Well, I’ll tell ya, this whole crabbin’ thing, it ain’t as simple as just throwin’ a line in the water and pullin’ out a bucket full of them critters. You gotta know the rules, or you might just end up in a pickle, if you catch my drift. Now, whether you need a license or not, that depends on where you’re at and what you’re doin’. It’s complicated, like tryin’ to teach a pig to sing!
First off, some places, they don’t care much if you’re just standin’ on the shore or a dock, throwin’ in a pot or two. Like, if it’s your own dock, and ain’t nobody else can get to it, some places let you put in one pot per person without no license. But, mind you, that’s only if it’s private property, not some place everyone can go. If it’s a public pier, then the rules might be different, you hear?
Now, if you’re thinkin’ ’bout usin’ a boat, well, that’s a whole ‘nother story. Especially if that boat’s got a motor on it. Most times, if you’re usin’ a boat with a motor, you gonna need a license, no ifs, ands, or buts about it. They figure if you got a boat, you’re serious about catchin’ crabs, and they want their cut. And don’t go thinkin’ you can sneak around, ’cause they got people out there watchin’, and they ain’t afraid to write you a ticket. And those tickets ain’t cheap, let me tell ya.
- No license needed for crabbing from private piers, sometimes just one pot per person though.
- Using a boat, especially with a motor, almost always means you need a license.
- Different places got different rules, so you gotta check ’em out before you go.
And it ain’t just about licenses neither. There’s rules about what kind of crabs you can keep, how big they gotta be, and how many you can catch. Some places, they got seasons for crabbin’, just like they do for huntin’ deer. You go catchin’ crabs out of season, and you’re gonna be in a heap of trouble. And if you catch a crab that’s too small, you gotta throw it back, no matter how tasty it looks. They gotta grow up and make more little crabs, see?
Take those blue swimmer crabs, for example, they’re real popular, I hear. But even with them, there’s rules about how many you can keep and how big they gotta be. And some places, they close the season on ’em altogether, give ’em a chance to rest up and make more babies. And if you’re usin’ a boat with a motor to go after them blue swimmers, you can bet your bottom dollar you’ll need a license.
Then there’s them Dungeness crabs. Some places, like up in Alaska way, they got real strict rules about them. They got breeding grounds where you ain’t allowed to crab at all, gotta let them crabs do their thing. And even if you’re fishin’ along the coast, you still might need a license. It all depends on where you are and what the rules say.
So, before you go out there with your pots and nets, do yourself a favor and check the rules where you’re at. Go online, call the fish and game people, or ask someone who knows. Don’t just assume you can do whatever you want, ’cause that’s a good way to get yourself in hot water. And nobody wants that, especially not when there’s good crabbin’ to be had.
It’s like this, they make these rules to keep the crabs around for everyone, for years to come. If everyone just went out and caught whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted, there wouldn’t be no crabs left, now would there? So, be smart, be responsible, and follow the rules. That way, you can enjoy your crab feast without worryin’ ’bout gettin’ a ticket or hurtin’ the crab population. And that’s the truth, as sure as I’m standin’ here.
Tags：[Fishing License, Crabbing Regulations, Blue Swimmer Crabs, Dungeness Crabs, Boat Fishing, Private Property, Public Pier, Alaska, Fishing Seasons]
