Sonoma coast crabbing recommendations?

Dungeness season is about to open in sonoma county and I want to go after some biguns.  I have crabbed off the doran jetty and I was thinking about taking the yak out in tha area but it seems like the area around the harbor gets a lot of pressure.  I hear the area around the russian river has huge crabs but it is very sharky.  Does anyone have crabbing recommendations for the sonoma coast?

Travis,

I've really only been crabbing out of a kayak in Bodega Bay (not to be confused with Bodega Harbor).  The area does get a lot of pressure from the recreational crabbers becuase it is fairly protected, but then again I go there for the same reasons.   Last year, crabbing and rockfish were to distinct seasons, this year however we have almost two months of overlap so I'm trying to figure out good spots with rocky habitat and nice stretches of sand within easy paddling distance.  The problem of course is that you need to be far enough from the rocks to avoid the red rock crabs (unless you're into eating those little buggers, which I am not).

Salmon creek has some nice sandy areas in about 80 ft of water that from what I hear is pretty good for crabbing and you can certainly catch rockfish from the exposed rocky areas just north of there at Arched Rock Beach and School House Beach.  I may give it a try in that general vicinity if the weather cooperates otherwise, I'm I'll be sticking to Bodega Bay.

Brian

Last year, crabbing and rockfish were to distinct seasons, this year however we have almost two months of overlap so I'm trying to figure out good spots with rocky habitat and nice stretches of sand within easy paddling distance. The problem of course is that you need to be far enough from the rocks to avoid the red rock crabs (unless you're into eating those little buggers, which I am not).

I would also like to find an area with good sandy areas for dungeness crabs that is near a good area for rockfish/spearfishing.  I don't like the way the rock crabs taste.  I was wandering if perhaps there are any large sandy areas in the fort ross-salt point stretch of coast that would hold dungies.

http://www.fishsniffer.com/cgi-bin/forumsyabb/YaBB.pl?board=west;action=display;num=1127924589;start=0#0

Ill put this here also...There is a lot of good info here.

Matt, thanks for the crabbing link.  Good tips.

There's definitely big dungees off of Salmon Creek.

I've landed at least six in the past few months while perch grubbing there. All released, of course.

There's definitely big dungees off of Salmon Creek.

I've landed at least six in the past few months while perch grubbing there. All released, of course.

 Is there anywhere good to launch around salmon creek or do you just have to do the beach launch?  That could be tricky, it seems like an exposed beach.

Travis,

Most of Salmon Creek is unprotected which I believe is why it's considered a decent surfing spot.   There are some rocky areas slightly to the north like Shoolhouse beach



and Portugeuse Beach



which are sometimes a bit more protected.  Better yet, Duncan's landing is often protected from Northwest swells but it's a few miles north of Salmon Creek.  
 


I'm hoping to go out soon.  If the weather cooperates I'd like to try off the coast for Crab/Cod combo otherwise I'll probably just stick to Bodega Bay.  I'll let you know when my plans become more solid maybe we can hit it together.

Brian

Brian

Be careful at Duncan's Landing. I've seen HUGE sneaker waves roll in there on MANY occasions. Plus it's a wicked shore break.

I've used a fish finder off of Carmet and Schoolhouse beach and once you get out past the rocks it gets sandy. The sand starts at about 40 to 50 feet deep. There are plenty of rocks around Carmet and a great rocky shelf near shore on the north end of the beach.

I read a report several days ago and someone put some traps down off of Salmon Creek and said there wasn't as much there as they had hoped. He was scouting. But he was a fisherman, so maybe he's lying.

I believe early in the season you will have a decent chance of getting good crabs. Things really go to crap when the commercial season opens because they get everything close then start moving out deeper.

I haven't explored crabbing that many places, but it seems that from the kayak you will have an advantage because you can go a long ways from launches and put your stuff out. A fish finder would be a big help because you can identify the bottom pretty well. You can also put a weight on your pole and drag it to see what it feels like, but the sonar beats that all to heck.

I was thinking launching from the south side of goat rock could be doable but there is the tax man to worry about.  It seems that that whole stretch of sonoma coast beaches would be pretty sharky though.