Dungeness Crabbing in Oregon

Learn how to Dungeness crab for the first time.. at least in Newport, Oregon!

I recently went on my first solo road trip – from LA to Oregon! I’ve never really explored Oregon before and was excited to immerse myself in all the stunning nature – hiking, camping, fishing and, for the first time, crabbing!

Thanks to my friend, Grace, I was particularly excited about trying my hand at Dungeness Crabbing. She said it was her favorite memory of Portland, which inspired me to revamp my itinerary to check out the Oregon coast.

Supplies Needed for Dungeness Crabbing

• Crabbing ring – I ordered this online and brought it with me, but you can easily rent. There are varying kinds of crabbing rings – the basic collapsible one worked just fine! However, if you’re ready to invest in multiple crabbing and/or lobstering adventures, the Promar Ambush Hoop Nets that have some structure like a basket are more effective.
• Crab gauge (i.e. ruler) – I ordered this online and brought it with me, but it’s likely provided by any outfitter that you go with. Note that regulations for Dungeness on minimum length varies by state.
• Bait bag – While I also ordered this online and brought it with me, you can easily rent. Note that in some areas, like in Southern California, seals will be looking for a free lunch so it’s worth considering a seal–proof canister.
• Bait – I bought close-to-expiration chicken drumsticks from the local Grocery Outlet. For optimal results, recommend fresh smelly and/or oily fish, like Bonito. Bonus if you catch them yourself – they tend to give a good fight!
• Ice chest – I recommend coming ready with ice so that you can optimize how long the crabs will live after you catch them! Ice slows down their metabolism. Make sure that that the melted water doesn’t drown them though! Dead crabs should not be eaten as the bacteria attacks the meat rather quickly.
• Optional: At night, bringing a headlamp and lantern makes crabbing so much easier. Also, if you’re queasy about grabbing the crabs from the back (like me!), I brought a pair of tongs.

Where to Crab?

• No shame in googling for the best local spots! Crabbing is typically done simply on the pier or can also be set up via a boat.

When to Crab?

• Look up the tides. Slack tide (i.e. around the height of high tide or low tide) is the best time to go crabbing since they’re most active then, scavenging for food.
• Pro tip: it’s best to go crabbing at night! Less competition from other crabbers, and also you can escape the heat of the sun.

7 Steps to Dungeness Crabbing Off the Pier

1. Prepare the bait: Put 5 or so chicken drumsticks into the bait bag. Tie both ends to the bottom of the crab ring.
2. Secure the crab ring to the pier: Before the initial throw, do a simple loose knot on the pier with plenty of rope. It’s hard to estimate just how much rope is needed, and you can adjust the knot as needed.
3. Hold up the crab ring properly: Grab the crab ring like a frisbee. Make sure you grab the netting next to the the bottom of the crab ring so that it’s taut and the bait is horizontally balanced as much as possible.
4. Throw out the crab ring: Twist and throw, like a frisbee! The first time will feel strange and scary. You’ll know if you threw a good one if it seems to fling out horizontally and land with the bait bag still firmly in the middle, right side up. You want to put a good amount distance from the pier, if possible, for more optimal chances (and away from competitive crabbing traps!).
5. Pull up the crab ring: Pull up steadily after 15-20 minutes – make sure that you don’t tip the net and cause crabs to escape. Readjust the timing, depending on how many are caught (that is, if you’d rather not get a workout hauling up pounds and pounds of crabs to sort through!).
6. Sort the crabs for keepers: Yay! You did it. Now it’s time to sort the crabs. Depending on the appropriate state regulations for Dungeness crabs, you’ll need to sort the males and females, and/or measure the size. For example, in Oregon, 12 males per day are keepable – and they need to be a minimum of 5 3/4″ across the crab’s back. All female crabs need to be released in Oregon, unlike California. To tell the gender of the crab, look at the back butt area. Male crabs have a long thin shape, whereas female crabs have a rounded shape.
7. Keep or release: Use the tongs (or grab them from the back to avoid their pinchers) to place the keepers into the ice chest. Throw back the crabs so that they can live another day (not forcefully from a tall height though so that they the impact doesn’t break them!)

Crabbing is relatively easy, relaxing and fun! It’s pretty immediate gratification, versus fishing which is much more nuanced. I had such a blast crabbing solo that I went back for slack tides the next day, in the daytime and at night.