Collapsible Crab Trap Regs

[Kodiakman]

Got a question about the 18" opening restriction on collapsible crab traps.  The 18" diameter on the ring style traps make total sense but how is the 18" applied to the Cube and Pyramid style traps that lay open on the bottom?  Is each side considered an "Opening" or is the length from one side of the trap to the other as it lays open?

[MagnumTRex]

Inland fisheries and Marine fisheries have their own regulations but they appear to be identical when it comes to crabs.  The regs around collapsible traps are:

A collapsible crab trap with the largest opening not greater
than 18 inches and which, by design, collapses at all times
when in the water, except when being retrieved or lowered
to the bottom.

So a standard topless trap would have a 14” diagonal opening on each side and would be within the regulations. Any other manually operated trap you would measure the largest opening when the doors are open or in the case of a ring net, it can’t be bigger than an 18” ring net.  I have not been able to find anything that limits the number of them that you can use.  I was crabbing in Currituck sound and had the boat loaded with 24 topless traps and a CO was at the dock on a couple of different occasions on the way in and out and other than a friendly hello wave, didn’t pay any attention to me.  I did have the required license on me.

The other important thing to note is how many you can take, it’s the same for inland and marine waters.

No more than 50 crabs per person, per day or 100 per vessel,
per day with a minimum carapace width of five inches
(point to point) from inland fishing waters or in designated
waterfowl impoundments located on game lands.