Crab Clinic … Everything you wanted to know about Crabbing, and you were afraid to ask?

One hour (1) Free Crabbing Clinic

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One hour (1) Private Crab Clinics …. At YOUR time and at YOUR Date

We provide the kitchen equipment to cook Crab and show you how to clean & cook the Crab…. ready to eat…. $2.50/crab.

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Do you need a Crab License?

No, you should not attend the Crab Clinic, but yes, if you are 12 or older and want to Crab.

It is called a Shellfish license. For Oregon residents, it is $10 for 2024, and for out-of-state residents, it is $20 for three days.

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Can kids and women use Crab Traps? .,., Click Here

Kids and women will be able to learn how to catch, clean, cook, and eat Crabs…….. We encourage kids between the ages of 8 and 11 to catch crabs by giving them free usage of our crab traps.

The Sustainable Living Center of Oregon will furnish a Free Crab Trapper Set – one (1) Kid’s Crab Trap, Bucket, Crab Gauge, location, and instructions – for up to 24 hours when an adult rents three traps. 

What kind of Crab will we catch?

The most common Crabs on the Oregon Coast are the Red Rock and Dungeness crabs.

Here are some ways to tell them apart:  

 The Red Rock Crab

Only the claws have meat.  Some people say the meat is better than the Dungenes, but there is less.

The size of the red rock crab makes it less common to buy. Smaller bodies mean more difficulty extracting meat from these animals.

The female crabs grow an average of 4-6 inches around the shell, while the males push to 7 inches. 

Since they are not as popular, there is a limit of 24/day for any size or sex.  

The Dungeness Crab

They are also red but with more white patches. Since they are more popular, there is a limit of 12/day for males only larger than 5 3/4 inches.

The Dungeness weighs up to 2 pounds on average, much heavier than the red rock crab.

Most of this Crab’s weight is mostly meat, which makes it the most sought after and is also luckily abundant in numbers. 

Each has advantages and disadvantages in different Crabing Situations.

 What bait to use?

According to the experts, one must understand how Crabs find food and appeal to their sense of smell.

Experts believe that crabs have an excellent sense of smell—this is somewhat true, but not in this sense, you might think.

Crabs don’t smell through any organ like a nose but use microscopic “smelling” organisms.  Therefore, anything with a strong smell can attract a host of these creatures.

They will go after anything that comes into their path.  

Furthermore, crabs use their claws to dig or scratch food from the seafloor’s bottom.  

Crabs rely on their sense of smell to find food. Crabs have chemoreceptors that detect chemicals in the water released by their prey.

These chemoreceptors are on a crab’s antennae. These long, segmented appendages near the Crab’s eyes have chemoreceptors, allowing them to feel their surroundings.

Crabs also have antennules, shorter antenna-like appendages near the antennas that allow them to sense their environment. A crab can “taste” using hairs on its mouthparts, pincers, and even its feet. 

Long story short? The stinker and smeller the bait, the better.

Foods that are natural to crabs seem to do better, such as fish carcasses, squid, clams, and the like. Natural baits also have a downside: seals seem to love them as much as the Crab, and Seals tear up Crab Traps.

Recommended bait is dark meat chicken.  The Crab will consume about two (2) pieces of dark meat chicken/hour.

Which Bay to Crab?

Siletz Bay has a sandy bottom, with 98% of the Crab caught being Dungeness.

 There is no dock or pier to Crab from on Siletz Bay., and only one place to rent a boat.

Since 50% of its Newport Bay bottom is rocky, you will catch 50% Rock Crabs.

But there is an upside if you are just into the experience of “”JUST crab for fun with the family. Depoe Bay dock is your best bet. If a child is under 14, they must wear a life jacket while on the dock. Life jackets are free when you rent your crab traps.

There is only one (1) dock to Crab and no Boat Rentals

Where to find Crabs in the Bay?

Regardless of the bay’s bottom’s nature, the Ellgrass Beds are the secret. Just look for stems of eelgrass and other debris floating on the water’s surface. The crabs hang out in the grass, so that’s where you should be crabbing. They will find the deepest hole in the Ellgrass and hang out there.

Since one does not know the deepest hole in the ELLgrass, it is possible to use the Round Crab Max to find where the Crabs are hanging out and then drop your “Soakers” traps.

Ellgrass is a nutrient-rich substrate, and the pancake-flat shoreline and mild winter weather allow the eelgrasses to flourish in the bays.

