SpinnerB
7/28/2013 9:44:00 PMArea 13 has a lot of thieves. I have lost lots of gear out there that is marked with GPS and plenty of extra rope. I give myself at least 1/3 as much extra rope as I am deep because currents can be swift down there. People really suck when it comes to crabbing in 13. Next time drive up to area 11. Better crab, better people...unfortunately.
Nangusdog
7/29/2013 11:54:00 AMSpinnerB
I thought I was getting ripped off too but it turns out that the standard 1/3 extra rope is never enough in strong tides. My rule of thumb is double...I was crabbing in 95 FOW with a weighted trap, 200' of weighted rope and double buys with a single buoy kicker 15' above the doubles...with a strong Ebb tide running, I watched my doubles go under...my single kicker floated for a few minutes then it too went down out of sight. I came back later on the slack and retrieved it.
I thought I was getting ripped off too but it turns out that the standard 1/3 extra rope is never enough in strong tides. My rule of thumb is double...I was crabbing in 95 FOW with a weighted trap, 200' of weighted rope and double buys with a single buoy kicker 15' above the doubles...with a strong Ebb tide running, I watched my doubles go under...my single kicker floated for a few minutes then it too went down out of sight. I came back later on the slack and retrieved it.