Do try this at home:
Crabbing with the Kids
– from a Kayak!
Here’s something different – load up the kids, kayaks and crab pots and head to the Canal. It’s time to get up close and personal with nature and catch dinner from the stability of – a kayak. The guides at Kayak Brinnon are seeing a trend to families and individuals trying out this new exciting method of catching your own dinner!
Never mind fork to table – let’s talk paddle to pot! According to Christina Maloney, owner and guide at Kayak Brinnon, kayak crabbing is gaining popularity on Hood Canal. Dungeness and Red Rock crab can be found throughout the Hood Canal at depths between one and 300 feet. “We recommend kayak crabbing in depths of 30 to 75 feet and provide 100 feet of line for each crab pot,” remarks Christina,
adding, “what you catch depends on a variety of factors such as location, bait, length of soak, and the health of the population.” The amount of crabs you may keep is limited to five male Dungeness, and six Red Rock crab of either sex, per day. Crabbers are required to purchase a WDFW shellfish license with a Dungeness crab endorsement and each licensed harvester is expected to educate themselves on the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife rules and regulations before setting out for a crabbing experience.
Don’t have a kayak? Don’t worry. Many establishments on Hood Canal rent both kayaks and crab pots. Rent kayaks and crab pots by the hour or for multiple days to paddle the Hood Canal during the day and pull your pots full of Dungeness and Red Rock crab for dinner. At Brinnon Kayak, located at Yelvik’s Beach, near Brinnon, in addition to renting kayaks and crab fishing equipment, they offer helpful advice and tips on crabbing in the Hood Canal. Brinnon Kayak was started by former Marine and Fisheries Biologist Christina Maloney in 2008. While working seasonally at the old Point Whitney Shellfish Laboratory in Brinnon between 1993 and 1995, Christina vowed to return to the Hood Canal someday to live full-time. After a twelve year career in Seatlle with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and other biological agencies she was given an opportunity to leave the city and build this dream.
Christina’s husband, Jason, displays the evening catch off Yelvik Beach, Hood Canal 33
FJORD
