I would ABSOLUTELY cut those lines down.Create 50 and 25 foot "shots" that can be combined to match desired depth by "loop to loop" connections.  Learn to braid loops in your weighted line, there are llots of YouTube videos available on that.  Pulling and dealing with extra line is always more work, but a particular pain in the ass on a kayak. Almost all my kayak crabing is done with a 50 shot, but its nice to be able to add on some extra length.  I dont use a gaff  to get my buoy, very easy to maneuver within arms reach and I like to have bare minimum gear on board when crabbing.

In any kind of current, those Promar 32's "walk" so add some extra weight in those. I use about 5 pounds of lead in each.  Also pick buoy colors that are unusual so its easy to spot your gear. There are way too many red and white buoys out there. Nylon bait bags work just as well or better than jars or metal cages and are WAY easier to deal with on a kayak. I keep my crab in a divers "game bag" clipped onto the kayak. Ill bring it aboard if traveling far, but generally just drag it around. Way less storage hassle than a cooler (which stays in the car).

Good luck and have a blast!

For line management I use an extension cord organizer. I use a clip to basically stop unwinding the line when I reach the depth I want.

This is my preferred method as well. I use the Poly rope, wound onto one of these things 100' of line, and then I have a separate 20 buoy line I attach to the handle. This way no math, always have 20%.  I add weight to the cord organizer to sink it and the poly line, usually use 12oz sinker zip tied to it.  On the float line half way down I put a lead sinker made for rope, it's hollow so you slide the rope through it but you could also add a 4oz coin weight or something.  When launch and land, I do not have the buoy and lines attached to my traps, so I have a easy clip carabiner on the end of the line. I worry a lot about entaglement when launching and landing, so feel better keeping them disconnected. When I deploy I grab a rope/float bundle, trab a trap/ring and connect it (after baiting it) and then i toss it over the side.  I unwind it until I feel it hit bottom I wrap the line so it wont unravel anymore and drop it over board.  The weight on the wrapper sinks the bundle down 20 ft of my buoy line, and my buoy line has a weight so it doesn't float up either.  Now every time I pull my trap the line is all set, I just pull it up and then drop back overboard after pulling crab out. 

I use the extension cord managers and have never cut down the lines. I use the cheap flat laying crab hoops, but they walk more than heavier ones in a current. I think they work well for shorter soaks.  It also seems like later in the season the larger smarter crabs escape over the sides more on the pull than a rigid hoop.