# Crab Traps in Escambia Bay



## J.Sharit (Oct 3, 2007)

Does anyone else see how many crab traps are currently in the bay? Someone told me a huge commercial outfit has moved in the area and they'll be here till they wipe out the blue crabs. I was told traps were brought in by the semi load (many semis) I'm sure it's all legal but it sure don't set well with me. Another friend said the same outfit was making other peoples traps disapear? Guess soon we won't be able to keep but 2 blue crabs per person.


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## wld1985 (Oct 2, 2007)

I noticed abunch of them about amonth ago.. and wonder if it was legal to have that many... It looked dangerous for a boat to try and get through..


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## Oh Yeah (Jul 12, 2008)

Had the same problem in Savannah - it was like running a ski slalom and in dusky light real dangerous - knew several guys whose motors went down from the hangups - i even lost my 2 traps to a guy and even caught him with one of my traps out of the water - said he was re-baiting it for me - the next week they were gone - over here in Mobile i hear the are almost extinct from the over-crabbing by the commercial guys :nonono


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## tailfisher (Oct 7, 2007)

I swear I see them just about every morning leaving out of Jims fish camp. Those damn buoys are everywhere you turn around.


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## Angler's Outlet (Dec 31, 2007)

There have not been any "New" Blue Crab Endorsements issued in several years for our bay waters. 



I have noticed several (I think 4) crab boats have been docked at Jim's for a few months now. If they have not just relocated because of the cost of docking, fuel to run up the bay etc, they would have had to buy someone's Blue Crab Endorsements.



I really don't know what the reason they are here, BUT I really hope that they don't rape our waters of the Blue Crabs.


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## redfishin'JR (Jun 18, 2008)

I passed by Jims Fish Camp a couple weeks ago and saw an old van with a flatbed trailer loaded down with traps. They were probably stacked 5 or 6 traps high. Kinda sucks that someone would come in and take all the crabs! :nonono :nonono


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## tightlines (Oct 1, 2007)

I just got in from the river and the traps are in the mouth of the river almost up to the hwy90 bridge and well into east river.


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## Murphy's Law (Sep 27, 2007)

> *tailfisher (7/15/2008)* Those damn buoys are everywhere you turn around.


Yes, They are ALL OVER that area. It is a real pain in the butt trying to run at night and dodge crab traps every 20 feet. :hoppingmad


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## fishbrueske (Oct 18, 2007)

Yes, these guys are harbored at Jims and go out every morning around 6. I agree there are traps all over the entrance to the river, out in the bay and down below the I0 bridge as well. I have not looked at their license plates on their vans..but they are there every morning. One day a boat was picking up the traps around the I 10 bridge and they were stacked high..high on his boat. I do not know what the law is about these guys but they are all over where you want to fish in the bay and you have to watch out so that you do not run over them with the boat. Who can we complain to? sure do not like it.


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## Key Wester (May 2, 2008)

So whats the problem, Im suprized the crabbers arent online here asking about good spots. Typically theres plenty of good info on this site...."Killem and grillum" right? Same as the Yankee owned CHAMPION AND SOLUTIA rapeing our local waters for their own profit


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## J.Sharit (Oct 3, 2007)

Mostly we write in english on this forum so there may be some translation problems from what I understand. Seems this group is not the forum friendly type and as far as Champion and Solutia goes I guess it'd be ok if theywere southeren based companies?


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## whipper snapper (Sep 30, 2007)

are they red and white bouys on those traps?


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## RiverGulfFshr (Oct 2, 2007)

> *whipper snapper (7/16/2008)*are they red and white bouys on those traps?


I have been seeing alot of red/white bouys in the sound. I was trout fishing early morning a few weeks ago and had a vietnamese checking those traps. I happened to be within 20' of one but that didnt stop them from coming up right to me to check it. I also saw a diff boat the same day checking a group of diff traps.What really makes me mad is how they have those things spread all over even in main running channels in the bay:nonono


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## FlounderAssassin (Sep 28, 2007)

i have not personally seen these but if they are in the main running areas that has to be considered a safety hazard!!! something should be done about it!!!


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## Buzzbait (Oct 3, 2007)

I was just up in that area on Sunday. While there maybe a lot of traps, non of the ones I saw were in any marked channels, etc.


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## Halfmoon (Oct 3, 2007)

If I'm not mistaken its' 500 to 1000 traps per crab # that is issued. I know they cut it down some more but not sure what it is today. 

Three boats crab out of Jim's. Plus the one guy that trailers his boat from Milton I think. But he's been doing it for years.