Do I need a Boat?

No, you can crab from the dock, pier, or beach, but the number caught is usually less than using a boat.  The reason is that everybody on the dock, pier, or beach competes for the same Carb. 

With a boat, you can go where nobody else is crabbing.

The dock, pier, or beach is perfect for a fun-filled afternoon with the family.  You will catch crabs of all sizes.  The kids will enjoy it and have room to run and play. 

You will catch a few “Keepers” for Dinner, which costs about $100 less than renting a boat.

If you want to catch your limit, a boat is best, but there is no guarantee. But, sometimes, the Crabbers on the beach will catch more than the ones in the boat.

Boating Options at Lincoln City

  The system consists of sections of tubes and clamps that join two canoes in separate places, with a platform space of 2 feet between them. For greater stability, the maximum width of the Crab-Cat is 8 feet from outside to outside.

 Time of day to Crab?

Dungeness Crab season in Oregon is year-round in the bays. Still, Mitch Vance, a shellfish biologist for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, said timing your crabbing trip in the fall is more important to get the limit than figuring out which Bay to try.

While Crab can be caught virtually any month, Most bays will be primed with crabs in the latter part of the calendar year with newly molted Crab. Late September through November often produces Crab that is molted in the Summer and fills up with fresh meat.

How many Crabs you catch depends on the Rain, Tides, and Time of day.

The crab is a saltwater creature—the fresher water in the bay. The closer the Crabs are to the ocean. During the Summer, the Bays lack their freshwater influence and may be the best to catch the legal limit of Crab.  During the Summer, it is best to Crab at low tide.

In September, the Crabs will tend to be more “filled out,” meaning there is a higher percentage of quality meat. You can tell the meat’s quality by the shell’s condition. Hard-shelled crabs contain 20-30 percent meat by weight compared to soft-shelled crabs, which can be as low as 12 percent meat.

The best time of day to catch Crab is Slack Tide.    CLICK HERE for Crab Tide Tables

“Slack water,” also called “Slack Tide” (the times of peak high or low tide), is the best time to Crab.

Crabs often bury themselves during swift tidal exchanges, but at slack tides, more crabs are walking around foraging since they are less affected by tidal currents. Slack-tide is a favorite time to harvest Crabs. One hour on each side of the high and low tides for the day (one hour on each side equals a two-hour time slot).

At this time, the tide is moving slowly, allowing scavengers, like crabs, to roam around and look for food without fighting the current. However, this is only a general rule; crabs can be caught anytime.

By standing on the beach and throwing your Crab Trapper out 50 ft into the channel, you will catch Dinner.  Crab caught this way are posted daily @ CLICK HERE @ CatchDinner.com

What is the cost of renting crab traps?

Newport Bay …. No Crab Trap Rental

Depoe Bay….. No Crab Trap Rental

Lincoln City… Pay by Credit or Debit Card Only. To use Cash, call 541-765-2109 for special arrangements.

Rent Three Trap Option … Set of (3) Crab Traps (Mix or Match Soaker, Ring, Crab Trapper), a bucket, and a crab gauge @$50/set with a valid Credit/Debit Card

Rent One Trap Option Set of  (1) Crab Traps (Choice of Soaker, Ring, Crab Max)  bucket, and a crab gauge @$40/set with a valid Credit/Debit Card.  

Crab Traps pick-up times … 8 AM – Dark with reservations.

What is the cost of purchasing Crab traps?

Newport Bay …  Ace Hardware 2340 N Coast Hwy Newport, OR 97365 ….. Soaker, Ring, or Crab Max at different prices

Lincoln City …

Depoe Bay  

Three Trap Option  Set of Three (3) Crab Trappers, a bucket, and gauge @$150/set.

One Trap Option  Set of  One (1) Crab Trapper, a bucket, and a crab gauge @$50.

The office sales & reservation staff is only available from 8 am – 10 pm… 541-765-2109

Siletz Bay … Pay by Credit or Debit Card Only    To use Cash, call 541-765-2109 for special arrangements.

Three Trap Option  Set of Three (3) Crab Trappers, a bucket, and gauge @$150/set.

One Trap Option  Set of  One (1) Crab Trapper, a bucket, and a crab gauge @$50.

Crab Traps pick-up times … 8 AM – Dark with reservations.

Comments below if this web site did not ask your questions.