Rich Jacobson aka KitsapAgent

Need More Room? Then this may be the home just for you! Located off of Olympic View Road in Silverdale WA, this partially remodeled home boasts 3295 square feet of living space with 5 bedrooms (4 bedroom septic) and 2.5 bathrooms. There is a large recreation room on the lower level with a 2nd kitchen. The newer oil burning furnace is complemented by an efficient wood-burning insert fireplace downstairs and a wood-burning fireplace upstairs.

There are two single-car garages on the lower level and a shop/craft room on the main level (floor is not load-bearing). The expansive rear deck looks out over a large rear yard with lawn and fruit trees. A ‘commons area’ consisting of a corral & stable on 1.8 acres is jointly owned along with two adjacent property owners.

The only thing bigger than this home is the potential it has for being a truly amazing home for you! Recently reduced for only $299K!

For more information on this and other homes throughout Kitsap County WA, contact Rich Jacobson at (360) 440-4758, or email KitsapAgent@gmail.com

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Rich Jacobson is a licensed real estate professional with Keller Williams West Sound, providing knowledgeable empowerment and relentless representation for his clients of residential properties and vacant land throughout all of Kitsap County WA and portions of Pierce, Mason, and Jefferson Counties. You can also find him at KitsapLife.com, ActiveRain, Crabbing in the Hood.

E-mail: kitsapagent@gmail.com or call (360) 440-4758

Manufactured homes many times seem to get a bad rap, but this one will most definitely change your mind!

This home has everything you need and more! The main home is a 2003 Karsten with 1620 square foot, 3 bedroom and 2 full baths. The Large Kitchen is the centerpiece to the Open Floor plan and offers generous amounts of cabinet space.

There is a 672 square foot ADU Studio next door with a full kitchen, full bath, & fireplace.

And, if that’s not enough, there’s a nice 3-car detached garage/shop, along with a boat/auto canopy, and two outbuildings!

All of this on a level 2.3 acres, and only minutes to the popular Hood Canal waterway, Twanoh State Park Public Boat Launch, clams, oysters, and crab!

For more information on this and other homes throughout the Western Puget Sound, contact Rich Jacobson at (360) 440-4758, or email KitsapAgent@gmail.com

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Rich Jacobson is a licensed real estate professional with Keller Williams West Sound, providing knowledgeable empowerment and relentless representation for his clients of residential properties and vacant land throughout all of Kitsap County WA and portions of Pierce, Mason, and Jefferson Counties. You can also find him at KitsapLife.com, ActiveRain, Crabbing in the Hood.

Imagine living in picturesque Port Ludlow Washington, with views across Ludlow Bay and the Cascade Mountains….

Imagine having No-Bank Waterfront Access to launch your kayak or small motorboat, to drop your off your crab pots, or explore the beauty of the Puget Sound….

Imagine living just minutes from Port Ludlow Resort, Marina, and Golf Course….

Imagine a spacious 2700 square foot home with stunning Brazilian Koa Hardwood floors throughout the main level….

Imagine a Master Bedroom on the Main Level, complete with an expansive Master Bath complete with His & Hers separate entries, individual komodes, dual entry shower, and a over-sized tiled pedestal soaking tub!….

Imagine no pesky, limiting CCR’s (Covenant, Codes, & Restrictions) or costly HOA dues….

Now imagine paying only $299,950!….

You don’t have to use your imagination, this great home is real and currently for sale! For more information on this and other quality homes throughout the Western Puget Sound, contact Rich Jacobson at (360) 440-4758, or email at KitsapAgent@gmail.com

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Rich Jacobson is a licensed real estate professional with Keller Williams West Sound, providing knowledgeable empowerment and relentless representation for his clients of residential properties and vacant land throughout all of Kitsap County WA and portions of Pierce, Mason, and Jefferson Counties. You can also find him at KitsapLife.com, ActiveRain, Crabbing in the Hood.

Situated on nearly 2 private acres off Olympic View Road in Silverdale WA, this home located at 5563 NW Lause Way offers a quiet retreat from the hectic, stressful pace of life. Surrounded by nature trails and towering Pine & Cedar trees, you’re enveloped in a calming sea of green flora & fauna. Step out of your Master Bedroom, onto your private deck, and take a soothing dip in your Gazebo covered hot tub! The Cedar Shake exterior, Metal Tab roof, and Trex decking ensures durability for years to come!

