Rec Crabber Beware II

[catchincrabs]

How do you screw up crabbing?

Running to many Pots, starting to early. No cull rings. Set gear over boundry lines (by feet not 100') Running your oil mix to rich. etc etc etc.....

[ChrisS]

Exactly! How do you screw up crabbing? Those are all excuses....and none of which are anyone else's fault but your own.

Learn to count....
Buy a watch...
build pots correctly.....
Buy a chartplotter GPS....

....and I've never heard of anyone getting popped for running they're fuel mix ratio on the slicker side.

[catchincrabs]

You obviously haven't been around long. CC

[ChrisS]

...I beg to differ.
    Your river is ran by a very nice girl named Cp. April Metzger..Lt. Mattews and a very nice fellow by the name of JR (NRP). Baltimore county marine division is also ran by a nice fellow by the name of Lt. Barry Sweitzer all out of Frog Mortor. I've never had a problem with any of them, because I do my best to obey the law. Am I wrong? Since I haven't been around as long as you, what do I need to be aware of?

[catchincrabs]

I didnt say anything about this end of the bay. Just because I live up here does not mean I crab here. Which tells me you know a bunch of police officers and not much about what goes on around the potomac.CC

[ChrisS]

.......I don't wish to get into a pissing match with ya, but it tells me you have a problem following the rules. Any way you slice it. There are some that ride you hard, but your not gonna get a ticket if you have the correct amount of pots, start and the appropriate hour, stay away from restricted areas, and put cull rings in your pots........and unless your pouring motor oil or any other substances right into the bildge and pumping it out, I doubt your gonna get a ticket for running your outboard too slick....I have never heard of that one, but will give you the benefit of the doubt and concede to ignorance.

[catchincrabs]

Thats what I'm trying to say. WE get tickets and points on our licenses. Recs just get tickets. This started out as let fair go both ways.

[ChrisS]

......agree to a certain point. As a commercial crabber your held to a higher standard than a recreational crabber, and being one that does it everyday....the rules and regs should be as well known as your favorite hotspot. If It were up to me, I'd require all commercial crabbers (license holders) to carry a Captain's license.

[ChrisS]

.....btw, I love your signature at the bottom, it rings so true. Kids need some real life exposure sometimes and I often take my lil girl out with me to work. She hates it, though.

[Black Irish]

Enforcement is not the issue of this thread. Organizing the recs so that we don't have regulations imposed upon us with no say in the matter is the issue of this thread. I see more regulations coming our way and if we don't do something about it then we are fools. It's time we started our own association to voice our opinions. Otherwise we will lose what privledges we have. I love taking kids out and watching their faces light up. Then later they all want to watch the steamer being loaded up and fired. And finally we all sit down and eat together. I remember what that was like and how much fun it was. Crabbing and crab feasts are a Maryland tradition. I'm going make sure kids always have that chance. Crabs are a natural resource and therefore belong to everyone, not just to the ones who profit from them.

[Domino]

Crabs are a natural resource and therefore belong to everyone, not just to the ones who profit from them.

I'll second that...

[crabologist]

Enforcement is not the issue of this thread. Organizing the recs so that we don't have regulations imposed upon us with no say in the matter is the issue of this thread. I see more regulations coming our way and if we don't do something about it then we are fools. It's time we started our own association to voice our opinions. Otherwise we will lose what privledges we have. I love taking kids out and watching their faces light up. Then later they all want to watch the steamer being loaded up and fired. And finally we all sit down and eat together. I remember what that was like and how much fun it was. Crabbing and crab feasts are a Maryland tradition. I'm going make sure kids always have that chance. Crabs are a natural resource and therefore belong to everyone, not just to the ones who profit from them.

Hear you loud and clear Greg and am with you 100 % !!

[jack1747]

Crabs are a natural resource and therefore belong to everyone, not just to the ones who profit from them.

The problem is, crabs like chicken are just something to eat for most folks.  We here, enjoy the life style, commie or rec.  The food is sweeter cause you have caught it, enjoyed a day on the water.  Follow the buck..  Everyone on the shore knows that the chicken houses are kill'n the bay but you wont change anything cause thats where the money is.  Other posts talk about how folks are saying, "WOW, now we got all this new enviromental stuff showing up..."  Give me a break.  Dump [shiz] in the bay.... you harvest [shiz]...   

I know I am off topic...  But u guys need to read the "MD trib teams reports".  IT IS THE [dang] POLUTION!  NOT THE COMMIES OR THE RECS!  It is the [dang] fert. that you put on your lawn.  It is the old communities that have no storm water management... The new to the enviroment, mini farms.  Just look around.  They got to have a horse but dont know what to do with the manur. Just look, they all got piles of it.  Where do you think the runoff goes?  Follow the buck.  Old developement, everything that washes off goes in the bay.  New developments, Storm water management, rain water filters......... Quit the [dang] bickering and fix the polution!  Yes there are to many people.  To many people trying to eat out of the bay.  Like shipping seafood all around the world out of the bay that probable was designed to feed the native population and provide a breeding ground for the whole east coast. 

