I don't have a favorite yet. I like my home made folding traps as far as traps go. I really want to find a good pot that lets the crab in and keeps them in fairly well. The box traps from Danielson work okay but thought I would get everyones input before I go out and get the stuff to build a couple pots. I have found a ton of different styles and sizes and shapes. I really like the ones that have the hole in the top so the crab fall in but don't crawl out. No worries about doors getting blocked with that one.

Any suggestions? Or maybe suggestions to modify store traps so they catch more?

OK, I get to go first.
My favorite crab pot is the one with keepers in it!

All of them have advantages and disadvantages. The Danielsons are pretty inexpensive to set up, which is not so painful if they get lost or stolen.
They are also lighter than many others if you are pulling them by hand.

There are plenty of comments coming so I will step out of the way.

I like the cheap danielson box style collapsible traps. They outfish all the others I have tried and are dirt cheap.

I have found my cheap collapsible danielson pots do not fish nearly as well as my other ones. Same bait same spot and a fraction of the crab in those. I think they rattle around a little in the current. My best pots are the solid danielson octagon shaped pot. Its huge and fishes well. I add a couple lbs of lead to really keep em anchored. My protoco pots fish good too.

I've had a really nice stainless commercial type pot for years, and that cheap Danielson collapsable outfishes it 3-1...I think those simple doors right on the bottom make it easy for them to crawl in....They have no weight, so you need to weight them or they will move, and either get lost, or catch nothing....I put 2 old window sash weights in each pot, and they stay just fine. A moving pot catches no crab, and a lost pot is bad juju...Tom

Lol speyguy I have one of those big stainless pots as well and I don't use it anymore because it is a PITA to pull and it doesn't ever catch anything.


Although I think for an overnight soak those bigass stainless ones would probably do the trick! They aren't intended for short soaks though.

I like the danielson top loaders, for one they are smaller and don't take up as much space on the boat. I like to weight the doors with pencil lead so they don't get blown open in strong current letting crabs come in and out. I always zip tie my bait boxes to the bottom center of the pot so the crabs can't get a free meal from outside of the pot. A couple of small cannon balls zip tied in opposite corners on the bottom and their good to go. No matter what pot you use good bait, making sure your pot lies flat on the bottom, and setting location are probably more important than the pot.

What he said. Steel re bars zip tied in works well for weight.
And remember extra length on the line - tides move in and 80 feet of line with a buoy will be under water with 6 feet of more water plus a tide current.

Go with somebody who knows what they are doing, saves a lot of hassel, saves lost pots, saves you from adding another derelict pot.

Yup.

If you are stuggling to catch keepers, it ain't the pot though, it is the spot.

You should see some of the wacky stuff I've done to block off the rusty doors that have shown up missing over the years. Mine are generally in sad shape.

The Danielson's work really well if you tune them. For example, my brother came up from Oregon for the 4th of July weekend and brought a couple Danielson's he had bought but never uses - they were unmodified as purchased. Filled with same bait as my Danielson's and set in the same location/same depth. When we would pull the string, his pots would have 2-3 crab with one of them being a nice big keeper. My pots would have 12-15 crab with 6-8 keepers.

Here's the simple mods I make with a pair of pliers and 20 minutes:
1) open up the wire loop that is the hinge for the doors to a nice large round shape allowing the door to swing freely - unmodified, these can "stick" open allowing crab to come and go.

2) I bend shut all the clips that hold the panels together rendering the pot "un-collapsable" but much sturdier. The one side panel that I open to unload crab and load my bait box I bend the bottom clip shut but in a nice round loop to allow it to swing open/closed easily. The top of that panel I adjust the "clip" so it takes a fair amount of pressure to unhook it and open it. (I also store my rope and floats inside the trap through this panel when not in use)

3) I weight my doors with a couple wraps of pencil lead as mentioned above so the doors don't blow open in current and will drop shut more readily behind a crab that has just entered.

4) I use a bait box zip tied to the center of the bottom of the trap so it can't "float" to one edge allowing crab to snack instead of entering. I put it on the bottom of the trap instead of the top for the same reason. Don't want crab crawling onto the top of the trap and getting a free meal without entering. I use a fairly small-mesh bait box so I can put trimmings or old leftover herring etc in it without them washing out of the box.

5) I rig a harness or attach my rope in such a way that the trap comes up level and even instead of all the crab being dumped into a corner or against a door putting undue pressure on it.

6) If I'm in a high-current area or leaving it through an extra-strong tide exchange I'll weight the pot by clipping halibut leads to the bottom of the pot.

Other tips:

1) I make my floats unique by adding a couple net floats or some additional float trailing a couple feet behind the main float. Easier to spot my floats and if a strong current pulls the main float just under the surface the secondary float will still be on top as there's not enough line between floats to catch the current and pull the trailing float under.

2) Leaded line - a no brainer now a days and way easier than adding lead down the line.

3) I pay extra attention to the depth and current direction when dropping the pots to make sure the current doesn't carry them over too deep of water by the time they hit bottom.

