PWS King Crab Fishery?

[JKD]

IceKing02 - I can't tell if you are joking around or not (maybe you are a "Monte Python" fan) - or just trying to rid your yard of a Polyform buoy, but Mallardman is spot on with his information for buoy arrangements for fishing for golden Kings. I had success pot-fishing for them commercially here in SE for a number of seasons. Just like Brian stated in his observation about depths for these crab, we were fishing as deep as 1800 feet over 50% of the time. Double Polyforms (much larger than yours) - plus a large plastic trawl float was not enough to keep them all from getting sucked under by a very small amount of tidal current. I admit that I lost a number of Polyforms during this fishery due to the buoys bursting when they were pulled down too deep and crushed under the water pressure. Luckily the hard plastic trawl floats brought them back up to the surface so I could get [almost] everything back.

 

[Brian M]

I've got quite a bit of deck room and i have to be careful how i pile my rope, be careful what your doing!

Why not a trash can or tote, Steve? We can easily fit 300 fathoms in a round outdoor trashcan, 350-400 if we stomp on it and coil it above the rim. We almost never have rope piled on the deck.

 

[potbuilder]

Only problem I see with crab is you need to process it, I mean cook it, before it dies. Dungeness are the easiest becaue you can cook them whole and refigurate whole tell you get areound to claning them. Tanner are small enough that you could probable do the same than section them later, have never cooked tanner. I butchered my fair share of King crab at Seward Fish back in the 70s and its a messy process, but when you are done the leg sections need to be cooked immediately.

If I were going to drop king crab pots it would be in hopes of catching something for dinner.

Think I will continue to catch my king at Costco.

Your a smart guy Jay!! i wouldn't want to waste all the time and money to get geared up for crab with the limit being like 2 crab per day(i might be wrong on that??) and if i did go and try it i doubt the 2 crab would see land, they'd be gone by morning!!

 

[potbuilder]

Why not a trash can or tote, Steve? We can easily fit 300 fathoms in a round outdoor trashcan, 350-400 if we stomp on it and coil it above the rim. We almost never have rope piled on the deck.

First of all i almost never coil rope, waste of time and energy, second each of my buoylines were 150+ fathoms times that by 5 lines and a buoy on each end of a line and you've got a 5 cans on deck plus now you still have to mess with the running lines. I'll still pile it on deck, i've got a few tricks to do to the Snow Squall to make moving gear a lot easier. Last year was first year with a new rig and we were still getting to know each other.

 

[Brian M]

Good enough, Steve. Coiling into a trashcan doesn't take us any longer than coiling onto the floor - the puller never stops - but each boat is different and you've got to do what works. I'd love to see your setup someday and how you make it work. Heck, if you ever want a free deckhand for a trip, I'm in.

 

[breausaw]

Heck, if you ever want a free deckhand for a trip, I'm in.

Me too! I'll cut bait, stow the gear, wash the deck, what ever it takes....withen reason.

 

[potbuilder]

Now i've got to go rig the hauler to run faster than it does so i can wear the soles out of your boots chasing those pots on deck.

 

[Alaskanmutt]

I buy the cheap collapsable laundry hampers at Bed Bath and Beyond, about 12 buck, they drain just fine, they fold up when not in use and I stck 1800 + feet in them just fine with room on top for the bait jars and 1 bouy.

 

[potbuilder]

View attachment 57151

I buy the cheap collapsable laundry hampers at Bed Bath and Beyond, about 12 buck, they drain just fine, they fold up when not in use and I stck 1800 + feet in them just fine with room on top for the bait jars and 1 bouy.

Still not big enough for 1 of my lines. Good idea for the sport shrimp guys though.

 

[Rob B]

Alaskanmutt, How does the lead line coil up in those laundry hampers? Do ya get much of a mess when you toss the pots back out? Looks like a great idea and I like the way it folds up next to nothing when it's not being used.

 

[Alaskanmutt]

It lays great, as long as you keep your mitts off it
when it coils in you just let it fall as it wants, if needed you pick the basket up and give it a few downward shakes to settle it some. When you are ready to set the end of the line is right there, you just hook up and toss the pot, the line will fake out clean. Only time I have ever had a problem was when my son dropped it on its side in the back yard and then just piles the line back in, and didn't tell me till I had tossed the pots, then the tangles came. But any container will do that.

