Another lovely moment of summer bliss, and some solid evidence that I live in the right town. As a kid, I would take family trips to south Louisiana, the birthplace and childhood home of my dad. These trips were filled with two things: fishing (through various means) and eating. They also included playing cards, humidity, and, as I grew older, a substantial amount of good booze. But as a young kid, the cuisine of Louisiana and the experience of eating wild seafood that we caught had a profound impact on me. I learned to love eating speckled trout, crawfish, and shrimp that we worked hard to catch and bring home. When moving to the Pacific Northwest, I wanted this to be a part of my life.
Being near the ocean presents an endless amount of opportunity. For some people, that may be sea kayaking or surfing, but for me, I am enamored by the food she produces. The fish, crustaceans, and mollusks that come out of the Pacific Ocean are freakin tasty, and since moving here, I have been blessed to indulge in them. This weekend, I was able to get my hands on some Dungeness crab (Dungies).
My buddy Connor was at the helm as our vessel made its way out of the La Conner inlet. It was a lovely afternoon on the Puget Sound, and the crew had Dungies in our sights. The mood was light, the weekend had begun, and the sun was shining. We had four crab pots in the boat and two pounds of Safeway chicken legs for bait, or dinner if we failed at our mission. Even better, this chicken was pre-seasoned. It came loaded with knockoff Tony Chachere’s and was $1.67 a pound while the plain chicken legs were $5 a pound. What gives? I just hope these crabs can get down with some Creole.
We approached an area where Connor wanted to drop the pots. He had fished here in previous years with great success. I liked it. Even though I'm as green as it gets when it comes to crab fishing, this spot was crabby. About 45 - 65 feet of water and the bottom had a bit of a plateau that gave the crab plenty of room to explore. Most importantly, just enough other crab pots to convey that there are good odds, but not too many to make you think that all the crab within a ¼ mile had been caught. Captain Connor and the crew created an elaborate plan to fish the whole shelf at various depths, with one pot placed in the 70-foot range at my request.
Tahna (deck boss) and I readied the back deck and loaded Cajun chicken legs into the pots. Two pots received special treatment and had a can of cat food thrown in. Stay tuned to learn which ones caught more crab.
After dropping the pots, we turned to more important matters… chillen. Jimmy Buffett was played over the radio. Some drank beers, some smoked a spliff, everyone had fun. We did this for a few hours, earned our tan lines and enjoyed the beautiful Puget Sound summer day. As Mount Baker glowed above us, it seemed as if the sky was saying, “Don't worry, I see you, and I’ll send some crabs.”
The afternoon cruised by, and it was time to turn home. But first, we pulled some pots. There is no better moment than returning to a fishing pole or trap after it has been soaking for a few hours. As a kid, my cousins and I would soak chunks of baitfish overnight with our fishing poles tied to the dock. We would sleep in the boathouse and race down to them the second one of us woke up. To go to the dock and reel your line in without the entire crew of cousins standing around was a cardinal sin. On this crabbing adventure, that same excitement came rising through me. Tahna and I smiled at each other on the back deck as Connor came up to the first buoy. We prepared the hook, and Tahna lined it up on the starboard side as Connor steered the boat. A perfect shot - it came right to Tahna. She hooked it on sight, and within seconds we were hauling the pot in. There is something great about being friends with other people who have worked on commercial fishing boats. Tahna got to hauling, and soon enough the pot rose to the surface…
Nonetheless, we caught some crab :)
As the trap came over the stern, I could only think about one thing…
“Sun came out the other day, through those dusty clouds
And in my mind I was a child, and it felt good”
That comes from the song Ain’t Life Grand by Widespread Panic, and it has been my anthem this summer. On this crabby day, the sun was shining and there was a childish joy that filled every moment. Boy oh boy, did it feel good.
We pulled our pots and ended up with 9 keepers. For Dungies, that means they must be male and at least 6 inches across. We decided to keep only what we needed for a few meals and let a good amount of legal crab swim away, a policy I recommend to any sportsperson. You may be surprised to know that the crab pots with cat food caught less than the others. But most importantly, the pot I requested we put in deeper water caught the most crab. Thank you very much!
It seemed that the crabs liked the pre seasoned chicken. I recommend Creole, but probably wouldn't hurt to try some other flavors - a Thai peanut sauce might be deadly.
The crabbing adventures this past weekend made me feel incredibly grateful. The state of Washington works tirelessly to manage the vast fish and game resources available here. At first glance, they seem to be doing good work on the crab front. It is an incredibly hard job and usually a thankless one. For that reason, let us all take a moment to extend our gratitude to those who work day in and day out to make sure our wild resources are available for harvest. Remember to always purchase the necessary licenses; this is the funding mechanism for resource management.
In addition, I am grateful to have friends who own boats and like to do outdoor activities. The crew I have out here is unmatched, and thanks to them, I have eaten crab three nights in a row. This is why I moved to this area. I love to eat, and when I am eating, I like my food to be wild. It’s even better if I get to pull it in with good people on board.
Can’t wait to read the Thai Peanut one.
Thanks Cliff for my morning upper! …..& ohhhhh how we love Dungeness crab with lemon & Kerrygold Butter! Love your writing ❤️