4) I pay attention to the specific topography of where I drop the pots. Think of the current as a river and find the drops, ledges, etc. that will create back eddies which will collect natural bait and concentrate the crab. When you find these honey holes mark them on your GPS and keep them a secret. 4 pots dropped as a group within a 20-yard radius in one of these spots is way more effective than 10 pots scattered randomly across the bottom.

5) use good bait - to each their own but I find it hard to beat fresh salmon carcasses. Tuna and halibut work well too. I have seen crab stay out of a trap baited with ling remains - go figure - not always but when it happened it was significant. All other traps plugged and the one baited with ling remains empty.

6) Slow tide = best time - current is good to carry scent and create a scent trail for the crab to follow to your trap

Slack tide = second best time - crab that have been pinned to the bottom during a strong current will actively hunt during the slack tide before hunkering down again for the next strong flow.

Strong flow = worst - crab are hunkered down and not hunting. Exception is finding a back eddy where a strong tide is collecting natural bait and crab in an area that's not receiving a direct blast of current. Let me know when you find these areas.

Happy Crabbing!

Danielson collapsible pots. Cheap, outfish everything else and no worry if someone steals em/current swipes em. I zip tie a piece of rebar to mine, never had a problem. I carabiner the standard bait boxes to the top, seems to work fine.

Agreed with almost everything posted...lead on the doors is a must.
I'll float this by you. Turn the bouy so the pointed side is down. That way when the kelp grabs the float, it slips right off instead of dragging the pot.

Oceansun said all that needs to be said. Copy his post and carry it with you. Crabbing will suddenly get better.

Without question the very best sport pots on the planet are McKay's built right here in little 'ol Brinnon Wa.

I used to carry two pots with me every where I went but now only bother to carry one. Why carry two when your getting three limits per pot per pull???

I don't know if true or NOT!!!! I have been told that crab pots that have the bare and exposed stainless wire mesh (especially on the bottom) will build up a static electrical charge that repluses crab, and the way to fix it is adding iron weights wire to the bottom of the pot, i.e., sending the static build up to ground. I've done that to my Protoco pots just so they won't float away during current flows. The first time I did notice an improve catch count.

Some pots are just "hot". If I've got a pot that doesn't fish as good as the others I'll add a zinc. Often that helps but if not the pot goes on down the road.

I've fished a Zak tackle 360 degree pot in AK and liked it (no doors to mess with). I just picked one up and figure I'll give it a try this weekend at Westport. I'll fish it alongside my Protoco.

The Zak tackle pot I added a zinc to...

I wondered what I have been doing wrong. No lead on my doors I suppose. I do like the zip tied rebar on the bottom. That seems to work quite well. I have done about even with the big pot and the old beat up danielson. So far I have been out 9 of 10 days and have 43 crab on my card. Little hitch in the plan, the big merc has puked . I think I am going to cry.

Bummer Gutz, good thing you can fish right outstide where you are moored. ... . .Good luck on a quick fix. ..

+1

my mckay out fishes 2 danielsons, and a new one i just picked up at ted's. i have no idea why. we had to release several legal crab because we were over 2 limits with one pull last time. i love that trap, plus the door on the top is waaaay easier than dismantling the danielson's to retrieve the crab......



willy

+1, some of the nicest kings I've caught on the MA9/10 border have been within a 9 iron of the edmonds breakwater....

My favorite pots are the kind pictured below.
They have huge doors, lots of interior room for lots of crabs, stow and fish well. I don't know the name and I know they are made in Canada somewhere's...

Man I wish i had a boat, wouldn't have to worry about getting crab and competing with everyone on the docks. Guess I should have mentioned that but I would not have gotten near as many replies. After all, if it works in deeper water it should work off the docks, right.

I can't find the Danielson Top Loader so if someone has a link I would like to see them.

I have been seriously thinking about building an octagon pot and it looks like it might be the way to go. I have to go collapsable because I don't have room for full size traps. The van isn't big enough to carry more than 1 of those with the kids. Won't be too hard to do and will be netting instead of wire with either aluminum or stainless frames, maybe pvc.

I will agree with good bait and the fresher the better. Have never had more crab in, on and all over a pot than when I put fresh tuna carcasses in the pot. I thought a seal was sitting on it. Had 3 rider keeper size on top and 7 more inside in less than 30 minutes. All were soft shell but 1 but it was loaded.

Anyone ever use those drop in the top traps? drop top crab trap
Am thinking about making on of those to try out. Would be easy enough to modify it if it doesn't work to a bottom swing gate type. Probably make it rectangle or octagon but who knows.

I am just trying to find the best way to outfish others on the docks and get some keeper dungeness. Have been skunked too many times with soft shells galore, at least we get some rock crab but they don't have near the meat in them. Collapsable is a must for space and size and weight is an issue because I am hand pulling and my kids will hopefully be helping me pull anything I make. Light weight is less of an issue because I crab off the docks.

