POULSBO — Crabbing in Kitsap County is expected to be less-than-stellar compared to last year, according to state Fish and Wildlife officials.

Crabbing is one of Puget Sound’s most popular recreational fisheries. Each year, sport fishers alone catch more than a million pounds of Dungeness crab using pots, nets and, for some enthusiastic wade and dive fishers, their bare hands.

Let’s face it: What’s better than eating a fresh Dungeness crab straight out of the Puget Sound?

So when the crabbing season opened on July 1, the waters of Marine Area 10 (including North Kitsap) were already filling with crab pots, with expectations of a good haul.

But, officials said, don’t get your hopes up.

Don Velasquez, a state Fish and Wildlife biologist since 1993, has his doubts about the season’s catch.

“The early signs are that, compared to last year, the legal-sized crab abundance is not what it was last year,” he said.

In Marine Area 11, test fishing by the Puyallup Tribe showed crab abundance to be about a third of what it was last year.

“The further south you go, it’s really bad,” Velasquez said.

Velasquez said he doesn’t know why the crab population is dwindling.

“Honestly, Marine Area 10 and 11 traditionally aren’t big generating crab houses of the Puget Sound,” he said.

However, in recent years Marine Area 10 had a good yield. Velasquez recommends fishers might have better luck north of Bangor by the Hood Canal Bridge.

“That whole [area] — Lofall, Vinland, Suquamish Harbor, and Port Gamble Bay — had a decent test fishing result,” he said.

He also recommended traditional crab “hot spots” such as Murden Cove on the east side of Bainbridge Island, or Port Madison.

“Dabob Bay is OK,” he said. “Honestly, the big picture of Hood Canal is [the] south end stinks for Dungeness and really starts picking up at Scenic Beach northward. Don’t go south; we tried.”

Velasquez urges recreational crabbers to think about the laws and safety of crabbing. Here are some tips to know before you go.

All sport crabbers 15 years or older must carry a current Washington fishing license. Options range from an annual shellfish/seaweed license to combination fishing licenses — valid for a single day, up to a year. The license must have a crab endorsement to be valid.

In addition to licensing requirements, everyone who fishes for crab in Puget Sound must carry and complete catch record cards (CRCs) to account for all Dungeness crab they catch through the season.

All crabbers in Puget Sound waters are required to carry the CRC and the catch must be recorded immediately in ink.

“If you’re lucky enough to keep those legal ones, you need to record them immediately,” Velasquez said.

The CRCs must be returned at the end of the season — even if the fisherman didn’t go crabbing or catch any crab. The deadline for returning summer and winter catch cards is printed on each catch card. If crabbers fail to return their catch card, they will be required to pay a $10 fine before they can purchase another crab endorsement.

According to the state Department of Fish and Wildlife, fishery managers rely on individual catch record card reports to estimate recreational harvest and to set future crabbing opportunities. By completing catch record cards, fishers play a vital role in maintaining sustainable harvest opportunities.

Summer Catch Record Cards run through Labor Day to October first. CRCs can be reported online, dropped off at a WDFW regional office, or mailed to Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Fish Program Catch Record Card Office 600 Capitol Way N, Olympia, WA. 98501-1091.

There are a variety of ways crabs can be harvested. Make sure traps and gear meet all the requirements set by the state Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Velasquez recommends using weighted or sinking line when setting gear; properly mark the red and white buoys, and always follow the rules of boater safety.

But what if you don’t have a boat? Try wading for crab instead.

“If there’s public tidelands you have access to, use dip necks to pull the crab in,” he said. “I think early in the season it’s popular because crab tend to be shallower in the water, but they quickly start distributing out in deeper water so it’s limited popularity.”

His advice for those without a boat: find a friend who does, and stay away from the fishing piers.

“Probably the toughest way to get crab is to go to those fishing piers because so many people hit those,” he said. “They get really crabbed down. If you don’t have a boat, find a friend who does. It’ll give you more options.”

As fishers set their gear, Velasquez said make sure to know the difference between male and female crabs. (A male crab has a narrow abdomen, while females have wider abdomen.) Only male Dungeness crab are legal to catch. Also, know the different types of crabs and how to identify them, as different rules apply to Dungeness crab and Red Rock crab.

Know how to measure your catch. Use a crab caliper tool, available from most sporting goods vendors, to measure the distance inside the points on the outer edges of the shell, requirements are at least 6.25 inches.

The limit is five male Dungeness crabs per day. Fishers must release all softshell, females, and undersized crab. Requirements for Red Rock crab are 5 inches; the limit is six per day, and either sex is allowed. All legal crabs must retain the back shell while in the field.

According to the state Department of Fish and Wildlife, crab fishing is allowed Thursdays through Mondays each week through Sept. 5. Tuesdays and Wednesdays are closed.

For more information, go to www.wdfw.wa.gov.

(To check your knowledge on crab fishing, take the quiz below.)

http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/shellfish/crab/quiz/index.html

— Herald reporter Terryl Asla contributed to this report.