Howe Sound Tanner crab?

[FV SeaWolf]

Hey all, my buddy pulled this up in his prawn trap yesterday from 480' in Howe Sound. I thought it was a kelp crab until he told me the depth, and it's huge! Inshore tanner crab?

 

[fishchaser]

Sure looks like it, not uncommon in 200 to 400 feet of water and as deep as 600 feet.

 

[FV SeaWolf]

Sure looks like it, not uncommon in 200 to 400 feet of water and as deep as 600 feet.

I thought they were very uncommon in our waters, I'd never heard of them in the Sound and Google reveals nothing.

 

[fishchaser]

We catch them in the San Juan islands regularly, per WDFW they range from Alaska to Oregon

https://wdfw.wa.gov/species-habitats/species/chionoecetes-bairdi

http://nwsportsmanmag.com/how-to-catch-tanner-crabs-in-the-san-juan-islands/

 

[FV SeaWolf]

We catch them in the San Juan islands regularly/

Very cool, thanks. Similar depths?

 

[ryanb]

I've caught many small ones in my prawn traps in Howe Sound , never any of size but that's probably cause they cannot fit into my prawn traps.

 

[ILHG]

Thats wicked man. Its on my bucket list to get dialed in on those.

Was it a muddy bottom?


Thanks for sharing.

 

[FV SeaWolf]

Was it a muddy bottom?

Thanks, happy to share it and get people's info. Yes, it was a muddy bottom.

 

[FV SeaWolf]

For scale

 

[Damien]

How'd it taste?

 

[FV SeaWolf]

How'd it taste?

Didn't ask!

 

[hippaisland]

@tincan and I got one this winter also over in gulf islands. Same size roughly. Not very deep either. 240’ or so.

 

[IronNoggin]

How'd it taste?

When cooked properly, they are Excellent!!

 

[Rain City]

Is this one named Stephanie?

 

[IronNoggin]

Is this one named Stephanie?

Chucky After this fine fellow:

Cheers,
Nog

 

[coastrunner]

@tincan and I got one this winter also over in gulf islands. Same size roughly. Not very deep either. 240’ or so.

Where in the gulf islands did you get it. I'm on the hunt to find some

 

[Tinny]

Hey all, my buddy pulled this up in his prawn trap yesterday from 480' in Howe Sound. I thought it was a kelp crab until he told me the depth, and it's huge! Inshore tanner crab?

View attachment 51150

How does that enter a prawn trap? Very cool. Are there special traps to target these? Even a regular crab trap looks to me like the door would be too small.

 

[coastrunner]

From my research theys are the traps for them I added a photo I got one myself it's quite big I have yet to catch anything other than dungies and red rocks in it tho.

 

[coastrunner]

 

[hippaisland]

Where in the gulf islands did you get it. I'm on the hunt to find some

Between galiano and saltspring