I chickened out on the crab opener last weekend due to a Small Craft Advisory. I am too old to get beatup out there anymore so I pick my days. Had 6 crew on time at the dock at a leisurely 8 AM.

We dropped 3 squares off of Stinson Beach in 90 ft and 3 more off of duxbouy in 110 feet. Off to the reef off of Bolinas for a slow pick of rockfish. Lots of donated gear and approx 10 rockfish later we decided to pull and headed to the outer pots. BLANK 3 pots in a row. WTH? Smoke-shrouded pot raiders? We stacked those and headed to the squares for 8 keeper and a dozen or more shorts. We fished Centissima reef for an hour for a couple more rockies. We caught Browns, Cabezone, Blacks, Kelp Greenling, starfish, rockcrab and baby lings. Nothing of bragging size.

Pickerell Brothers at work

No wind or swell to speak of. ACRES of anchovies getting bombed by pelicans and gulls out between Dux and Bolinas. Most rockfish helpfully barfed up partially digested anchovies that we industriously reused.

Not sure what we are doing wrong on the crab pots but grateful for the 3 I ate!

I gave them a relaxing hot tub for 10 minutes with Zatarains and Debra did the critters up right oven roasted with lemon, butter, garlic and white wine.

I hope to get out again over the Thanksgiving holidays.