I don't see what the problem is. It's not going to hurt your fishing or crabbing. The regs are very stricton Blue crabbing and Stone crabbing.

You all are worse than the environmentalist. You want it all to yourselves.

Keep on bitching pretty soon none of us will be able to fish!:banghead<P align=left>The blue crab effort management plan for the commercial blue crab<P align=left>fishery limits both the number of fishermen and traps in the blue crab<P align=left>fishery. A hard crab endorsement (VH, VN), soft crab (VS) and a blue<P align=left>crab incidental take (VI) endorsement can be associated with either<P align=left>an individual or vessel SPL. The cost of a blue crab endorsement fee is<P align=left>$125 for a hard shell endorsement, $250 for a soft shell endorsement<P align=left>and $25 for the incidental take endorsement. E*ndorsements must<P align=left>be renewed by September 30*. From these endorsement fees, $25<P align=left>is dedicated to the trap retrieval program with the retrieval fee waived<P align=left>for up to 5 traps retrieved during trap retrieval. Traps retrieved<P align=left>during closed season will be assessed a retrieval fee of $10 per trap.<P align=left>Commission issued blue crab trap tags will be required on blue crab<P align=left>traps at annual fee of 50 cents per trap tag and can be ordered in<P align=left>increments of 50. Leasing or renting of endorsements, tags or traps is<P align=left>prohibited. Blue crab endorsements will be transferable from October<P align=left>1, through January 31, but the buyer must purchase the endorsement<P align=left>and trap tags. The buyer must also work no fewer than 14 days fishing<P align=left>blue crab on the buyer?s/endorsement holder?s vessel and document<P align=left>this activity at the time of transfer. *Requalification: Beginning<P align=left>with license year 2010/2011, the holder of a blue crab<P align=left>management endorsement must requalify for the endorsement<P align=left>number by documenting landings in at least one of the three<P align=left>previous license years. Each endorsement number will then be<P align=left>valid for three years from the date of requalification, but must<P align=left>still be renewed annually.*<P align=left>A *hard crab (VH) endorsement *is required to harvest commercial<P align=left>quantities of hard shell blue. A VH endorsement entitles the owner<P align=left>to fish up to 600 blue crab traps, and an additional 400 traps offshore<P align=left>in the Gulf of Mexico*, per endorsed SPL*. A total of 150 soft crabs<P align=left>per endorsed SPL may be landed daily as bycatch. Fishermen can<P align=left>maintain as many as three shedding tanks without possessing a soft<P align=left>crab endorsement.<P align=left>A *soft crab (VS) endorsement *is required to harvest commercial<P align=left>quantities of soft shell crabs. A VS endorsement allows up to 400 peeler<P align=left>traps to be fished and allows the holder to operate a blue crab shedding<P align=left>facility with greater than 3 shedding tanks. Entities with more than<P align=left>one qualifying SPL are entitled to receive up to 250 additional traps<P align=left>per additional endorsed SPL.<P align=left>A *hard crab (VN) endorsement *is a nontransferable blue crab<P align=left>endorsement that allows the endorsement holder to deploy 100 hard<P align=left>shell blue crab traps in any state waters where blue crab traps are<P align=left>allowed. A total of 150 soft crabs per endorsed SPL may be landed<P align=left>daily as bycatch. Fishermen can maintain as many as three shedding<P align=left>tanks without possessing a soft crab endorsement. *The nontransferable<P align=left>blue crab endorsement can not be sold or other<P align=left>wise transferred. *If the holder of a VN endorsement purchases a VH<P align=left>endorsement the non-transferrable endorsement shall be forfeited.<P align=left>A *blue crab (VI) incidental take endorsement *allows persons<P align=left>possessing a valid stone crab endorsement or persons who can<P align=left>demonstrate landings of blue crabs as bycatch using legal shrimping<P align=left>gear, to harvest and sell up to 200 pounds of blue crabs as bycatch,<P align=left>provided the amount does not exceed 200 pounds of blue crabs per

vessel per


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## Wharf Rat (Sep 27, 2007)

> *RiverGulfFshr (7/16/2008)*
> 
> 
> > *whipper snapper (7/16/2008)*are they red and white bouys on those traps?
> ...




We were fishing up in escambia and one of the commercial crabbers on a Carolina Skiff could have given two craps about how close he came to us. I've seen all those red/white bouys too.





I'm waiting on P'Cola Native to dive in here and explain it to us, he seems like a good guy and he's a crabber...I'm sure he knows what is going on.