[curd] I said I would not get into this........................

I hope I am wrong but I think you all are going to see a BIG crash in crabs in the CB this year...  Then everyones tune will change....

[catchincrabs]

The problem is, crabs like chicken are just something to eat for most folks.  We here, enjoy the life style, commie or rec.  The food is sweeter cause you have caught it, enjoyed a day on the water.  Follow the buck..  Everyone on the shore knows that the chicken houses are kill'n the bay but you wont change anything cause thats where the money is.  Other posts talk about how folks are saying, "WOW, now we got all this new enviromental stuff showing up..."  Give me a break.  Dump sh*t in the bay.... you harvest sh*t...   

I know I am off topic...  But u guys need to read the "MD trib teams reports".  IT IS THE darn POLUTION!  NOT THE COMMIES OR THE RECS!  It is the darn fert. that you put on your lawn.  It is the old communities that have no storm water management... The new to the enviroment, mini farms.  Just look around.  They got to have a horse but dont know what to do with the manur. Just look, they all got piles of it.  Where do you think the runoff goes?  Follow the buck.  Old developement, everything that washes off goes in the bay.  New developments, Storm water management, rain water filters......... Quit the darn bickering and fix the polution!  Yes there are to many people.  To many people trying to eat out of the bay.  Like shipping seafood all around the world out of the bay that probable was designed to feed the native population and provide a breeding ground for the whole east coast. 

[curd] I said I would not get into this........................

I hope I am wrong but I think you all are going to see a BIG crash in crabs in the CB this year...  Then everyones tune will change....

Jack. What makes you think there will be a crab crash? CC

[jack1747]

Jack. What makes you think there will be a crab crash? CC

End of last summer was a bust here on the shore...  Most gave up crab'n in August.  Normally they have tons of sooks as they migrate out of the creeks.  Plus there was a really late slough during cold water.  No sooks, no crabs.  Maybe this year or next.  Just based on seat of the pants crab and seeing lots of guys give up. Like I said I hope I am wrong but a lot of old time crab'ers are giving up.  Course that will change if'n the crabs are there come May... 

[catchincrabs]

Thanks Jack. The crabs seemed to be down south until august and then they came on really good up here. We usually see sooks from the end of august thru september. There were tons of sooks around here until the end of october. Maybe things are just changing up a bit. (I Hope) CC

[Crabbyd]

Raising the fee for non-residents isn't going to do darn thing either.  Just as many people will come to crab, they'll just be more pissed off about the increase in fee.

If legislation exists governing commercial rules, then I would think that if rec limits and rules are put in place and enforced, they also would require legislation.

Just what we need, more legislation and a side of red tape.

How much increase are they thinking about?  Let's think about it, Even if they raise it to $50/season,how many bushels would it take to get a return on  your investment.  How much does a bushel of Wye jumbos go for?  Raising the price will not lower the number of crabbers, it will just put more $'s into the state's pocket and would not fix what the comms are complaining about.

[F.I.sherman]

maybe we should reduce the number of comm crabbers and even have them have to fight each year for a license renewal.
right now its basically a monopoly and we should break that up.rec crabbers basically foot more money to the state than do comm crabbers.
after taking in the facts such as rec crabbers live in the state pay taxes,get charged for bay views,bring in tourism,and the fact rec crabbers are larger in numbers than comm crabbers.alot of people come to maryland for blue crabs and even more come in for a chance to try to catch some.I think if maryland wishes to mess with rec rules,they should just take out rec crabber licenses all together for one year then put that missed revenue burdon upon the comm crabbers who are upset at rec crabbing  to see just how much they will end up paying in the end.i would also expect during that time that the state no longer give grants to comm crabbers either,so the rec crabbers have one less bill by the goverment.
this would be a clean and solid message that without rec crabbers comm crabbers wouldnt make a dime.the rec crabbers are the biggest taxpayers and should not have to deal with stuff like this.
crabbing is not a garanteed job.its not like a auto mechanic or a plumber.
these are things that some comm crabbers need to take notice of before they even get thier license.

[R D]

would also expect during that time that the state no longer give grants to comm crabbers either,so the rec crabbers have one less bill by the goverment.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   MD gives your Comm. crabbers grants??  For what reason and to do what with???

[F.I.sherman]

i asume the grants go towards purchasing boats and equipment and what not.
theres grants for practically any kind of business out there.