Sept.21 Winchster Bay

21 September 2007
Wowee!! On advise from a friend, I tried Albacore trimmings for bait instead of chicken. While chicken was a wonderful bait for the last ten years (is that really possible?), left over albacore tuna really gets the crab. The first time I used albacore, I used it in one of my three traps. The difference in the number of crab in the trap was like eight times the impact of the chicken bait. Needless to say, I am now an albacore tuna convert.
The first albacore carcasses I picked up were from a commercial boat that was selling tuna at the commercial dock. They gave me a couple of carcasses, that which remains after the fillets have been removed, for free. I used those two but the boat was back at sea when I went back for more. Not to worry, the local fish cannery sells the same article for a few dollars per carcass. Now all I have to do is get out on the water on an incoming tide to make my killing. The incoming tide has been in the afternoon the last few days accompanied by gale force winds that make going out on the briny in my little boat questionable. I have been fishing the morning outgoing tides with fair results. Normally one doesn’t catch anything on the out going tide. So far, I have picked up 20 nice crab that are all cooked, picked and frozen.
Tuesday night I was invited to have dinner with a couple that I have known by name and occasional discussions over the past five years. The couple comes to Winchester Bay from their home in Oregon, about an hour and half away, each year at the same time I have been here. The lady, Cathy, fixed a marvelous crab fettuccini and then gave me the recipe. I now have the makings in hand and will create my own crab fettuccini the first time some one makes the request. Be prepared for a real treat.
The same couple, Bill and Cathy Pettus invited me to have dinner with them on Thursday night with Bill’s sister and brother-in-law who are also staying at Windy Cove “B”. We had a wonderful evening together sharing stories of our travels to Alaska and various parts of the United States. Bill and Cathy retired about five years ago and spend most of their time fishing and hunting throughout the Pacific Northwest. They just returned from and Elk hunting trip where Cathy shot her elk but Bill did not. They will leave here in a few days so that they can go to South Eastern Oregon where Cathy’s lottery number was successful and she has a license to hunt a “mule-tale” deer. Bill will go along to help carry her deer out when she is successful but he won’t be able to hunt because his lottery number did not produce a license.
I will look forward to seeing Bill and Cathy many times in the coming years as we all come to Winchester Bay to harvest the wonderful Dungeness crab.
Cyril Bonnano called today to tell me that he was feeling better and that he was on his way to Oregon to spend a few days with me. I don’t know how we will manage sharing my confined quarters but I’m equally sure that it will work out. He will arrive sometime mid day on Friday. Cyril has never experienced crabbing but he is a life long abalone fisherman. He seems excited about the prospect of learning how to catch crab. He will probably be the first to experience my new ability to prepare crab fettuccini.
My crab catch now stands at 20 (that’s a miserly 5 a day) but promises to improve as the available incoming tides grow in a few days. All 20 are cooked, picked and stored in the freezer. Which reminds me that I brought along way too much frozen food that has to go somewhere to make way for tomorrow’s catch.
After the last few days I’m convinced that ‘lil Big Foot and I have a wonderful future ahead of us.
Hugs and kisses to all,
Grandpa Dad