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## nextstep (Jun 27, 2008)

neckred? as a matter of fact hell yell! anybody who has lived on the northern gulf coast for any amount of time has a red neck. it just becomes a matter of what degree red it is. as for mine it is blood red and proud of it. you need to find you a tree huggin site and get off our FISHING forum.


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## whipper snapper (Sep 30, 2007)

the red and white crab bouys i am talking about run from 3-mile around fairpoint down to deere point. they are out just far enough to get clipped!!! no rhyme or reason as to how they are put out, not really in a straight line. it's more like an obstacle course.


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## welldoya (Oct 5, 2007)

I've noticed the crab boats appearing at Jim's. Drove by there Monday morning and one of them was sunk at the dock. I guess he didn't have a bilge pump going during those heavy rains this past weekend. It was gone the next day though.


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## Heller High Water (Nov 1, 2007)

OUT OF CONTROL!


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## sosmarine (Sep 28, 2007)

Timely headline on Mediacom today.

http://navarre.mediacomtoday.com/community/news/story/index.php?source=National&id=D91UTB3G2&pd=20080716


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## seapro86 (Jun 28, 2008)

I've been seeing alot more of those crab buoys also. Almost hit one the last time we went night fishing in the bay. Seems like if they are going to be allowed to do it they would make them set them in more designated areas. Last weekend we were leaving shoreline park and seen some very close to the main channel. It seems very unsafe to set them in places that have such heavy boat traffic.:banghead


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## P-cola_Native (Feb 5, 2008)

O.K., here is what I know about the situation. These guys are vietnamese, and don't have a very good reputation within the local commercial fishing community. I've wondered myself whether everything is legal. To be legal each boat must have its own VH endorsement, meaning each boat can only pull traps with the VH or VS# printed on boththe side of the boat and the trap buoy. Each licence is allowed to fish 600 inshore trap, unless they have a netter's licence which only gives you 100 traps. If anyone wants to PM me, I will go into regulations in further depth. Whatever you do, for heaven's sake, don't touch one of their traps. It is a felony and the FWC loves to catch people molesting traps.

New endorsements haven't been issued for like twelve years, but last year was the first year you could buy an existing licence. I'm not sure if these guy's bought licence's but I suspect they already had them. One was recently on sale locally for $25,000. 

My traps are red over white (a common color) in Pensacola bay. My line stretches from just past Joe Patties around the bayfront to Bayou Grande. Pretty much all of the traps between Grande and Chico are mine (except for Chuck Blancherd's.) If anyone thinks one of my traps is in the way, please send me a PM. A lot of times if a trap is in the middle of the channel, I didn't put it there. People willsteal your crabs and drop thetrap in the middle of the channel, or they get wrapped up in the rope and dump the trap somewhere that's in the way.

About being approached by a crabber, If you are anchored near a crab trap do not be surprised if the crabber comes up next to you and pulls the trap. We do not have time to wait until no one is around the trap to pull it. You have to get your crabs and get them to market before they die, so time is important. I personally will not go near a boat if it is hooked up with a fish. But if they are just fishing, I am sorry, I have to pull the trap. I don't mean any disrespect, but I can not leave every trap unchecked that has a boat near it. 

I understand that the buoys can be in the way, but please try to work with us. Right now blue crabs are in very high demand, but we aren't making a lot of money doing it. You are lucky to get $.95 a pound. I amcurrently doing it to help pay my way through college.


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## P-cola_Native (Feb 5, 2008)

> *whipper snapper (7/16/2008)*the red and white crab bouys i am talking about run from 3-mile around fairpoint down to deere point. they are out just far enough to get clipped!!! no rhyme or reason as to how they are put out, not really in a straight line. it's more like an obstacle course.


I think that is Phil Rollo, but I am not sure. He is like the king of crab in this area (or use to be). I was going to crab Butcherpen cove this summer, but that guy beat me to it.


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## Greenjeans (Jul 6, 2008)

P-Cola Native,

Thanks for the in-depth explanation. The ones up by Jims are mostly white ones as far as I can tell and there quite a few of them. Near dark the other night my small moter got stopped by one of the lines. I unravelled it and continued on my way but I can see why people are asking questions. I have never seen so many in this area either. From the sounds of it they are legal though.


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## P-cola_Native (Feb 5, 2008)

If they are blank white buoy's, I don't see how they are legal. A commercial crab trap must have a specified color buoy with a corresponding circle painted on the side of the boat. This is done for visual reference to make sure crabbers aren't stealing from traps that aren't there's. White buoys are reserved for recreational crabbers. At least I think commercial guys can't choose white.

