SailNet Community banner
  • SailNet is a forum community dedicated to Sailing enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about sailing, modifications, classifieds, troubleshooting, repairs, reviews, maintenance, and more!

Crab Pots in Channels, oh My!

12K views 59 replies 24 participants last post by  travlin-easy 
#1 ·
We just got back from sailing in the Chesapeake for a week. It amazes me that people continue to put crab pots pretty much anywhere they like, even directly in channels. This was really bad in Bodkin Creek off the Patapsco, and at the entrance to the Rhode River.

Does anyone know who to contact to make this known? Its a hazard when there are several boats trying to stumble their way through these at the same time all going in different directions.

I think there should be a designated area where crab pots are allowed, and it should be marked off.
 
#3 ·
I am pretty sure most of those pots are not "hillbilly sports" but an actual means of making a living and supplying the US with seafood. I agree they should not be in the channel, but there is no possible way they could have a designated crabbing area. That would literally cripple the crabbers and end their livelihood. They have to place pots wherw the crab are. It may be a nuisance to cruisers, but I have grown up on the fishing docks and these are hardworking people who are already struggling to survive.
 
#4 ·
northoceanbeach: The ones that you are seeing around here are commercial pots, not recreational. Recreational crab season starts on July 1st, then there will be far more pots out there.

They aren't too hard to avoid, you don't see many in deep water.

I am always surprised at how many are put in the middle of navigation channels. For instance the south end of Agate Pass is littered with them.
 
#5 ·
Amen, brotha!

The multiple crab pots in every direction alone are too easy. If it is a nice day, every powerboater within five miles will all anchor in the only navigable channel and throw lines across every conceivable path. If you leave the channel to avoid them you will run into the fish nets, strung on large, unlighted poles in odd places and a surprising distance from the shore.

Welcome to the Chesapeake!
 
#9 ·
We sail around Bodkin Point a lot as we are in Rock Creek ( crab pot free) and for the most point there are very few crab pots in the actual channel leading into the Bodkin Creek. What you experienced is the global cluster srrounding that. There really is no large designated channel except from the G7 into the creek. The other markers mark the shoals. If you draw a line from G to the BCRG and stay outside you will find very little pots.

Also the Rhode/ West River does have a lot of crab pots around the way in, but I have not noticed them in the true channel heading in.

North Point has them also.

It would be hard and unfair to restrict the commercial or recreational crabbers to areas as most of the Chesapeake does not have established "channels". They have as much right to use the water as the rest of us.

I think for the most part the crabbers stay away from the channels because they dont want to have their pots destroyed or chewed up but the boats also. I usually can follow thier lines and stay ouside of them.

Its always been this way on the Chesapeake with the rec boaters sharing with crabbers. Its a fact of life. You sai the Chessie you take your chances.

BTW same holds true up north in the LI Sound or off the coast of Maine.

Dave
 
#10 ·
We also encountered a few pots in the Bodkin channel this weekend. One possible explanation might be the recent storms or the resulting tide/surge/water influx pushing/shifting a pot or two into the channel since they are already super close. I don't typically encounter crab pots in the navigatable "channels" of the bay.

We often approach the Bodkin from the north as we are coming from Rock Creek and have to dodge the field of crab pots. Last weekend we were returning from a trip to the Magothy and approached from the south and encountered way less crab pots.

I would be happy if most crab pots had highly visible floats. The black floats on cloudy days with a little chop are tough to see...

Josh
 
#11 ·
We just got back from sailing in the Chesapeake for a week. It amazes me that people continue to put crab pots pretty much anywhere they like, even directly in channels. This was really bad in Bodkin Creek off the Patapsco, and at the entrance to the Rhode River.

Does anyone know who to contact to make this known? Its a hazard when there are several boats trying to stumble their way through these at the same time all going in different directions.

I think there should be a designated area where crab pots are allowed, and it should be marked off.
I live on the Rhode River. You were not quite where you think you were.
When entering the river channel, there are white/orange informational buoys that state "Float Free Channel". Leave the buoys to stbd. This is the channel that you should drive, in order to have a path free of crab pots.

I sailed the river 4 days ago. The float free channel was clear.
 
#16 ·
I wrote an article about this about a decade ago for Noreaster Magazine. I interviewed several commercial crabbers who said they lost up to 30 percent of their pots every years to boaters cutting the floats off.

The reason the pots are not in deep water is because the Chesapeake's waters are so polluted that there is not sufficient oxygen beneath a depth of 10 feet in the summer months to support any form of life. Consequently, the crabbers continually move their pots to shallower locations until they become productive - oven in depths as shallow as 5 to 6 feet.

