Question:
Is it true that traps cannot be used in Humboldt Bay or the mouth of the Eel River? Both areas are popular for crabbing and I've never heard of anybody getting cited for using traps or rings.

Answer:
You are correct. Traps are not allowed in any inland waters, but are allowed in the ocean and the San Francisco Bay District (as defined by CCR Title 14, Section 27.00). This regulation includes the waters of open or enclosed bays continuous to the ocean in its definition of waters within the ocean and the San Francisco Bay District. Humboldt Bay is an "enclosed bay continuous to the ocean," so crab traps are allowed in Humboldt Bay. The mouth of the Eel River does not have an open or enclosed bay that I know of. It's more of a tidewater lagoon, so it would fall under the definition of inland water (in CCR Title 14, Section 1.53) and traps would not be allowed. This regulation defines inland waters as all the "fresh, brackish and inland saline waters of the state, including lagoons and tidewaters upstream from the mouths of coastal rivers and streams."