Every year we load up our gear as light as possible and head to Ocean Beach in SF to hunt for the elusive Dungeness Crab. This year was no difference producing a record number of catches. Although mostly small, it was a necessary, exciting, experience and workout none the less. Between two of us producing 55 small throwbacks and only four keepers, from midnight to 8am. Using smelt, anchovies and squid as bait, action was non stop with about an hour of lag time, just enough for us to close our eyes for 5 minutes to get our 2nd and 3rd wind. We arrived at 11pm on the tail end of incoming tide and casted in at 11:50 to pull up at 12am on the dot. From our first cast to our last, we were consecutively pulling in squirming critters, desperately trying to release themselves from our snare loops by digging and clawing into the sand, which makes them feel like the weight of a bowling ball! I can count on two hands how many times I reeled in with no crab entangled in my snare and no bait left in the grabber; which means I didn't check it in time. Juggling between two poles adds to the constant excitement with no chance to sit down and take a break. It was unbelievable how fast the criblets were on top of the grabber trying to steal its contents. They kept us on our toes and at the same time set the stage for a great season. The goal for next trip; same action, bigger crabs! Let's get em!