Red vs Dunginess Crab

 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

 The red rock crab is a household regular, and you guessed it! It looks like a red rock. These species are native to the North American west coast ranging from Alaska to California. While they are small, they are very mean animals and will pinch when approached.  

 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 out to 7inches.  Since they are not as popular, there is a limit of 24/day of any size or sex.  

 The Dungeness Crab is red but with more white patches. Along with the red rock crab,  Since they are more popular, there is a limit of 12/day of males only large than 5 3/4 inches

 Much bigger than the red rock crab, the Dungeness weighs up to 2 pounds on average. Most of this Crab’s weight is mostly meat, which makes it the most sought after and is also luckily abundant in numbers.  

 Red Rock vs. Dungeness

 Apart from the apparent size difference, what other ways can you differentiate these crustaceans? Dungeness crabs are described as sweet and mild, while you can tell the red rock as sweet and delicate. In both cases, your taste buds are bound to thank you.  

 Since their size is bigger (fresh), Dungeness crabs are more expensive than their crabby counterparts; however, red rock crabs are easier to cook and find.  

 If you are interested in trying both crabs at home, it is recommended to boil Dungeness crabs in salted boiling water, while red rock crabs are best cooked in a seasoned broth.  

 The type of Crab caught depends on the kind of bottom of the Bay.  Rock Crab like bays with a rocky bottom.  Dinginess Crab likes sandy bay bottoms.  Newport has a rocky and sandy bottom; thus, you will catch Rock and Dinginess Crab from Newport docks, piers, or boats.  The Soaker type Crab Traps are typically used in Newport Bay or Depoe Bay.

 Depoe Bay has a rocky bottom; thus, you will catch mainly Rock from Depoe’s docks, piers, or boats.  The Ring-type Crab Traps are typically used in Newport Bay or Depoe Bay.

 Siletz Bay has a sandy bottom; thus, you will catch mainly Dinginess from the Siletz Bay shore.  The Crab Trapper is generally used in Siletz Bay but can also be used in Newport Bay or Depoe Bay.  Siletz has a dock, but it silted in and does not extend in the Bay far enough to catch Crab.  The Crab Trapper is the only Crab trap that can be used for shore.

When is the best time to Crab?   <P>

After you complete this reservation, you will be received an email with tide tables of the date you requested. 

Please review this video tide table to determine the best time to Crab. If you are interested to picking the future best date CLICK HERE