When the water temperature drops below 72 degrees, and oxygen levels increase in deeper water, the crabs begin to migrate toward the channels of rivers and creeks and by early September the females are beginning to start their southern migration to the mouth of the bay where they'll spawn. As the water cools they'll go deeper and deeper, sometimes to depths of 40 to 50 feet as they approach the Virginia line. The commercial crabbers follow the crabs and the pots become more dispersed as fall approaches.

Keep in mind that nearly every form of edible seafood found in Chesapeake Bay has been exploited and depleted by commercial interests to the point where the only thing left that is viable is striped bass and blue crab. Oysters, soft-shell clams, hard-shell clams, several species of finfish and American eel have essentially been wiped out by overfishing. Only stringent regulations placed on striped bass and blue crab have managed to stave off extinction. And, striped bass during the late 1970s were essentially commercially extinct, thus resulting in the historic Striped Bass Moratorium.

Eventually, possibly within the lifetimes of some of our younger forum members, commercial fishing for all forms of marine life will cease to exist - if for nothing else, the salvation of what remains of wild stocks. Currently, there are a dozen aquaculture operations in Southeast Asia where crabs are successfully being propagated. And, because the demand for crab meat is beyond anyone's wildest imagination, U.S. buyers are traveling worldwide in search of new sources. The U.S. crab meat supplies have all but dried up - even in the south east states where crabs were once considered a nuisance to commercial finfish and shrimp netters.

If you see crab pots in a pot free zone, forget calling Maryland DNR - they will not respond. Instead, call the U.S. Coast Guard. The coasties will respond and take appropriate action.

Cheers,

Gary :cool:
 
#18 ·
I wrote an article about this about a decade ago for Noreaster Magazine. I interviewed several commercial crabbers who said they lost up to 30 percent of their pots every years to boaters cutting the floats off.

The reason the pots are not in deep water is because the Chesapeake's waters are so polluted that there is not sufficient oxygen beneath a depth of 10 feet in the summer months to support any form of life. Consequently, the crabbers continually move their pots to shallower locations until they become productive - oven in depths as shallow as 5 to 6 feet.

When the water temperature drops below 72 degrees, and oxygen levels increase in deeper water, the crabs begin to migrate toward the channels of rivers and creeks and by early September the females are beginning to start their southern migration to the mouth of the bay where they'll spawn. As the water cools they'll go deeper and deeper, sometimes to depths of 40 to 50 feet as they approach the Virginia line. The commercial crabbers follow the crabs and the pots become more dispersed as fall approaches.

Keep in mind that nearly every form of edible seafood found in Chesapeake Bay has been exploited and depleted by commercial interests to the point where the only thing left that is viable is striped bass and blue crab. Oysters, soft-shell clams, hard-shell clams, several species of finfish and American eel have essentially been wiped out by overfishing. Only stringent regulations placed on striped bass and blue crab have managed to stave off extinction. And, striped bass during the late 1970s were essentially commercially extinct, thus resulting in the historic Striped Bass Moratorium.

Eventually, possibly within the lifetimes of some of our younger forum members, commercial fishing for all forms of marine life will cease to exist - if for nothing else, the salvation of what remains of wild stocks. Currently, there are a dozen aquaculture operations in Southeast Asia where crabs are successfully being propagated. And, because the demand for crab meat is beyond anyone's wildest imagination, U.S. buyers are traveling worldwide in search of new sources. The U.S. crab meat supplies have all but dried up - even in the south east states where crabs were once considered a nuisance to commercial finfish and shrimp netters.

If you see crab pots in a pot free zone, forget calling Maryland DNR - they will not respond. Instead, call the U.S. Coast Guard. The coasties will respond and take appropriate action.

Cheers,

Gary :cool:
Yeah, its sad for those that have a legacy of living off the bounty of the water but history shows they will consistently insist there is nothing wrong with the fishery until there is no more fishery.

There was nothing wrong with Chesapeake Oysters - until there were no more Oysters.

There was nothing wrong with the Atlantic Cod - Until there were no more Atlantic Cod.

Now there is nothing wrong with the Pacific Cod fishery - until it too collapses.

Whatever course of action is taken there will be real life impacts but I'd opt for the course that would preserve our natural resources and hopefully lead to future generations being able to enjoy a managed harvest.
 
#17 ·
As was said during the Oyster Wars:

"Get it today! To hell with tamar! Leave it till tamar, someone else'll get it."
Which is obviously complete BS, because the stripped bass moratorium helped that species recover. Can you imagine what a two-year moratorium on blue crabs would do?
 
#19 ·
Thanks for the info on DNR versus the Coast Guard, Gary.

Can't speak to earlier this week, but last week the number of crab pots was really high on the West River. The float free channel was clear, though it is a bit further south than the markers would seem to indicate if you line it up from Thomas Point Light. I'm heading out this afternoon.

