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Pompano
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Location: Bay of Conception and Up North
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"This "SHORE" is fun !" (and RV Improvements)
Ah, Easter with a feast…Dungeness Crab and Razor Clams on the Washington Coast…..the very memory makes my mouth water again.
If you want to have fun while getting one of the easiest, most delicious dinners in the world, this is it!
After two close calls with the Grim Reaper in as many years, I’ve decided to make the most of each day. If he wants me, he’ll have to keep up. Right
now, I’m at Westport, Washington…an old favorite haunt from long ago.
I came here from another great place…exceptional steelhead fishing on some of Oregon’s fine coastal rivers. While there, we got to talking of the
coming clamming season up on the wild & wooly Washington coast. It brought back some fond memories…especially one trip a long time ago when some
amigos from Mulege and Conception Bay joined us at a townhouse we all rented on the beach in the Westport area. What a time we had…clamming and
crabbing, and of course some fantastic dinners at day’s end. So, here we are...back again.
Located on the marine-rich waters of the southern Washington coast, you can see thousands of Dungeness crab pots at the dock area in Westport.
Commercial crab season usually opens in December, and many crabbers quit in the spring and put their gear away for the year. You can see what these
pots look like on many boats in the marina. In the winter, the pots will be out on the ocean.
Crabbing
Both Tokeland's and Westport's marinas are good for Dungeness crab fishing. You can buy or rent crab pots and bait at various places in town. Then
simply walk out of some of the public docks and pick your spot. Bring chairs and a picnic lunch…and enjoy the day.
This is the thing about Dungeness crabbing…when pulling our traps, we could count on getting a whole lot of good tasting crab that make great
dinners!..not to mention all the star fish, octopus, and spider crabs we had to throw back. After steaming them and seeing the meatiness of these
crabs I could see why,that even with eight of us, we could not finish them all. So I cleaned the left overs and used them the next day to stuff and
grill some salmon. Lots of fun to cook.
Just remember in most places, it is illegal to split the crab at the beach/boat unless you are cooking and eating them on site. Once they are split
they can no longer be checked to determine if they are of legal size and cannot be transported in this manner.
Having said that I am enjoying fresh crab most nights! (and a half crab is never enough!)
A QUICK SNACK…CRAB LEGS ON PLATE
There is more than just the legs, though….but I’ve sometimes found the taste of dungeness crab "mustard" aka tomalley to be very different from the
tomalley of lobsters and blue crabs, both of which I love to eat. I cooked a couple live dungeness crabs this past weekend, and tasted the tomalley of
both, but they were bitter and I thought, "there's NO WAY I can acquire a taste for that!" I was surprised, because I find the tomalley of lobsters
and blue crabs to be so yummy! Anyway, I did some asking around, and heard that depending on the season, the tomalley of any of those crustaceans can
be bitter. So I'll definitely try dungeness crab tomalley again in the future. One thing, however, tomalley does contain filtered toxins (PCBs and
some other scary sounding stuff), so I won't be eating it as much as I'd like to.
One crabber I met on the docks said to me,
“It's also a safety issue. The guts are often high in levels of PBCs and other contaminants. They’re bottom feeders ya know, and we've been
polluting the heck out of the oceans for decades.”
If you’re going out on the ocean with pots in a boat, you’ve got an edge. I've found that crabs like shallow areas 3 or 4 hundred feet off shore. Mud
flats are great. If you have some pots, set them for 4-6 hours. Crabs love turkey legs, chicken thighs (make sure they are not frozen so they are nice
and stinky), and catfood. Also, if you were out clam digging before and butchered a bunch digging like I do sometimes, you use those peices too. When
you pull up your pots, make sure the carapace is 6.5 inches in diameter and that they are male (you can tell by the narrow apron). Here’s a good tip
on keeping the crabs fresh… we just use ice in the cooler with the drain open…this slows them down but doesn't drown them.
Those NOISY sea lions!
Like most all the marinas on the West Coast, there is a lively resident population of seals and Sea Lions. You love ‘em and hate ‘em! Here’s little
walk we took along one of the floating docks…to see what all the noise was about.
They always like to cram together…which to me seems like trouble in the making…
“Whew”…best to stay upwind….
Westport has a waterfront street full of gift shops…and of course, lots of salt water taffy for the kiddies…and moi. (..the most privileged thing in
the world is a grandchild out with a grandparent)
Part of the Crab Festival was this Fishermen’s Association & Coast Guard Pavilion showing some of their rescue gear. You gotta love the Coasties
who save so many lives every year.