This 1980-built home has 2415 square feet of living space, has 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, Forced-Air electric heat, and an efficient free-standing wood burning stove.

This home is conveniently located just down the street from Cougar Valley Elementary, one of the award-winning Central Kitsap Schools, within minutes of the Bangor Sub Base South Gate, Kitsap Mall, and Highway 3. And yet you will be pleasantly surprised how peaceful and serene the setting is.

For more information on this and other homes available for sale throughout all of Kitsap County WA, contact Rich Jacobson of Keller Williams West Sound at (360) 440-4758, or email KitsapAgent@gmail.com

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Rich Jacobson is a licensed real estate professional with Keller Williams West Sound, providing knowledgeable empowerment and relentless representation for his clients of residential properties and vacant land throughout all of Kitsap County WA and portions of Pierce, Mason, and Jefferson Counties. You can also find him at KitsapLife.com, ActiveRain, Crabbing in the Hood.

E-mail: kitsapagent@gmail.com or call (360) 440-4758

Inman’s popular roadshow conference for real estate professionals, “Agent Reboot,” is coming to Seattle next week!

The Info-Packed event will be at the Seattle Convention Center.

Here is a complete run-down on all the days activities, sessions, and speakers:

Okay, so it’s NOT the Love Boat, but close enough!

Just recently, it was announced that beginning in early May, American Cruise Lines, will start making the waters of Liberty Bay & Downtown Poulsbo one of their regularly scheduled cruise stops. The smaller 205 ft. cruise ship M/V American Spirit will arrive in Liberty Bay on Friday mornings, and its passengers will be transported to the public marina dock by ferry.

M/V American Spirit – photo courtesy of American Cruise Lines

I personally think this is a major advantage to the City of Poulsbo and presents some incredible opportunities to further grow & expand the long-term health and viability of their downtown area.

While a few locals have voiced concern, the M/V American Spirit only has a passenger capacity of 100, so we’re not talking about a mass tourist take-over of Little Norway every Friday. This will be a very manageable group and will obviously provide local businesses with an added increase to sales.

I have a feeling that Sluys is going to have to ramp things up a little more on Friday mornings come May!

A Rare Opportunity! Port Ludlow Bay No-Bank Waterfront conveys with this stunning 2BR View Home with potential for your own boat ramp or deep water dock. Imagine launching your kayak out onto the waters of Ludlow Bay!..

Situated just west across Ludlow Bay and the Port Ludlow Resort & Marina, this 2700 square foot 2-Level home is close to nearby Port Ludlow Golf Course and the South Bay Community Club.

Generous use of quality Brazilian Koa Hardwood throughout the Main Level. A Jenn-Air Island w/Tile Counters, Stainless Appliances, including Kitchen Aid, Bosch, LG, Sharp Convection, and Maytag Neptune Series Washer/Dryer.

Opulent Master Bath with His/Hers separate entries, dual toilets, Dual Sink vanity, Two Lrg sliding closets, dual access shower, and oversized pedestal soaking tub. The Lower level consists of a Family Room, Wet Bar, 3/4 bath and 2nd Bedroom. Efficient Wood-burning Fireplaces with inserts on both levels. The exterior features a large Wrap-around Deck and RV parking.

Enjoy the Best of Living in the Pacific Northwest with this affordable, quality-built View Home with No-Bank Waterfront access!

For your private showing, call local professional Broker Rich Jacobson at 360.440.4758

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Rich Jacobson is a licensed real estate professional with Keller Williams West Sound, providing knowledgeable empowerment and relentless representation for his clients of residential properties and vacant land throughout all of Kitsap County WA and portions of Pierce, Mason, and Jefferson Counties. You can also find him at KitsapLife.com, ActiveRain, and Crabbing in the Hood, or e-mail:  kitsapagent@gmail.com

Congratulations on my valued Buyer Client, Michael Ruffin, in the successful closing of his new home in Bremerton WA.

One of the main things that makes my job as a professional real estate broker so fun and rewarding is working with people like Michael Ruffin. We hit a few bumps in the road during the course of this transaction, but Michael was a trooper and hung in there! In the end, he got a really good deal on a nicely remodeled home!

A special word of thanks to Melanie Rowe, Branch Manager of Republic Mortgage in Silverdale WA, for orchestrating a very smooth financing process, in spite of some last minute VA appraiser hoop jumping!

And to Julie Goodwin and the team at Pacific Northwest Title & Escrow in Silverdale WA for their usual highly thorough job well done!