Commercial buoys must also have a VH or VS endorsement # painted on the side. That is one way to find out if these guys bought a new licence or not. If the number is in the 8,000's they bought a new licence, if it is smaller then they have had the licences for awhile. The numbers should be painted on the side of the boats.

By the way, I hearda bunch ofthe crabbers in the state didn't renew their licences this year, because this was the first year you had to meet the minimum quotato keep your licence. This was also the first year you had to buy tags. We will see how many make it through the transition of the new managementplan.


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## 60hertz (Oct 1, 2007)

No worries to you P-cola_native, you do what you've got to do to get through school!



But, these guys up near Jim's need to be very careful. They have got crab traps EVERYWHERE up here. The ones just South of the Fish Camp are OK, they are way off on the sides of the deep water and they actually aid in navigating. But, the others are just plopped down everywhere - especially those near Saultsman Bayou and near the Escambia River channel. I've have several "near-miss" incidents w/ their traps - as everyone here knows, those things can be EXTREMELY difficult to see in low-light. 



I don't want to seem like too big of a tree-hugger; but, I don't see how the population stands a chance in that area w/ as many traps as those guys have out there. I haven't counted, but I'm sure it is in excess of 100 traps. Very frustrating, especially how it seems like that area is just now starting to make a recovery from Ivan, Dennis, and the bridge construction.



One morning I had just got set up on my favorite spot and they came plowing through to get their crabs - all noisy and banging around and stuff - made quite a bit of noise. Really ruined the bite. About an hour later I spoke w/ them at Jim's they basically just nodded and repeatedly said "yes" so I don't know how well they understand English (not trying to be a hater, but just making a statement). 



A few days later I got stopped by a FWC Officer for a "safety" check and I voiced my complaint about the number of traps in the entire area - he agreed that they were a hazard, but said that there was nothing that could be done because they are not in a designated navigational route.


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## nextstep (Jun 27, 2008)

this is why this forum rocks, you get realanswers from real people who know what the heck they are talking about, thanks p'cola native!


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## JollyGreen (Jan 28, 2008)

In the mid 70's thousand of Vietmanese were brought to the Panhandle. After they were release from the camp at Eglin AFB they went out to get jobs. For a lot of them all they knew how to do was fish. 

A couple of years ago I heard that several of theolder folks were high ranking officers in the Vietnamese Army during the war and were untouchable when it came to fishing violation. Cases were thrown out of court.


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## welldoya (Oct 5, 2007)

Back in the 60s and 70s when I was a kid in Panama City, going crabbing was a favorite recreational activity of my family. Sometimes we would pack a picnic lunch, pick up some snapper heads at the fish market on the St.Andrew's marina and go out behind the college.

We would put the heads in the water and just check them every few minutes. We always took home several dozen. Sometimes we would just walk in the seagrassand wouldnet plenty.

Other times we would set out six or so traps off the old Hathaway Bridge. Everytime we pulled them up , there would be 3 or 4 in there. It was common to leave after a couple of hours with 50 or 60 crabs.

I imagine recreational crabbing would be futile these days. Does anybody even try it ?


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## nextstep (Jun 27, 2008)

welldoya, couple of my neighbors and i pull traps of the docks all year we dont catch em like we used to. it takes about 5 days to catch enough for a 3 family boil. (about 8 people) with usually a half dozen per family leftovers for the next day. love them crabs. i remember back when we were kids we would do the same thing as you talked aboutat the intracoastal bridge at innerarity (back then it was a draw bridge) that sure was a lot of fun. we also would pull closing traps off the three mile fishing bridge and catch a cooler full in no time along with some stone crabs. would bring snatch rigs and snatch mullet as they would go under the bridge. the schools would stretch as far as the eye could see (literally).


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## P-cola_Native (Feb 5, 2008)

> *welldoya (7/17/2008)*Back in the 60s and 70s when I was a kid in Panama City, going crabbing was a favorite recreational activity of my family. Sometimes we would pack a picnic lunch, pick up some snapper heads at the fish market on the St.Andrew's marina and go out behind the college.
> 
> We would put the heads in the water and just check them every few minutes. We always took home several dozen. Sometimes we would just walk in the seagrassand wouldnet plenty.
> 
> ...


Lot of guys recreational crab fish. Their traps are all around mine. I've got a few spots where a trap will on average catch two dozen crabs a night, but a good average in most places is 4-8 crabs per trap.


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## Pathfinder (Oct 9, 2007)

Amen Brother!


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