The season to catch dungeness crab, the largest edible crab in the Pacific, has official begun as of November 2nd, 2019. All along the coast there were fishing poles and crab traps lining the shore. Even if you didn’t get out there on the first day, you still have until summer 2020 to catch you a pot so let’s dive right in!

WHAT: The dungeness crab is considered to be the symbol of the Cancer sign (June 21 - July 22) and can be seen as a constellation in the northern spring skies. They are widely considered the best tasting seafood out there, but watch out for their pinchers! Their name “dungeness” comes from the first commercial operation for the species in Dungeness, Washington. They love eelgrass beds which provides a great source of food and protection to raise their babies. The matting season is May-August and a large female can carry up to 2.5 million eggs! The average lifespan is 8 to 13 years.

HOW: There are many different ways to catch crabs (the ocean kind): wading, trapping, diving, and casting; the most popular being trapping and casting. If you’re trapping, here’s a starter kit with just about everything you would need, linked in the image to the right. For a more in depth guide on how to catch crab, check out this great article, here. In California, the daily bag limit is 10 crabs, and the minimum size limit is 5¾ inches, so bring your gauges and know how to measure correctly.

WHEN: While in season, of course, some of the best times are around slack-tide, so the hour or two before and after high tide. If you’re on the beach, probably best to set your traps on the incoming tide. Click here for a tide chart for your location.

ENJOY: Dungeness crabs are usually boiled for around 20 minutes. They are great just dipped in butter, but if you want to get fancy, here’s another recipe to try out. You can also go the crab cake or chowder route, neither will disappoint. As a cautionary note, paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) has been found in the internal organs of Dungeness crab, so be careful not to eat the internal organs.

Check out this video detailing best practices on how to take advantage of the season, stay safe, and have fun!