Crabbing for rock crabs during Dungeness off season

Can I deploy crab hoop nets to catch rock crab during Dungeness off season?  I understand that I have to release any Dungeness bycatch. 

Yes

Absolutely! And places like Doran there are some HUGE and tasty ones eager to be caught along the jetty walls.  Little harder to get at the good stuff, but I find them to be very good eating. 

I prefer the taste of rock crabs, especially the claws. Not a whole lot to the body unless you prefer all the butter. Same for reds.

Ditto on they should be easy to round up a few near shore.

Alex

Thanks for the replies, greatly appreciate it.

If the butter taste throws you off you can always clean them live before you cook them….. it’s a little barbaric but you grab them by the shell slamming there thorax (I think that’s what it’s called) against a hard surface (in the same direction it faces) not to crack them completely but it basically stuns and or kills them, then wrap your pointer fingers and thumb all the way around the legs and claws palms down at the base of the shell, grip tight and roll the back of your hands up and in, popping the shell and pull the crab in half, shake out the goo and pull the lungs.  Cook lime is about 4-5 minutes less then your usual.