A young coastguardsman showed me how he could get into the survival suit in less than a minute…which might be all the time you get when disaster
strikes...or even less. I recall having a couple on board when we worked Alaska salmon so many years ago…thank God we never had to put them on.
Part of the Annual Crab Festival was a crab race and dinner put on inside this tent in downtown Westport. Naturally, it was raining!
Clam Digging
Razor Clams are plentiful on the beaches of Grayland and North Cove. They are fun to dig, and they are very tasty. Seasons vary, and are established
by the Department of Fish and Wildlife.
The Pacific razor clam (Siliqua patula is it’s scientific name) is abundant on beaches from California to Alaska. The adult clams live right in the
surf, and out as far as one-half mile. People dig them at low tide when their holes are visible in the dry sand and shallow surf. North Cove and
Grayland, 10 minutes south of Westport, have several miles of digging area. That’s the area we drove to and did our clamming…
No problem finding a parking space….just pick your own sand…and pay no attention to the weather!
…and join in the fun. “If you’re lucky enough to be at the beach, then you’re lucky enough.”
Wet Weather never seems to stop NW Pacific folks. When seasons are open, people travel from all over Washington State and the Seattle area to dig
clams. Razor clams are fun to dig. Thousands of people flock to the beach when the season opens in hopes of getting their daily limit of 15 clams.
The weather has treated us differently each time we hit these shores for clamming, crabbing, or fishing. It’s uncanny. One day it’s 70 degrees, like
it was two days ago…and then it’s 45 and raining cats and dogs…go figure? Well, that’s why you sometimes dress in layers! Like Co-pilot says, "There
is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes."
Most of the year, the beaches are fairly deserted…
But not when clamming seasons starts…it’s a whole different scene. Kind of like the beaches of Conception Bay at Eastertime.
Hah, I can recall way back in the day when we all first went clamming here. (about 1978) Including our visitors from Mulege. It was the first time
some of the folks ever heard of a ‘clam gun’…well, they knew I was a hunter and must have figured their crazy gringos would be
‘shooting’ the clams. Hah! When they first saw them and how we used them, it brought huge smiles to all. They became experts in nothing flat.
“Whew…finally got the guy! Funny, it seemed so much bigger when I was digging…
Caution!….you are at risk of getting WET!
And be prepared to RUN!
What really helps is a good ‘clam sniffer’.
And train your family clam diggers well…and early.
Be aware of certain beach areas that are closed to clamming.
Cleaning
Now that you have your limit or 15 clams per person, you will need to clean your clams. It’s fairly basic. All you need is a pair of scissors, and
you are ready to start cleaning.
“Red meat is not bad for you. Now blue-green meat, that's bad for you!”
Geoducks are very interesting…and are huge compared to razors, plus being one of the longest-living organisms in the animal kingdom. I found out that
the oldest recorded specimen was 168 years old, although individuals over 100 years old are rare. Scientists speculate that the geoduck's longevity
is the result of low wear and tear, plus it does not have many, if any, predators…except us, of course.
After that little chore is done, it’s time to find the cook and get him working.
“I have the number for Domino’s…just in case.”
Today’s word: “Vegetables are a must on a diet. I suggest carrot cake, zucchini bread, and pumpkin pie.”
Well, that’s crabbing & clamming for you. Glad you came along.
“Next stop?....Someplace sunny & warm!”
[Edited on 5-7-2014 by Pompano]
I do what the voices in my tackle box tell me.
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churro
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Nice trip report! Thanks for posting!
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Loretana
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Hey Pompano,
How timely! We had friends bring razor clams and Dungeness crabs from Long Beach, Washington down here to our Oregon home for dinner just last
night......
Lotsa work, but sooooooo well worth it!
Excellent report....as ever
"If you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency and vibration."
-Nikola Tesla
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Ateo
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Excelente...................like always. Stellar story and fantastic photos.
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nbacc
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Nice pics Nancy
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BornFisher
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Loved it--- thanks!
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Skipjack Joe
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It's nice to read about your dietary changes, Roger. I've made similar changes myself, although probably for different reasons than you.
It's actually amazing how quickly and completely you can make such a change. During our last trip to baja I purchased a high end ice chest and brought
fresh fruits and vegetables. We looked so forward to them each evening that I frankly regret I hadn't done this years ago. A spinach salad with crab
meat is to die for (perhaps a wrong choice of words).
We had been barbequing rib eye steaks in the desert for years but this time we switched to this and were very pleased.
