Crabbing from shore with a launcher?

Question: While crabbing from shore with a rod/reel/crab snare, I was not having any luck. I noticed a guy on a paddle board with a crab trap just past my maximum casting distance, and he was catching crabs no problem.

Would it be legal to launch a crab snare, attached to the line of a rod and reel, with a catapult, trebuchet, water balloon launcher or similar device?

If only I could get it out 10 more feet or so I feel I would have better success. (Ivan M., San Francisco)

Answer: There are no Fish and Game regulations that prohibit the use of a device to send your terminal gear out to locations beyond where you can cast. However, you might want to check local (city, county, state beach, etc.) ordinances for the beaches where you will be crabbing prior to using one of these devices. Some people use kites or remote controlled boats for this purpose.

Can retired peace officers countersign a deer tag?

Question: I was reviewing the persons authorized to countersign a deer tag recently and was wondering if you could clarify whether peace officers (salaried and non-salaried) are authorized?

If so, can retired peace officers also sign off another person’s deer tag? I have been told yes and no by two different wardens. (Mike D., Salinas)

Answer: Retired officers are not authorized to countersign deer tags. The only people authorized to countersign deer tags are those people listed under California Code of Regulations Title 14, section 708.6., which include:

(A) State:

1.    Fish and Game Commissioners
2.    Employees of the Department of Fish and Game, including Certified Hunter Education Instructors
3.    Employees of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
4.    Supervising Plant Quarantine Inspectors
5.    Junior, Intermediate and Senior Plant Quarantine Inspectors

(B) Federal:

1.    Employees of the Bureau of Land Management
2.    Employees of the United States Forest Service
3.    Employees of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service
4.    All Uniformed Personnel of the National Park Service
5.    Commanding Officers of any United States military installation or their designated personnel for deer taken on their reservation
6.    Postmasters and Post Office Station or Branch Manager for deer brought to their post office

(C) Miscellaneous:

1.    County firemen at and above the class of foreman for deer brought into their station
2.    Judges or Justices of all state and United States courts
3.    Notaries Public
4.    Peace Officers (salaried and non-salaried)
5.    Officers authorized to administer oaths
6.    Owners, corporate officers, managers or operators of lockers or cold storage plants for deer brought to their place of business

Question on abalone start time

Question: I know that the start time for abalone diving is now 8 a.m. If it takes me 15 minutes to swim out to the spot I want to start diving for abs, can I enter the water at 7:45 a.m. and not make my first dive until 8 a.m., or does the law mean that there is no entry into the water at all until 8 a.m.? Thanks, (Don C.)

Answer: Abalone may be taken only from 8 a.m. to one-half hour after sunset (CCR Title 14, section 29.15(b)(2)).

Although “take” includes the pursuit of abalone, as long as you are just swimming on the surface out to your dive spot and don’t begin your actual searching or diving down for these mollusks until 8 a.m., you would not violate the start time.

What determines wanton waste of fish?

Question: What would be considered deterioration or waste of fish?

I understand that leaving them on the shoreline or in a garbage can would be waste, but would it also apply to using the whole fish as fertilizer or something like that? (Zach T.)

Answer: Anglers are expected to make reasonable efforts to retrieve and utilize any fish taken.

It is unlawful to cause or permit any deterioration or waste of any fish taken in the waters of this state (CCR Title 14, section 1.87).

Although most fish taken under the authority of sport fishing licenses are utilized for human consumption, the regulation does not prescribe how fish are to be used.

Carrie Wilson is a marine environmental scientist with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. While she cannot personally answer everyone’s questions, she will select a few to answer each week in this column. Please contact her at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .