Grant's Getaways: Oregon Adventures with the Kids. Grant McOmie

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      Crazy for Crab

      Each winter, commercial Dungeness crab season is red-hot and rolling despite cold, wet, and harsh weather conditions. Dean Ellsworth said his 44-foot fishing boat, the Nola K, is his home away from home at this time of year. Ellsworth and his three-man crew spend long days and nights tossing out and pulling in nearly a thousand 80-pound crab pots during a fishing season that begins each December in time for the holidays. “The crab season means a lot to us,” noted Ellsworth—a longtime crab fisherman who began fishing more than 45 years ago. “Frankly, hundreds of people work on boats or in canneries and the crab season is a critical part of small town economies.”

      Dungeness crab commercial fishing season opens each December and seafood processor Steve Fick explained it’s quite a catch for consumers as hundreds of pounds of fresh crab are off-loaded from fishing boats into totes at his business, Fishhawk Fisheries, in Astoria. “This is the state’s most valuable seafood worth nearly 50 million-dollars to coastal communities. It’s an economic component that fills a big void from December to March for many fishermen and their families who live here, plus the infrastructure of support—like the crab pot businesses or the marine supply stores—all of that business stays in our community and it is key to the viability of rural life along the Oregon coast.”

      Recreational crab fishing can be done year-round at the Oregon coast either by boat or from a dock. Dock crabbing requires less gear, but anyone age 12 and older will need a shellfish license in either case. Rental equipment is available from many marinas and tackle shops along the coast and you can even find shops that will cook the fresh crab for you. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife website offers instructions and tips for both types of crabbing (dfw.state.or.us/mrp/shellfish/crab) and they also host crabbing classes—see the sidebar on pages 38–39 for more information.

      Fick first explored the Columbia River estuary as a kid, so he knows his way around the vast waterway where the river meets the sea. We left the snug harbor of Hammond, Oregon, near Astoria and slowly motored the short distance downriver to an area just off Clatsop Beach. Fick had prepared five large crab pots or traps with varied baits—a strategy he often uses so to “see what the crabs prefer.” Sometimes he’ll use turkey legs, chicken wings, shad, or salmon carcasses—even a can of tuna for crab bait. Anyone say, lunchtime?

      “Oh yes, a can of tuna fish is perfect bait,” exclaimed Fick. “All you do is perforate the can so that the scent comes out—you can also buy canned sardines or mackerel too—both work well. As long as they have a high oil content, it seems to fish well—the scent is what draws the crab into the pot.” Each Oregon crabber over age 12 must carry an Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Shellfish License and is allowed to use up to three crab pots. We timed our trip to fish our traps during the last hour of the incoming tide and then through the high slack tide period, which is often the best crabbing time.

      Fick said it’s the safest time to crab in the estuary: “There is no reason to be out here on the ebb tide—that’s the outgoing tide and things can go from bad to worse in a heartbeat. It can be the most dangerous part of the tide cycle and this river can change so fast. You just don’t take chances out here.” Fick said that each trap should soak for 15 to 20 minutes—that allows enough time for the crabs to locate the bait and enter the pot. Each crabber is allowed a dozen male crabs apiece and in Oregon they must be 5¾ inches across the back. Females are protected to preserve the breeding population of crabs. A crab gauge or other measuring device is essential gear since some crabs miss the mark by only a fraction of an inch.

      Fick and I soon had our hands full of 24 fresh crabs, and then we joined a couple of his fishing friends, Steve Williams and Terry Hartil, who love to eat fresh crab as much as they like to catch them. The trio met to prepare three of their favorite crab recipes at an annual crab fest where they share new recipes with friends and family. Each recipe also offered a low-calorie approach.

      Recipe #1 is an easy-to-fix Dungeness Crab Dip. Combine ½ cup each of low-fat mayo and low-fat sour cream and 1 cup plain yogurt. Fick said he will cut the calories by 70 percent using this low-fat approach. “It is a real simple dip emphasizing low calories so you can eat this without feeling bad about it.” He seasoned the dip with a tablespoon each of parsley, green onions, 1 teaspoon each of ground pepper and paprika—plus a tablespoon of dry ranch dressing—then he folded in 2 cups of cracked Dungeness crab. He placed the bowl of crab dip on a platter and surrounded it with varied vegetables. He added cracked crab legs across the top of the dip to provide a fine finishing touch.