Humboldt Bay @ Midnight - 11/5/16

Tonight we were able to return to a tradition.

Midnight Crabbing was ON!

Claire's gone before. We had some Disneyland-like conditions down at Crab Park a few years ago, but that area has changed drastically, and the river's up a bit high for crabbing right now. It was to be the bay or nothing, so we went for it on familiar water that I pre-scouted during the afternoon high tide and it looked great even with big swell outside.

Domenic joined us for the evening - he and I have done quite a few midnight crab openers together over the years.  (search this site for "midnight crab" - some fun reports).  He came to my place before 10, we baited rings and loaded gear, got Claire moving and convoyed to our launch at King Salmon by around 1130PM. Dom and I headed down to the water and found that there were lines of 8-12 inch breakers three deep right out front because of the tide just starting to move in. It was ugly! We moved around the bay and found that the north end was reasonable (in the dark, and wanting to go crabbing!).

We'd head out and set the gear and come back for Claire at the truck. Dom and I got all of our stuff down to the water, launched, and by the time we were paddling out it was 1159. We soon had gear in the water and were laying it out in strings that would be visible and findable if a glow-stick fell off or wasn't on the surface...
After only a few minutes we went ahead and checked the gear - that anticipation at the very opening minutes of the season and especially not having had last year's season, we were giddy with excitement to see what may be in our rings! Right away we were getting lots of Dungees including some legals, and Dom even pulled a jumbo near 7" early! Hopes were high for how this night would go when I already had 7 legals by the time I was heading back to get Claire!

I'd told Claire that I'd be there for her in 20 minutes or so, and she was snoozing when I got to the truck in 30. That was fine - I didn't really know if I was going to get her on the water or not. This was nowhere near beginner stuff - middle of the night, no moon, headlamp shows about 10' to 15' of mist, and I'd need her to trust me that she just needs to keep paddling into the little rifflers coming in the bay... I felt that it was probable that she'd freak at those conditions, cry, and need to go back in and be situated in the truck. I felt it was probable, but I also knew that she'd had some experience with paddling in the dark before, and I knew that I'd made a careful assessment of whether I felt it was safe - it was. I was stoked to see if my 16 year old was gonna do this!

I wake her up and get her moving, and at first she's whiny and sluggish. I try to get her to be upbeat and go for it - positive attitude! As she continues to drag and act sad and cold I offer that she can sit it out if she wants - "It's pretty bumpy out there..."

...and she's like, "No. No - I didn't come out here in the middle of the night for nothing!" And she got up, got her PFD on, made her way with me in the dark to the water's edge where we pulled the X-Factors into the surf a ways, and then I told her, "I'm going to push you out, and you need to just paddle for that red light across the channel." And she's like, "Ok, Dad." (I didn't need to hold back a tear at the time, but while I write this I do). 

I got her headed out into the darkness, trusting that I was sending her to safety, and I scrambled back to get my yak, get the bow pointed into the surf, and paddle after her as fast as I could. I caught up to her and we were too close to the little jetty. I told her to veer hard left, and she did it just fine. I was so stoked to have her on the open water and in full control of her own boat.

We were now easily on safe water, and what we'd come through wasn't more hazardous than maybe losing gear and getting wet, but we'd gotten through in the dark with no crying and no needing to go back to the truck - this was happening!

We paddled side by side to our little fleet of buoys - Domenic's had yellow glow-sticks, and ours had blue ones. I told Claire about the current running north to south with the incoming tide, and she easily adjusted and approached from the south, grabbed the buoy, gathered the loose rope and started hauling in the first ring. She's expert at this!

She gets her first ring-load up top and it's got at least two legal Dungeness! We bag those, re-deploy the ring and move on to the next one. At this point I have no reason to believe the night won't be just out of this world for crabbing!!
 
Well, right when you're in a position like that you should basically just expect a change to come! Suddenly we couldn't get a Dungee... It was all rock crabs. In the next 30 minutes we pull all the rings twice and only get one more legal Dungeness. No prob though - we had enough, and we'd had a blast! After my girl got that first nice crab she was no longer cold, no longer whiny and absolutely having a ball - what an awesome time to have with my daughter!

After only seeing rock crabs for a while and Claire's back bothering her I got her back inshore and in the truck, loaded up her yak, and headed back out with Dom to finish the session. I didn't get any more Dungee's, and Dom was pretty much done too - we were both happy with what we'd scored early and left with near limits for he and I.

Dom and I enjoyed a 2AM beer while we loaded up the yaks, and soon it was time to head home. It was all smiles because this had been a really great opener. Good bite, challenging conditions, got Claire on midnight rough water where she scored a couple legals, and Dom and I were able to enjoy the second half of the session on beautiful moonless water, where it no longer mattered whether another crab came up. We'd gotten what we came for.

Good times, my brother. Thank you for being there as my safety ranger while I took my daughter on a true adventure. 

DUDE... that is really inspiring. I hope to get my son out in the salt some day. Way to get it done!!!

Wow, great account of an extremely memorable time with Claire and Dom, thanks for sharing the report and pictures.

Stoked you guys got out!

Way to get it Done!!!

awesome, glad to hear that the tradition was able to be revived, thanks for the great report, cameron

Congrats to you, Claire, and Dom.

Way to keep up the tradition.

Way to keep up the tradition.

+1

Thanks for sharing Eric.

thanks for an inspiring report and good reads for those of us that were not able to The Crab opener Eric.
 two thumbs up Siskel and Ebert in my books

Thanks, guys.  I got 3 hours sleep and kicked ass on house chores today before son's soccer game and family dinner.  Still riding the crabbing-grin. 

That's awesome ....

Good Job Eric! 

I picked up four legals today at Tomales from a friend's boat.  Looking forward to going out in the kayak later this month.  Might even bring my kayak and crab ring when we come up over Thanksgiving.

Best,

Ben

Love that grin feelin'!  Sweet story with your daughter.  I think I am inspired as well as CptSlopstermeister that we'll be kayakin' with our sons and daughters in time.

Congrats, Eric!  Way to enjoy the tradition with your girl!  Great story, even better than just crabbing!

You're right about the tear in the eye thing, your report brings back some great memories

Thanks for sharing the annual midnight adventure.