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Pompano
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Posts: 8194
Registered: 11-14-2004
Location: Bay of Conception and Up North
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Red Crabs
One of the many things I love about Baja Sur is the sheer diversity of marine life that has found and enthralled me since my first trip to Conception
Bay.
The Bay Back in the Day...a magical place where literally everything came to spawn and feed...including some visitors from Up North. You
went snorkeling/diving and when you put your head under the water the sealife noise sounded like a demolition derby. 
These are photo 'captures' I took from an old movie camera I used to film a massive beaching of red crabs in Coyote Bay in the spring of 1987. It was
utterly wild! There were literally millions and millions of the little red crabs in the waters and piled high on the shorelines.
They are commonly known in English as Pelagic Red Crab, Tuna Crab, or Lobster Krill.
Some local Baja names are… Langostilla, Langostino chileno
Pelagic Red Crab, (Pleuroncodes planipes, family Galathidae, if you’re still writing a thesis): These Pelagic Red Crabs are a very unique species that
serves as a vital food source for a wide variety of marine life including the Humboldt squid, turtles, whales, and all sorts of fish.
The Pelagic Red Crab is found in the open ocean and on occasion is washed ashore during the spring months.
In Mexican waters, this creature is found predominately along the lower west coast of the Pacific side of the Baja California peninsula and in our Sea
of Cortez south of the Midriff Islands, and ranges to about 125 miles south of Cabo San Lucas.
This crab species is believed to spend the majority of the year hiding in and around sandy bottoms. However, during the spring it travels in enormous
dense schools, up to 10 individuals per square foot, that have been estimated to consist of up to 200 billion individual members weighing a total of
300,000 tons.
These schools attract a vast number of diverse predators. The Pelagic Red Crab is approximately 4 inches in length, with the shell measuring just over
1 inch. It swims backwards by flipping it tail and streamlining its legs. The Pelagic Red Crab feeds on planktonic bits of food.
The Pelagic Red Crab is utilized by the panga flotilla of commercial fishermen to catch red snappers, the prized Huachinango, out of deep holes by the
bucket load; the snappers are only interested in live specimens and will not touch dead ones, making same day collection and maintenance a key for the
successful use of this crab as a bait. The Pelagic Red Crab is also used to catch the Pacific Creolefish in large numbers on or near the surface on
some occasions.
The pelagic red crab, also called "tuna crab.". These crabs sometimes form solid floating masses on the ocean surface and they are a preferred forage
when available. In 1970, Ray Cannon wrote a column in Western Outdoor News about a huachinango surface frenzy stimulated by red crabs off San Jose del
Cabo.
Sometimes they die and wash ashore by the millions, forming windrows hundreds of yards long, like the ones I videoed here in Coyote. At the time of
my filming, all the beaches and shorelines from Conception Bay to south of Loreto were windrowed with the dead and dying mass. Truly one of Nature’s
impressive events.
Below are some clear 35mm photos and also ‘captures’ of the video images.. but those somehow came out a little fuzzy. Hey, what can I say? Ron
Palmas ruled that day.
When the masses were out in open water you could look down and see solid red, and also see huge red snapper trashing in and out of the
schools….especially big splashes all around one renowned place…Roca Frijoles in Bahia de Concepcion. I tried casting a silver Krocodile spoon, but
had no luck with a strike. I looked in my tackle box for something red or orange and found a Len Thompson potato bug I used for pike and
walleyes Up North…a 4” orange spoon with black spots. I tied it on and cast…WHAMMO!..it was gone to something huge. Damn and Carumba! My buddy,
Clemente, using line that could tie up the Queen Mary, horsed one to my gaff. A nice 45lber that was a prize for him to take home for dinner…or
dinero. Back on shore, I had the camera so I gave it to him to take this photo of the fish. Lessons, lessons, amigo.
Once the crabs were washed up on the shore…surprisingly absolutely nothing would touch them. Not a gull, buzzard, Norwegian, or cow would eat them.
They just accumulated by the jillions. Oddly, I did not notice any smell, although they were around for a couple days. Even my black lab, Gypsy,
took a whiff and said No thanks. Little Brian from next door thought he’d try one, but he had second thoughts after sucking on one. Hey, I
tried to stop him, but in reality it’s best he learns on his own!
The red windrows went all the way around the Bay. Lots of campers had to shovel a path through the crabs to reach the water. What a story they must
have told back home!
A few days later…and a few high tides…and it was clean and smooth as usual. Gypsy and Brian went beachcombing again to check things out…eating things
as they found them.
Never a dull day in Paradise.
[Edited on 10-24-2014 by Pompano]
I do what the voices in my tackle box tell me.
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fishbuck
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Always interesting and entertaining!
Cheers Roger
"A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for." J. A. Shedd.
A clever person solves a problem. A wise person avoids it. – Albert Einstein
"Life's a Beach... and then you Fly!" Fishbuck
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Pompano
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8194
Registered: 11-14-2004
Location: Bay of Conception and Up North
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Mood: Optimistic
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| Quote: | Originally posted by fishbuck
Always interesting and entertaining!
Cheers Roger |
And Cheers to you, too, fishbuck. Just a note, I, too, worked for Boeing. Plant 2 at Renton...a long, long time ago. Good outfit.
I do what the voices in my tackle box tell me.
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fishbuck
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Yeah, well they been here a long time. Did you know Bill Boeing?
"A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for." J. A. Shedd.
