Massachusetts Crabbing Regulations

[masspi]

If you need a copy of the Massachusetts laws regarding crabbing, please send me an e-mail

[email protected]

They are too large to post on the forum

Dave

[Al Bike]

Dave:

My wife is going to a conference in Eastham on Cape Cod in July. Of course, I want to do some crabbing while she is in class. What are the reg's for recreational crabbers? I have a couple of commerical type traps. Can I use them or will I need to do the chicken neck on a line thing?
Al

[masspi]

Al,

Great time of the year to visit Eastham.

Recreational crabbing requires no license if you use a net or handline trap.  Commercial traps left unattended for any length of time require a Recreational Lobster permit.  I do not believe that it is available for non-residents that do not own property though. You can take 50 crabs a day that are minimum 4 1/8" Spine to Spine, no sponge crabs can be taken but females are OK. 

I am not up on locations to get crab on the Cape, maybe someone else on the forum can help with that.  I will ask around though to see if there are some good locations near Eastham.

Good luck and get your share

[unclebuttsy]

Chatham Harbor. The northernmost limit for catching a blue crab, as far as I know. Never been crabbing there myself, but I've been told to go to Bridge Street, and drop traps off the bridge. Call the friendly folks at Goose Hummock in Orleans for up to date info @ (508) 255-0455.

Crabs summer on the south coast of the Cape, but not the Backside or the Bay.

hey MassPi, where'd you get your lobster pots? Are you fishing all ten? Tell me wotcha got.

Oh, and that recreational lobster license is only for MA residents or owners of waterfront property.

[masspi]

UB

Where you been all Winter, in hibernation   

I got my commercial style pots from Bob Ketcham at Ketcham Traps in New Bedford.  Nothing in the water yet, working out some carburetor issues with the boat motor.  This weekend is not looking that great, but I will wait and see.  To soon for the crab traps.

What was the result of you using the SmartBait   Check the Waterman section for a debate on a new style of that type of bait.

[Al Bike]

Thanks for the info guys. Could I use a folding trap as long as I don't leave it unattended? Mine are probably too big for the suitcase so if I can use one I'll buy a smaller one to take. Or if the folks at Goose ?Hummock in Orleans have the equipment I can just buy from them. On another point, does anyone know about the party boats in the area? The two I have found closest to Eastham are the Golden Eagle out of Wychmere Harbor in Harwich and The Naviator out of Town Pier in Wellfleet. I'd like to do a day of fishing but don't want to pay the charter rates.

Al

[masspi]

The folding trap or triangle trap is fine to use.

Do some Google searches for party boats and fishing charters.........lots of results.  I have my own boats so I never had to charter.  Most guys who do charter charge between 300 and 500 for a day.  Check with the local Harbormaster,

http://www.vse.cape.com/~harborm/home.html

They are always helpful and have vast info.

Good luck and enjoy your time in Massachusetts

[masspi]

If you have a car available and don't mind a ride, come on up to Marion/Wareham on the Weweantic River where I crab.  B-mail me and I will let you know where to go to get your share.   

[Al Bike]

We are flying into Providence, RI and renting a car for the trip to Eastham. Arriving on 07/14/07 and will stay till 07/21/07. My wife will be in class each business day from 8 to 5 so I will have plenty of time. I don't mind driving to a good crab spot. Will contact in early July. Thanks, again.

Al

[masspi]

I wil wait to hear from you

[unclebuttsy]

Hey Al,

The 'Naviator' people are good folk. But it could be a longer commute from Eastham to Wellfleet Harbor in July than the map suggests,so leave plenty of time to travel those few miles. The 'out of towners' ruin it for everyone right around then

You'll find out soon enough that driving up and down the Outer Cape in July is challenging, but worth it. FYI: north is 'Down' and south is 'Up' on Cape Cod.

Wanna go fishing on your own terms? Go to Provincetown and rent a boat from Flyer's. Great rates, right on Commercial Street, in the west end. Take Rte 6 to the Conway Sreet exit then take a left all the way to the waterfront. Go right on Commercial Street until you find Flyers @# 131. There's a municiple parking lot just past, they'll tell you where. You can fish the harbor and have great fun and success. You just can't go out past Long Point... nor would you want to in the 17' boat they'll rent you.

Bear in mind that the tip of Cape Cod is 30+ miles out to sea. A half day trip on a boat out of P-Town or Wellfleet is within 30 minutes of Stellwagen Bank. The same trip from Gloucester is all day and more than twice the price.

Hey Masspi, you didn't let Bob Ketcham talk you into buying Yot Pots, did you?

As far as the SmartBait goes, I lost my gear in Boston Harbor and never got the results. We'll find out this year. I missed all the used pots offered on the Mass Lobsterman's website for one reason or another so I'm getting new ones built. Not by Ketcham Trap, by RnR in Hingham

[masspi]

36x21x12 commercial traps.  I got some from Bob and others from a friend.  I got to tell you that a friend of mine used the Yot Pot for years in Mattapoisett off of Angelica Point and always had Lobster.  A neighbor who recently moved away used them with pretty good success too.  If I didn't have a strong son-in-law, these big pots would kill me with no pot hauler.  ........I'm not Spring Chicken anymore........the mind says OK, but the old bod says enough. 

I rig my crab traps with both sinking rope and Dacron line that I used on outriggers and find it easy to pull and handle at the boat.

[unclebuttsy]

Hey Masspi,

I'm not saying those yot pots won't fish, just that a full size pot with bigger doors should be more appealing to a full figured lobster.

I just ordered some custom made, brickless 36" traps from RnR. 36 x 21 x 13.5.

10 ga. wire body and hauling end w/ reinforced concrete runners. 12 ga. tail end, bridge and lid. Bottom heavy, haulable by hand(I hope!) and no bricks or steel blocks required. Shrimp mesh hoop heads, w/ hoop gates on the parlor doors. These concrete runners are supposed to be worth having. I never thought about the bouyancy of oak runners before... but we put floats on the bottom of our traps w/ wooden runners.

[Goody1986]

Not to derail - but would a couple (2) Ketcham traps fit on a big sit on top kayak?

[masspi]

Boy that is an old topic......Uncle Butsy hasn't posted in a couple of years.

Are tou talking Lobster or Crab Traps, there is a big difference.  PM me and I will try to help you out

[ttran965]

ttt