Crab fishing from the pier - Balbo and Newport Reports

[carpanglerdude]

Trip #1: https://i.imgur.com/sSMXh1S.jpg
Fished Newport Pier. Best trip so far - 10 crabs landed, largest so far, but all still too small to be legal. Used old salmon from a kind grocery store. Nice conditions, clear and chilly, not too many other anglers crowding the pier.
Ran into two other crab fishermen, both had similar results, with larger hoop nets. Water is a bit shallow.

Trip #2:
Video link for trip #2:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PachqwRZzEQ&feature=youtu.be
Fished Balboa Pier. Awful conditions - storm runoff really blew out any visibility and wind required me to use heavier weights to keep net down, with difficulty. Surprised I caught any thing- two small crabs seen in the above video.
Unfortunately, lost my net on the last pull -- got wrapped around a piling. Saved the rope though.

Pretty fun catching these socal crab but after 4 trips (last year, this year), I still have yet to land any legals from multiple piers. I've had better luck snorkeling for lobsters this season.


For reference - last year's video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhnN-SnMsy0

[Natural Lefty]

Hello Carpangler dude. Ironically, my stepdaughter's boyfriend bought a bunch of Rock Crab at Newport yesterday. The commercial people are getting some from boats but probably farther offshore. Maybe the cold weather is driving them farther from shore.

I have some additional information. Those crabs you caught are Xantus Swimming Crabs, a member of the swimming crab group, which includes the Blue Crab of the Atlantic Ocean which is so commonly sold in markets. Swimming crabs tend to be on the small side, and Xantus Swimming Crabs are smaller than Blue Crabs. I went hooping at Balboa a few weeks ago and had similar results to yours, and like you, I put them all back, but some were big for that species, like the ones in your photos. There is no minimum size on them, and I have eaten some of the larger ones, especially when I was relatively "desperate" for some crab to eat. LOL They do taste good and are meatier than one might expect, but all of that is relative. These larger ones are still probably less than half the size of a barely legal Rock Crab.

[carpanglerdude]

Hello Carpangler dude. Ironically, my stepdaughter's boyfriend bought a bunch of Rock Crab at Newport yesterday. The commercial people are getting some from boats but probably farther offshore. Maybe the cold weather is driving them farther from shore.

I have some additional information. Those crabs you caught are Xantus Swimming Crabs, a member of the swimming crab group, which includes the Blue Crab of the Atlantic Ocean which is so commonly sold in markets. Swimming crabs tend to be on the small side, and Xantus Swimming Crabs are smaller than Blue Crabs. I went hooping at Balboa a few weeks ago and had similar results to yours, and like you, I put them all back, but some were big for that species, like the ones in your photos. There is no minimum size on them, and I have eaten some of the larger ones, especially when I was relatively "desperate" for some crab to eat. LOL They do taste good and are meatier than one might expect, but all of that is relative. These larger ones are still probably less than half the size of a barely legal Rock Crab.

Thanks Lefty! Appreciate the crab ID -- I was puzzeled.
Where was your relative fishing for crab at Newport?

[BALLERONBUDGET]

U can get salmon heads about $2/lb. most Asian markets. Ask butcher
To cut in half also. I use bait cage of 99c store wire baskets zip tied and carabiners.
If any seals around ur filet wud be gone in 30seconds.

Gud luck

[Natural Lefty]

He was fishing at the fish market. He bought them, not caught them. Sorry if that was not clear. LOL

[carpanglerdude]

He was fishing at the fish market. He bought them, not caught them. Sorry if that was not clear. LOL


Haha, my fault, misread!

[fishmounter]

I have not been crabbing for many years here in Southern Calif. and I have never seen these swimming crabs before. They sure were not around in the 80s. We used to just wear masks and fins and carry a gunny sack and get crabs that way at all our local beaches. Saw some big halibut and Shovelnose sharks as we swam along looking for crabs.