Feast on Fresh Oregon Dungeness Crab on Oregon's Adventure Coast!

Feasting on fresh Oregon Dungeness Crab is an experience every foodie must have while visiting the Oregon Coast. Better yet, why not catch your own? Anyone can go crabbing, no matter what your skill level is! Our local crabbing experts are always happy to help point you in the right direction.

If you’re planning a road trip to Oregon’s South Coast the weekend of February 8th, 2020 you better bring your appetite because the 36th Annual Charleston Merchants Crab Feed is happening! This beloved annual event will be from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the North Bend Community Center.

In honor of the occasion, we wanted to share some crabbing tips we have collected through years from local experts along with this fantastic infographic and delicious local crab recipe our friends at The Port of Coos Bay shared with us.

WHEN SHOULD I GO?

• The general rule of thumb if you wanna go crabbing is do it in a month with an ‘r’ (January, February, March, etc).
• Slack water (the time around high or low tide) are the best times to crab. During slack water, crabs are generally walking around and foraging since they are not getting pushed around by tidal exchange.

WHAT SHOULD I BRING?

Make sure you have the following supplies before you head out along with the other items listed in the infographic.

• Shellfish license (Ages 12 and older require a shellfish license for crabbing)
• Crab measuring tool
• pots or rings (can be rented)
• Cooler
• Gloves
• Bait holders and bait supply

Rental crab rings are available at many RV parks and other lodging facilities, and tackle and marine supply stores. Here’s a short list of some locations:

Basin Tackle Shop
63510 Kingfisher Road, Charleston, OR 97420
(541) 888-FISH
Open Mon-Sat 8am-5pm; Sun 8am-Noon
www.basintackle.com

Davey Jones Locker
Cape Arago Highway & Boat Basin Road
Charleston, OR 97420
(541) 888-3941

For the most current shellfish regulations and harvest notices, check with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and be sure to read their instructional flyer How to Crab for important details.