I'm making plans to go crabbing on the canal the weekend of Aug 7th. Figuring that we're getting pretty close to reaching the quota, so does anybody know how likely it is to still be open?

I have a feeling it will still be open. I went out last Sunday. I got my limit of Dungeness and 2 red rock. Talked to the fish checker and he said a lot of people are not getting their limit of crab. I was using shad for bait and they loved it. The first area I tried had been picked over pretty good. I got 17 crab in an hour in one pot but only 0ne keeper. Need to find a place away from the masses I guess. Another area seals were raiding some pots.

Crab in the canal should be open through August at least. The southern part of the hood canal seems to get pressured quite a bit. Hint, lots of BIG crab in the north part of the Hood Canal. I have done all of my crabbing north of the Dosewallips this year and have caught at least 30 crab over 8". Have yet to come home without my limit this year. Shad, chicken, turkey, salmon, it has all worked. I think there are just a lot of crab out there.

I agree, all the big crabs are up north. We went two weeks ago and did pretty good (10) out of 12. Some over seven. Lots of smalls.