Crab Fishing at China Beach

It's illegal to catch Dungeness Crab inside the bay, but once you reach Baker Beach and China Beach, it's legal to catch 10 per valid fishing license. When you're ready to start your crabbing adventure, head to Gus' Discount Tackle. They'll get you set up with the right equipment (a crab trap, zip ties, rope, and buoy, bucket to keep crab and bait in).

Once you're equipped with all the basic gear, head down to China Beach. You'll park in the lot above the beach and take a quick hike down the stairs. On the beach, prep your trap by adding your bait (squid, fish, etc) to your trap and secure it to the trap with zip ties.

Now, you're ready to take your trap out in the water. If you're lucky and have a paddleboard or kayak, you can take it pretty far off the beach ~800 meters or more. If you're floating it on a boogie board, surfboard, or swimming it out, look for the closest buoys and try to go past them. Remember to be polite and not place your trap right next to someone else's. You can leave the trap for several hours or a couple days if you prefer. When you're ready to bring in your haul, head out to your buoy and drag it back to the beach. When you take each crab out of the trap, carefully grab them from the back and keep your fingers away from their pinchers. Measure each crab to make sure they meet the requirement of 5.75" in diameter.

Once you've picked your keepers, pack up and head to the bbq or take them home with you and prepare them following your favorite recipe.

• Dungeness must be 5.75" in diameter - see the Department of Fish & Game for proper way to measure
• The daily limit is 10 dungeness crab per valid fishing license
• You can't keep female crabs (check for eggs)
• Rock crab (red top) is really tough to eat, so you may want to put them back