Crab fishing Gabriola Island
- Thread starter manderso
- Start date
Cuba Libre
Well-Known Member
You will find that "most" of us guard our crabbing and prawning specific sites jealously . The reason for this is to prevent a gold rush mentality that end up with the area being over fished. ( I do the same with my lingcod reefs too-- I will give a general area , but dont even ask for specific GPS numbers... I found them by trail and error and studying the marine charts over the years-- and there is no reason that another angler cant do the same.
Now-- that being said-- just doing a cruise around the area and looking for buoys is kosher. just dont crowd . Have fun and i hope you find some.
Now-- that being said-- just doing a cruise around the area and looking for buoys is kosher. just dont crowd . Have fun and i hope you find some.
trophywife
Crew Member
look for flat bottom and eel grass
Killer B's
Member
Try over at jack point. Where the Nanaimo river comes out. About 80 feet
Killer B's
Member
You might also want to try around silva bay. I have never been over there but I'm sure there will be some bouys around that area. Good luck.
Peahead
Well-Known Member
Manderso, what others have said above about looking for certain habitat that crabs would inhabit would find you your own spot ....and that is usiually more rewarding anyway (even if it does take some exploring/ trial and error.) Before social media/internet thats how people like myself ( yes I am an older person lol) found crab, prawns and fishing spots as CL pointed out - yes we actually looked for them and found the spots ourselves back then !!
Saying that, as an example of how to start looking for a spot ; I took a quick look at Google earth ( not even a chart necessarily needed to start the process) - if I was crabbing at gabriola (and I'd checked all the areas I was going to try were open for crabs) i'd probably try off either of Twin Beaches; taylor Bay being one on the SW neck of Tinsen Pt. and off the park at Gabriola Sands. Off Sandwell Beach (whalebone) would be another possibility and Degnan Bay another HOWEVER before any crabbing exploration check your crab retention regulations for contamination closures or any marine park status closures in any area. Crabbing/prawning is allowed in an RCA but generally not a marine park. I don't crab around Gabriola so have not researched if there are any crab closure areas there - Degnen may have a contamination closure but may just be for consumption of pancreas. Again check these things.
Saying that, as an example of how to start looking for a spot ; I took a quick look at Google earth ( not even a chart necessarily needed to start the process) - if I was crabbing at gabriola (and I'd checked all the areas I was going to try were open for crabs) i'd probably try off either of Twin Beaches; taylor Bay being one on the SW neck of Tinsen Pt. and off the park at Gabriola Sands. Off Sandwell Beach (whalebone) would be another possibility and Degnan Bay another HOWEVER before any crabbing exploration check your crab retention regulations for contamination closures or any marine park status closures in any area. Crabbing/prawning is allowed in an RCA but generally not a marine park. I don't crab around Gabriola so have not researched if there are any crab closure areas there - Degnen may have a contamination closure but may just be for consumption of pancreas. Again check these things.
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jeffywestcoast
Well-Known Member
try the bay just south of the ferry dock ...one over.... you should be into some good crabbin there..
Awesome! Thanks for the help, everyone. I'll check out the spots mentioned, and I'll be sure not to crowd anyone's area.
Jeffy, I tried that Bay last time I was out there. I caught one red that was too small and a starfish that was enormous. I was thinking about trying it again. Maybe I'll use some different bait. I did have a little luck on that beach though, when we grabbed a few oysters and one of them had a pearl in it!
Thanks again for all the help, everyone!
Jeffy, I tried that Bay last time I was out there. I caught one red that was too small and a starfish that was enormous. I was thinking about trying it again. Maybe I'll use some different bait. I did have a little luck on that beach though, when we grabbed a few oysters and one of them had a pearl in it!
Thanks again for all the help, everyone!
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