Just a HUGE shout-out of “Congratulations!” to recently new home owners, Brent & Erika Giesbrecht, on the purchase of their new home in West Bremerton.

Brent and Erika bought a very affordable ’Turn-0f-the-Century’ charmer with tons of potential. Knowing Brent’s manly carpenter skills and Erika’s eye for decorating, their home will be no doubt be featured in WestSound Home & Garden Magazine in the near future!

Congrats, Brent and Erika!….

Recent statistics for residential real estate are very encouraging for property owners on Bainbridge Island WA.

For the 4th straight month, pending sales are up.

Average price per square foot is also up.

Average days-on-market (DOM) for Bainbridge Island (Area 170) is hovering at just over 100 days, compared to over 200 days for the same time last year.

The inventory of available homes for sale has dropped as well, creating multiple offer situations in some instances.

Distressed property sales (short sales and bank-owned foreclosures) have been decreasing on Bainbridge Island, representing less than 20% of the total sales for the past month. Hopefully, since Washingston State has one of the lowest amounts of ‘Shadow Inventory,’ the number of distressed properties will continue to decline, and have less and less impact on existing home sales.

While we typically experience market improvement and overall increased activity at this time of the year, these statistics offer much needed optimism, especially for homeowners who are considering putting their property up for sale.

The homes on Bainbridge Island WA that are selling are ones that have been priced aggressively, according to current market value, and have been thoroughly prepared for market and show well.

If you’ve been hesitating about putting your home up for sale on Bainbridge Island WA, now would be an excellent time to reconsider making your move!

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Rich Jacobson is a licensed real estate professional with Keller Williams West Sound, providing knowledgeable empowerment and relentless representation for his clients of residential properties and vacant land throughout all of Kitsap County WA and portions of Pierce, Mason, and Jefferson Counties. You can also find him at KitsapLife.com, ActiveRain, and Crabbing in the Hood, or e-mail:  kitsapagent@gmail.com

I’ve dug up just about everything the Pacific Northwest and the Puget Sound has to offer, with the only exception being the ever-illusive and much-coveted, Geoduck.

That was until just a few weeks ago. A friend of mine invited us (my Mom, my Sister, and I) to tag along with him and his family over to Hartstine Island during a minus tide, and attempt to achieve our limit of two (2) geoducks per person.

Did you know that geoduck in the native tongue means ‘dig deep.’ If you ever find yourself out digging for geoduck, you’ll find that that name definitely fits!

The appropriate mantra for geoducking is ‘Many hands make light work!’…I quickly discovered why we had been invited.

The first step was to identify and mark the tip of the geoducks neck or siphon as it protrudes from the sand.

Most folks use garden variety shovels and fence post diggers, but fortunately, my friend Vern had a special homemade rig he built just for extracting geoducks.

The first part of his rig is a long, round galvanized sleeve, about 10″ in diameter. This is centered around the protruding siphon, and is pushed down into the sand.

Next, Vern fashioned what looks like an over-sized clam gun (what is used for digging razor clams). Only this one has about an 8″ diameter tube and a long, two-person handle. There were two petcock shut-off valves that could be open and closed to create suction in the tube.

We would slide the over-sized clam gun into the galvanized sleeve, and with each of us on either side of the handle, we would work the gun tube down into the sand. When we reached as far as we could go, Vern would twist the valves, and together, we pulled the tube out of the sleeve, filled with sand.

Repeat and rinse.

Once enough sand was removed, the sleeve could be pushed even further into the sand.

Another tube or two of sand, and one of us would reach down into the hole to feel around for the clam.

This was the point where we became ‘One’ with the beach. Literally.

You had to lay down on the beach and reach down into the hole as far as possible to locate the clams neck/siphon.

You also had to be very careful NOT to pull the clam out by it’s neck/siphon. If you pulled to hard, the neck would separate from the body/shell. You had to work your hand down and grab around the shell, then wiggle the shell body back and forth to free it from the sand.

The total process from start to finish typically took about 15 to 20 minutes. Conventional shovels can take an hour or more.

There were 7 of us altogether and we reached our limit (21) in about 3 hours. Of course, with Vern and I doing most of the gun action, it felt like we were doing it all day long!

First of all, let me apologize profusely for seemingly abandoning my faithful readers for such a long dry spell of writing inactivity. Life happens sometimes. It’s been an interesting, challenging, and transitional past year, but I feel like I’m finally getting my inner muse back, which will hopefully translate into a bit more consistency of articles here.