A clever person solves a problem. A wise person avoids it. – Albert Einstein
"Life's a Beach... and then you Fly!" Fishbuck
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fishbuck
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Sorry couldn't help myself. Im a friend of Bill W...
"A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for." J. A. Shedd.
A clever person solves a problem. A wise person avoids it. – Albert Einstein
"Life's a Beach... and then you Fly!" Fishbuck
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Pompano
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8194
Registered: 11-14-2004
Location: Bay of Conception and Up North
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Mood: Optimistic
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I think I met most of the bigwigs back then...but this was in 1966. I knew mostly aeronautical engineers and parking lot attendants.
I do what the voices in my tackle box tell me.
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Vince
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Registered: 10-17-2006
Location: Coronado
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Roger= Patty and I will have a Pacifico waiting if you can make it to Coyote Bay next week. Will be doing some cleanup after the storm. Flying down
in the 182 on Monday.
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fishbuck
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I have met all the little wigs. And there is a lot of them too.
The Renton site delivers about 3 737s every 2 days. Or about 30 or so airplanes per month. And they are bumping that up to about 50 per month.
Maybe we can use you...
"A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for." J. A. Shedd.
A clever person solves a problem. A wise person avoids it. – Albert Einstein
"Life's a Beach... and then you Fly!" Fishbuck
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fishbuck
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Vince
Roger= Patty and I will have a Pacifico waiting if you can make it to Coyote Bay next week. Will be doing some cleanup after the storm. Flying down
in the 182 on Monday. |
Whoa, you have a 182? Can I go?
"A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for." J. A. Shedd.
A clever person solves a problem. A wise person avoids it. – Albert Einstein
"Life's a Beach... and then you Fly!" Fishbuck
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Pompano
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8194
Registered: 11-14-2004
Location: Bay of Conception and Up North
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Mood: Optimistic
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Vince
Roger= Patty and I will have a Pacifico waiting if you can make it to Coyote Bay next week. Will be doing some cleanup after the storm. Flying down
in the 182 on Monday. |
Vince, I would give a lot if only I could drink a cold Pacifico again with you two in Coyote...but ducks have me surrounded Up North and I doubt I
could bust through. But muchas gracias, anyway.
fishbuck...I was one of the worker ants on a prototype, a wooden mockup of the 747. Would have liked to have been there when the place was building
boats. Was too young and did not stay long. I could not stand being in one place for too long. On going back to working again, let me say we used
slide rules, plus carrier pigeons. Nuff said...
Now back to The Crabs...I'm getting hate mail.
I do what the voices in my tackle box tell me.
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fishbuck
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Yes well, I have never had crabs but I would hate that if I did. So I guess I can understand the hate mail.
"A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for." J. A. Shedd.
A clever person solves a problem. A wise person avoids it. – Albert Einstein
"Life's a Beach... and then you Fly!" Fishbuck
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mulegemichael
Super Nomad
Posts: 2310
Registered: 12-24-2007
Location: sequim,wa. and mulege
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Mood: up on step
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hey roger....we're gonna go down and salvage what's left of our home in the oasis....love to have you stop by if in the area.....but you KNOW, i am
still STOMPING the salmon up north here on the olympic peninsula....it is just a BANNER year for coho and the smoker is blasting daily...yer always
welcome, amigo...mike and roz
dyslexia is never having to say you\'re yrros.
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Tioloco
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The Crabs-
I am just glad this isn't about Tijuana nightlife.... I had to check it out
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fishbuck
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Where the heck in Olympics. Salmon are driving me crazy. I caught mine at Westport. 6 total, 3 wild and 3 hatchey. Kept 2 and gave 1 away. Wild fish
go free!
I see salmon in the Snohomish River. But they don't bite.
They only want to fight and swim. They ain't hungrey,
[Edited on 10-24-2014 by fishbuck]
"A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for." J. A. Shedd.
A clever person solves a problem. A wise person avoids it. – Albert Einstein
"Life's a Beach... and then you Fly!" Fishbuck
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BajaBlanca
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Posts: 13165
Registered: 10-28-2008
Location: La Bocana, BCS
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Nice to hear from you Roger! Miss your postings exactly like this one you just posted -full of info and pics.
Hope those geese appreciate you!
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Cypress
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Location: on the bayou
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Good to see you're posting again Pompano. Been setting 4 crab traps about once a month this summer, let 'em soak for 3 days. Catch over 2 dozen blue
crabs each time. Sure are good anyway you want to fix 'em. Crabs are going for about a dollar apiece.
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willyAirstream
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Welcome back amigo!
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Vince
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Registered: 10-17-2006
Location: Coronado
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Fishbuck- The passenger manifest is full for this trip. Maybe another one.
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Tomas Tierra
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Location: oxnard, ca
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Cypress,
steamed over water, old bay seasoning, cheap beer (finally a good use for Tecate!) and a good dash of vinegar.. Sprinkle old bay over the LIVE crabs
on steamer ..23 mins over good steam..
Maryland Style Blue Crab!
Most important part of this style is that the crabs be very alive and combative..they die in combat, and the meat is sweeter!
Tried batter frying those little tuna crabs once... Mleh.. My Korean buddy loved them(duh)
TT
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fishbuck
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Vince
Fishbuck- The passenger manifest is full for this trip. Maybe another one. |
Ok thanks!
"A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for." J. A. Shedd.
A clever person solves a problem. A wise person avoids it. – Albert Einstein
"Life's a Beach... and then you Fly!" Fishbuck
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