One other thing: I found the female dungeness crabs to taste a lot better than the males. Was that your experience as well?
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Pompano
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Location: Bay of Conception and Up North
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First, many thanks to all who responded with a 'like'. I enjoyed making the report.
| Quote: | Originally posted by Skipjack Joe
It's nice to read about your dietary changes, Roger. I've made similar changes myself, although probably for different reasons than you.
.....
One other thing: I found the female dungeness crabs to taste a lot better than the males. Was that your experience as well? |
Igor, few people other than myself know that you are in fact an undercover game officer...and that your question is an attempt to trap me into
admitting a taste for female Dungeness crabs. THIS IS NOT EVEN CLOSE to the truth, although I will admit to 'rescuing' other crabber's 'females' from
time to time...
Here's a show and tell on those illegal female crabs.
The best way to distinguish between a male and a female crab (this works other species of crabs as well, such as the blue crab) is to flip the crab
over or pick it up (Careful, don't get P-nched), and look at the abdominal section near its rear end. A male crab will have a narrow triangular
abdomen while a female will have a much wider and more oval abdomen.
[Edited on 4-21-2014 by Pompano]
I do what the voices in my tackle box tell me.
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Udo
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Thanks, Roger.
Nicew lesson on both crab fishing and the crabs themselves.
Udo
Youth is wasted on the young!
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desertcpl
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Thanks Roger very nice
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Skipjack Joe
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Are you telling me that it's illegal to harvest female crabs? Seems like it.
We got ours in Alaska. Maybe the regulations are different up there.
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Skipjack Joe
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Just found these regs for california:
http://www.dfg.ca.gov/marine/mapregs3.asp
The recreational fishery for Dungeness crab (Cancer ... Both male and female crab may be taken in the recreational fishery.
However, in Washington they are not.
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Pompano
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Skipjack Joe
Just found these regs for california:
http://www.dfg.ca.gov/marine/mapregs3.asp
The recreational fishery for Dungeness crab (Cancer ... Both male and female crab may be taken in the recreational fishery.
However, in Washington they are not. |
You betcha, Igor, Westport is indeed in Washington.
We should make sure of the law before crabbing. Just read this via that same California site.
'The fishery has been regulated by the California State Legislature since 1895 when reports filed by the State Board of Fish Commissioners described
the subsequent effects of decreasing catch from previously fished areas, as fishermen were traveling greater distances to meet the increasing demand
for crab, and suggested the Legislature oversee and restore the fishery. In 1897, the first legislative statute for the fishery was passed that
'prohibited the take and sale of females.' In 1903, a season closure was instituted and in 1905 a minimum size limit was set at 6 inches (15.2
centimeters) across the back of the crab. Until recently, these regulations continued to be the only tools to manage the west coast states’ crab
fisheries and are known as the 3-S principle, which refers to sex, size, and season limits. Currently, only 'male' crabs that are greater than 6.25
inches (15.9 centimeters) across the widest part of their carapace (CW) can be landed and the fishery is closed during the time of year when
legal-sized crabs are molting and mating.'
I seem to remember that some crabbers told me female crabs were off-limits last year in Crescent City, California.
Hmmm...do we have a crabby mystery here?
I do what the voices in my tackle box tell me.
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Cypress
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Thanks 
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cliffh
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Thanks for the pics and story. Looks like new 5th wheel, what make. Cliff
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Pompano
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| Quote: | Originally posted by cliffh
Thanks for the pics and story. Looks like new 5th wheel, what make. Cliff |
You're welcome, Cliff,
My new fifth wheel is a replacement for my previous Montana, this one is a Bighorn made by Heartland. We're enjoying it very much, good storage, nice
and roomy, plus I've made it convenient for boondock camping anywhere...solar, invertor, genset, etc. Perfect for a 'Nomad'. 
I do what the voices in my tackle box tell me.
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Trueheart
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Enjoyed your story, report, and photos Pompano ... as always! Thank you. Steve
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Whale-ista
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Thank you for great photos and interesting report.
Now I'm hungry!
\"Probably the airplanes will bring week-enders from Los Angeles before long, and the beautiful poor bedraggled old town will bloom with a
Floridian ugliness.\" (John Steinbeck, 1940, discussing the future of La Paz, BCS, Mexico)
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shari
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Mood: there is no reality except the one contained within us "Herman Hesse"
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Ah Sr.Pompano....as always I enjoyed riding along with you on your adventure. Glad you are keeping that Reaper on the run buddy...thanks for the
chuckles!
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fishbuck
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Very cool brother Pompano!
"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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