What I have noticed is recreational crabbers using lines run right across the main traffic routes near Galesville. I almost ran over one Memorial Day weekend and only saw it when I noticed the boat running it and saw the float 100 feet away.
 
#20 ·
Just dodge 'em, or have a long boat hook so you can snatch a free dinner. Cutters on the shaft are not 100% - and having a line wrap on the prop while in < 10 feet of water is a sure way to run aground.

I hate the ones in channels, but even worse is where one pot is so close to the other you have to do tight 90's to dodge 'em all.
 
#21 · (Edited)
I always have a soft spot for the servicemen and the men and women that rely on the seas to earn their living with their hands and knees.

Chesapeake Bay is their work place/office. I am just passing through. If I have to tiptoeing around their office, so be it. Inconvenience is for sure, Dangerous? No, unless you are a moron.


Likewise, I am sure will raise hell if anyone fcck around my office or tell me what to do in my office. This also holds true when it comes to NYC cabbies and the street of New York - stay clear and let them pass.

Hey, that is just me, the old school stuff. :)
 
#22 · (Edited)
I like people that make their living off the water as long as they are not overfishing it. It just seems like if left to their own devises alot of these fishermen would take everything they can and leave nothing left. I'm not sure they are very good environmental stewards. I was a little kid when some of these environmental laws were being passed and I remember what they did to the dolphins and turtles until laws were passed to stop them. I think if you are making a living from the water you have a different outlook on the water and environment than we sailors do. Maybe to some of them a seal should be shot for stealing from their crab traps where I like seeing the seals and sharing the water with them.

Like the controversy on the Columbia river in Oregon. Alot of salmon fishers dot think the sea lions have a right to be there. So maybe I'm not as fond of some fisherman as I could be.

Some people make their living off the pleasure boating industry too so we are not all only having fun andhave to defer to the fishers right but have our own rights to use the water free of obstructions. You don't have more rights if you are a fisherman than a sailmaker.

Speaking of rights. I should have a right to drop a pot or fish to feed myself but because they took almost everything I could barely catch a salmon. Where is my right to crab in healthy waters instead of paying $25 dollars a pound for their salmon.
 
#23 ·
We can all live without MD crab meat for a year. We need to give the Bay time to restore itself. Farmers plant seeds and harvest their own plants. Crabbers only remove what is in the environment without replenishing it , like loggers and coal miners. They just remove things fom our environment without replenishing. We need to go out of our way to avoid crab pots, since they give no consideration to other boaters. I should not have to create a HUGE arc or detour to get into a channel. We sail, as a slow moing vessel, its inconvenient to have navigate way off course to get into a channel, especially if the winds are not favorable to that tack.
 
#27 ·
We need to go out of our way to avoid crab pots, since they give no consideration to other boaters. I should not have to create a HUGE arc or detour to get into a channel. We sail, as a slow moing vessel, its inconvenient to have navigate way off course to get into a channel, especially if the winds are not favorable to that tack.
That's a HUGE exaggeration. Having sailed on the Bay for many years AI look at the crab pots as nothing more than moving obstructions.

This really has nothing to do with overfishing, you think you have the right away and it should be unimpeded. If you cant handle sailing with the crab pots, and don't want to INCONVIENENCE yourself maybe you should give up sailing and sit on the bank.

You have no more right to the water than the crabbers do. We coexist with them, not dominate them.
 
  • Like
Reactions: mark2gmtrans
#25 ·
I think we need to respect the crabber's livelihood. He has a very hard job which is diminishing every year. Yes, the crab pots are annoying but the crabber has th put his pots out to make his living.

I agree that there is a problem with overfishing. That is where government regulation comes into play. It levels the playing field so all crabbers have the same restrictions. It would be nice to have a years moratorium on fishing crab but what is the crabber to do for money that year? Md has a sensible plan to bring back the crab. The crabbers fought it but they weren't looking at the problem with clear heads, just fearing their immediate future. I would love to see crabs and oysters restored to healthy numbers. Once restored, that would mean more pots and poles marking oyster grounds though.

Tod
 
#26 ·
I think we need to respect the crabber's livelihood. He has a very hard job which is diminishing every year. Yes, the crab pots are annoying but the crabber has th put his pots out to make his living.

I agree that there is a problem with overfishing. That is where government regulation comes into play. It levels the playing field so all crabbers have the same restrictions. It would be nice to have a years moratorium on fishing crab but what is the crabber to do for money that year? Md has a sensible plan to bring back the crab. The crabbers fought it but they weren't looking at the problem with clear heads, just fearing their immediate future. I would love to see crabs and oysters restored to healthy numbers. Once restored, that would mean more pots and poles marking oyster grounds though.