I have 2 lines of 950 feet each in the basket. (steve tells me that is a bit much though) On boats with small back decks like mine it is a great thing, when I am done setting it collapses, a couple snaps keep it closed and it gets put in the back compartments out of the way till it is time to go home (also the reason I use steves folder pots)

 

[potbuilder]

It lays great, as long as you keep your mitts off it
when it coils in you just let it fall as it wants, if needed you pick the basket up and give it a few downward shakes to settle it some. When you are ready to set the end of the line is right there, you just hook up and toss the pot, the line will fake out clean. Only time I have ever had a problem was when my son dropped it on its side in the back yard and then just piles the line back in, and didn't tell me till I had tossed the pots, then the tangles came. But any container will do that.

I have 2 lines of 950 feet each in the basket. (steve tells me that is a bit much though) On boats with small back decks like mine it is a great thing, when I am done setting it collapses, a couple snaps keep it closed and it gets put in the back compartments out of the way till it is time to go home (also the reason I use steves folder pots)

Did you get the 3 strand sink rope(Esterpro) or did you get the braided sink rope(Osprey) i have? The braid doesn't need to be coiled it just flakes into any container, customers tell me they get 600 of the braid in a milk crate.

 

[Alaskanmutt]

Mine is 600 feet of the floating stuff from Donaldsons (lower part of the line where the pots go) with 350 or so of sinking 3 strand for the surface part.

Part of the things I need to come see you for is the line you carry, the braid. Plus a few more folding pots. I am thining that the 800-850 feet I drop them in is too deep from talking to you (although I do want to link the two together (1900) feet and drop 1 pot on the east side of Lone Island, just to see what is there.

I am thinking on just going 500- 600 feet deep, or maybe less.

I don't really "coil" it. it falls in a coil for the most part from the line memory.

 

[akfshklr]

Did you get the 3 strand sink rope(Esterpro) or did you get the braided sink rope(Osprey) i have? The braid doesn't need to be coiled it just flakes into any container, customers tell me they get 600 of the braid in a milk crate.

Yes Steve, I put 600' of Osprey plus whatever you gave me for running two pots on the groundline (maybe another 80') into a rectangular milk crate. The square ones are a bit too small.

 

[27 sportfisher]

mutt, i dropped between lone and perry 550'. large average but not great numbers. i run a 200' stinger line at the pot end. i space and stage the pots with 30' between them. kick off the first and the rest follow like a lobster set. then i have 650' of line to the surface. fits in a 5 gal bucket.

 

[breausaw]

(although I do want to link the two together (1900) feet and drop 1 pot on the east side of Lone Island, just to see what is there.

.

My thought too, have often wondered if that area would produce; a lot of line for sure if you miss the drop zone.

I'm thinking of dropping 3 pots spaced 200ft apart to prospect for depth.

Problem will be getting a bottom lock, should definitely be a crap shoot as to where the pots will land. Maybe one pots not a bad idea.

 

[IceKing02]

JKD,

I am both a Monty Python fan AND I'm trying to get rid of that Polyform A5! I know where to go pick up a few more of them if you are interested in purchasing enough buoyancy to raise the Titanic! Haven't been able to find the hard plastic trawl floats, though. Pot-fishing for King Crabs sounds like a hard way to make a living...good on ya!

IceKing02

 

[Alaskanmutt]

I am thinking 1600 feet deep, and 20 pounds of lead weight bars in 1 pot. Siince I don't have an electrodyne I am thinking it would take 15 miuntes or so to pull with my ace.

 

[kasilofchrisn]

JKD,

I am both a Monty Python fan AND I'm trying to get rid of that Polyform A5! I know where to go pick up a few more of them if you are interested in purchasing enough buoyancy to raise the Titanic! Haven't been able to find the hard plastic trawl floats, though. Pot-fishing for King Crabs sounds like a hard way to make a living...good on ya!

IceKing02

I have some hard plastic trawl floats I would be willing to sell or trade. One size is basketball sized and the other is a little bigger.
Bought them cheap at a garage sale a few years back that a friend of my sister was having.
If you are interested or anyone else they are in Kasilof and I would be open to offers or trades.
These ones have the hole all the way through the center of the float. and are a faded orange hard plastic.
I think I have about 6 of each size but I would have to double check.

 

[Gooch]

Crab is $9.99 per # at Carrs right now! Just thought I would let ya'll know.