Sky-guy, those are house traps. My sister loves them. I can buy them locally actualy. I have never used them although I am storing 2 of them for her. May have to try to make a couple of them just to see if I can.

I enjoyed fishing the McKay. Somebody liked the pot with nine pounds of lead better, out in front of Lilliwaup, 100ft of line over 65ft water.
I still had four keepers in the cheap Danielson I dropped on my way this morning. Rebar under the bottom, baitbox with chicken, and poly line were my only additions.


So the cheap pot is now my favorite.

9 x 5 = 45

43/45 = .956 on base percentage

Hall of fame, baby, hall of fame.

Sorry about the merc.

Must be catchy, my Big Merc developed a case of the Scream High Temp Alarm, didn't even make it out into the Strait. I'm hoping for poppit valve problem vs blown head gasket.

Fishy,

If you are crabbing off the docks then you are pulling them by hand and tying them off to a rail. You need something light and the danielsons are prolly the best for you. You don't need much weight tied on unless there is a lot of current. The comments about good bait in a tied down cage are good. You can put some smelly jelly on there as well. Then you can do a nice long soak and see what you get.

I don't see any rot cord escape hatches on those top drop pots, so that is a nice way to gt a ticket.

Someone here will remember going out on the railroad trestle across from the refinery in Anacortes and slinging crab rings. I was a regular there in the late 70s and caught tons of keepers. I think the limit was 10 or 12. Cooked them up right there, with butter and white wine. Then drove back into the U district and went to classes the next day.

It got kinda spooky when a train came through (not often) and we had to scramble out onto these platforms and hang on until the train passed. I cannot believe the shite we got away with.

You can fit 3 crab rings into the trunk of a '63 bug.

Mexican Creeper by Dr. Rick.

If I were fishing off a dock, I'd definitely go with a flat trap. Used to make my own out of rebar and gill net....no sides. As long as you pull up fast the crabs can't get a foothold to scoot off the trap.

"If" ain't much of a Sales Pitch.

Big stick's back.

Where's Fresh Prince?

Humpies still enthrall the oblivious and Crab Pot "analyzation" just might be the Swan Song for same.

You are right about the drop top traps. If they have a tube at the top they have to have escape rings or it will be a ticket. If there is no tube at the top it is an open trap and doesn't need them. Not according to enforcement in Montesano anyway. WIll probbaly just leave the top open for them to drop or crawl in and take my chance without the tube in the top. If it doesn't work, I will add a tube and add escape rings. I have not found a legal drop tp crab pot online so if I did buy one I would have to modify it anyway.

The only thing I don't like about the Danielson box traps is in Westport boat basin there is a lot of kelp and other stuff on the bottom that seems to limits crab entering the trap. Sometimes I do well with it, others it seems like the crab simply can't get in even though my other traps with the same bait are working fine.

Might make a "flat trap" that is the same as a ring trap but has a 6-8 inch tall raised second ring that helps keep the crab in longer. Can't hurt to try it out.

I just figure that at $8-10 to make about anything I want to make I can experiment and maybe I will hit on somethng that out performs everything else, and everyone else on the docks. That it gives me something to do when I don't have anyone to fish with.

GOOD bait is the key.

You can't stop GOOD bait from working.

AuntyM, that is one design I plan to build although I would be making it out of PVC or Aluminum being I have no way to weld anything. I figured filling the PVC with sand and then sealing it would give it plenty of weight and maybe adding some rebar if the sand isn't haevy enough for fishing in currents. Can always add rebar or other weights to it anyway.
It would also be collapsible.

Thank you, I will have to look into finding some of those for the bottom supports and anything else I need. Will make it a lot easier if I can "weld" the supports on the risers rather than try to make them stay with rope, cotter pins and other means.

Will let you know when I get a couple made. If you were to get some what would you want them made out of? My plan is not round ones but either squares or octagons. A lot easier to do with my hand rod benders than even attempting a round pot. PVC can be done either shape also, I think. I think I can make rounds out of pipe but not sure how strong that flexible stuff would be for upper sections.

Schedule 40 shouldn't crack for a long time. Drag might be an issue. Will have to see.

As for cost, I can get 1/4 inch aluminim rod for about the same price as 1/4 inch PVC.

What size model crab pot are you using? I'm thinking bout picking me up a couple of the mckays just not sure which ones to get.

cheap square pots, rusty old and ran over once work best for me. no joke . no one wants to steal them

+1 for the cheapo danielson pots. Easier to pull up, you can fold them, & the doors swing freely.

Mckay all the way. Fish with Danielson as well but my Mckay outfish every other pot I have.

That could be because I have the most confidence in it and put it in my favorite spots.

+100

McKays Fast Fishers are the best hands down.

Mine are the 8"ers mainly because I have a small boat. I've bought some of the ramped 12'ers as gifts and they are awesome as well. Allows you to stuff in more bait for those looooooooooooong soaks!

In addition to a bit of weight added to the Danielson doors I have bent the doors so they will stay closed better when they don`t land exactly flat.