Tod
In the case of oysters there would have to be seeding of oyster beds in protected areas. In the case of the crabs (not that kind) you would have to close off certain areas for a few years at a time in order to allow the population to replenish itself. I would be all for that, as long as it was done using good data and the crabbers were given some places to fish that were not off limits. Crab move, they migrate, so you have to seed them in an area and hope they return regularly to the area, oysters not so much on the moving.
 
#29 ·
It's not sailors who do the most whining but fishermen, who after years of overfishing sometimes whine about how tough it is to feed their families. Well...then time to find a different job.

I've heard some of you work at desks, in offices, working with computers. Say you work at a technology company that makes VCR's. Well not many people buy VCR's anymore. Do you have the government subsidize the VCR industry or do you do something else. Maybe start making DVD players.

And we a share the water but sharing means you don't interfere with one another. This isn't the first time I've heard complaints about crab pots. If we all anchored in the channel making it difficult for crabbers to drop traps we would hear alot worse from them.

And not all of us are eating at the Severn inn out here. Some of us woe rather catch the fish or crabs ourselves but we can hardly do that so they are not sharing.
 
#30 ·
We just got back from sailing in the Chesapeake for a week. It amazes me that people continue to put crab pots pretty much anywhere they like, even directly in channels. This was really bad in Bodkin Creek off the Patapsco, and at the entrance to the Rhode River.

Does anyone know who to contact to make this known? Its a hazard when there are several boats trying to stumble their way through these at the same time all going in different directions.

I think there should be a designated area where crab pots are allowed, and it should be marked off.
Waaaaaah, waaaaaah, waaaah.....:D:D



BTW in Maine there are no "lobster pot free" zones...Tends to keep the yahoo's away...;);)
 
#31 ·
I think there is enough water out there for everyone to enjoy and work. I sail in the area people are talking about and do not find it difficult to avoid the pots. I admit that Rhode River entrance is a bit more annoying but one must deal with it.

As far as the fishing / crabbing industry; it seems to be in a state of flux. The crabbers who live on the eastern shore have much less opportunity for re-training. There just isn't any industry. You either farm the land or farm the sea. The crabbers on the western shore have more opportunities. Government should regulate the catch limits and provide re-training incentives. That becomes a political football in a Congress that is so deadlocked that they don't know which end is up. It doesn't seem to matter what helps the people...

Lets not digress into a political conversation though.
 
#33 ·
I'd like to make a confession:

Yesterday evening, I departed for Annapolis for an evening distance race. The crab pots have completely spilled into the navigable channel, far beyond the "float free channel" markers. Now, there is no clear path through them. The river looks pretty much as Maine Sail posted.

So it would seem that I owe Wavedancer an apology.

I agree with the Chefs that we should attempt to peacefully co-exist with the watermen, and not dominate them, but can anyone explain to me why it is acceptable to blockade a marked, navigable waterway? Why shouldn't there be a clear path through a marked channel?

Imagine if the NRP or the USCG had to make a rapid passage through the river at night, to assist a vessel or render medical aid, and fouled their props. How would you feel then?

There should be some semblance of balance here.
 
#35 ·
Bubblehead MD, thanks for the apology. We saw something similar on the approach to the Bodkin yesterday. I agree Rhode River itself is clear, but they put all the pots right up against that first marker to the approach of the channel. I agree we all need to live harmoniously, but we all have to navigate around the crabbers, and i dont feel they give any respect to the boaters. They can completely surround the area until a first marker, which is close to the first shoal.
 
#36 ·
I do not agree at all. I frequent the area around the Bodkin as I keep my boat in Rock Creek. Yes there are crab pots there. You exaggerate greatly about their numbers.No they are not in the channel at all. Yes crab pots are a way of life sailing on the Chesapeake. They are always in shallower water?

I don't let them bother me or ruin my boating as you appear to and quite frankly am more concerned about the trash in the water from runoff at treet ends and boaters throwing it on t.

Quite frankly I find it interesting that someone with an industucsble non bio degrading large fiberglass hull coated with a toxic bottom paint, loaded with an engine, stainless steel and a holding tank should be in any position to give environmental lessons about crab harvesting.

I also find it interesting You think people earning a living should be banned or restricted so you can have recreational enjoyment anywhere you want to.

Excuse my bluntness but stop worrying about it and just enjoy yourself. You made your point.
 
  • Like
Reactions: jak3b
#37 ·
I dunno about Bodkin Creek, but this is the largest expansion of the crab pot field that I've seen in the river that I've seen in 4 years.

I won't argue about whether or not it's correct. I will confess to a little confusion though. Why mark a float-free channel at all, if we don't want to impede the watermen's livelihood, and don't plan on enforcing the rule?
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top