[Alley Cat]

Twice this past season while fishing I observed crabbing boats pulling pots, (once in the Chester and once in the Patapsco in front of the ore docks) these pots did not have floats attached but were attached to a long cable and were daisy chained like a trot line. Is this Legal?

 

[rj]

Not legal in the locations that you described
commercial crab pots are
not allowed in the Patapsco river inside the line that runs from North Pt to "r6" to Bodkin

or inside the in the chester above a line from from love PT to eastern neck island

more specific info here & area description here
08.02.03.07

when in doubt a call to the DNR will confirm this

 

[stingray]

Eelers is a possibility. Don't know how good of a view you had on the pots.

If not, :nono:.

 

[Tom Powers]

Not legal in Virginia. . .

 

[27 sailfish]

Running pots in a string is legal.More crabbers are doing this as it reduces the number of lost traps.Also makes pulling pots faster- the boat follows the line rather then hunting for each float.

I think the string must be marked by a flagged float - at each end.The flags should be the same- this helps others avoid laying over the line.

Eel potters have done this for years.

As far as where you describe- I think that area is off limits to potters.

 

[flattyfrank]

Twice this past season while fishing I observed crabbing boats pulling pots, (once in the Chester and once in the Patapsco in front of the ore docks) these pots did not have floats attached but were attached to a long cable and were daisy chained like a trot line. Is this Legal?

Are you sure they were pulling crab pots? I run out of the patapsco daily, and have seen eelers in that area near the ore pier but never crabpots. Crabpots are not permitted inside the river. They must be set in the bay proper. I have my doubts that they were crabpots, because its way to easy to get busted in that area. There have been unscrupulous people who illegally set crabpots in the river, but logic dictates that they crab these in the middle of the night, when they are less likely to be observed. Eel boats, look exactly like crab boats, so from a distance, it would be easy to confuse the two.

 

[momon1023]

Are you sure they weren't fish pots?

 

[stingray]

Are you sure they were pulling crab pots? I run out of the patapsco daily, and have seen eelers in that area near the ore pier but never crabpots. Crabpots are not permitted inside the river. They must be set in the bay proper. I have my doubts that they were crabpots, because its way to easy to get busted in that area. There have been unscrupulous people who illegally set crabpots in the river, but logic dictates that they crab these in the middle of the night, when they are less likely to be observed. Eel boats, look exactly like crab boats, so from a distance, it would be easy to confuse the two.

:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

 

[Alley Cat]

The string in the Patapsco were crab pots we watched crabs being shook out.