Probably the most popular question I’m asked by readers is “Where can I go crabbing without a Boat?”

Up until just recently, I really haven’t had a reasonable response. Good deep water public docks are a rarity these days, and the ones still around don’t produce much success, with the exception of a few barely legal rock crabs.

One of my good friends, Bill Bailey, a fellow real estate professional here in Kitsap County, is a wealth of knowledge and practical expertise when it comes to all things in a shell. Last year, he introduced me to the fine science of ‘Squid Jigging.’ And this past month, I was initiated into the elite club of Crab Rakers.

Yes, you heard it right, Virginia, crab raking. What, pray tell, is crab raking, you ask?

Imagine crabbing where you don’t need a boat – that deep, fathomless, money-sucking vacuum. Or gas at nearly $5.00 a gallon. Or towing the boat on a trailer that constantly loses a hub/bearing nearly every season, or losing rubber rollers that cost an arm, leg, or firstborn child! Or where you don’t have to pay through the nose for salmon guts for bait!

Imagine that you’re on a Easter Egg Hunt, only this time, it’s for Crab! That’s right, you simply walk around the tidepools during low tide (a minus tide is preferred), pick the crab up with your rake, and drop them into a bucket!

Actually, it’s more like a 4-prong steel claw cultivator, not a traditional lawn rake. And the bucket I use is just the orange Homer bucket from Home Depot with a lid so they don’t crawl out!

The only caveat in raking for Crab is waiting for all the elements to line-up:

Weather, Tides, Time of Day/Night

Weather:   While you can rake for crab during just about any weather, it’s preferred to have a night when there is little to no wind or rain. Too much wind or rain makes it difficult to see down through the water to find the crabs. Not entirely impossible, mind you, just more difficult.

Tides:   This goes without saying. The lower the tide, the better your chances. Minus tides are preferred. Check with SaltwaterTides.com for the tide schedule here in the Puget Sound area.

Time of Day/Night:   Crab prefer the dark, so ideally, it’s better to rake for crab at night. A strong, wide-spread beam headlamp is a must-have. Home Depot has a nice inexpensive selection.

Sounds too good to be true? Trust me, when you’re heading back to the truck with a limit-filled bucket, you’ll have your boat posted up on craigslist in a heartbeat! (well, not really, but you’ll certainly be tempted!)

I don’t think I’ve had such a fun time crabbing in a long time. Of course, anytime spent with my friend Bill is always a guaranteed good time!

Be prepared to do a good amount of walking around, but it will only serve to help create a healthy appetite for all the crab you’ll catch! A good pair of waders (preferrably chest waders) are nice to have. We rarely waded in over our knees, but some tide pools can be a tad deeper.

Now you’ll notice that I’ve intentionally left out a crucial element of a successful crab raking expedition – the place(s) to go. Well, I’d tell you where we go, but then, I’d have to kill you, or Bill would kill me, either one.

Suffice it to say, it’s best to wade out into level tidelands, preferrably sandy areas. Look for seagrass or kelp beds. Crabs love to stay hidden along the edges!

One more suggestion:  When you go out raking for crab, since it’s a low tide, take time to dig up a few clams – manilla, littleneck, butters, etc.. That way, if your crab raking outing isn’t fruitful, you’ll at least have the clams as a fall-back!

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Rich Jacobson is a licensed real estate professional with Keller Williams West Sound providing knowledgeable empowerment and relentless representation for his clients of residential properties and vacant land throughout all of Kitsap County WA and portions of Pierce, Mason, and Jefferson Counties. You can also find him at KitsapLife.com, SOUNDBITEBLOG, ActiveRain, Everyday CK, Facebook, Twitter, or e-mail:  kitsapagent@gmail.com

Just thought I would share a link to a recipe I came across recently for Razor Clam Fritters. As you know, I have a HUGE fan of Razor Clams. In spite of all the time and energy necessary to harvest, clean, and cook these delectable diggers, it’s most definitely worth all the effort. They have a taste that is truly unique among shellfish!

Landed Gently Blog – Razor Clam Fry and Fritters

And FYI, the next tentative dig is scheduled for the evenings of Friday, January 20th and Saturday, January 21st. For more information, go to the WA Dept. of Fish & Wildlife website.

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Rich Jacobson is a licensed real estate professional with Keller Williams West Sound providing knowledgeable empowerment and relentless representation for his clients of residential properties and vacant land throughout all of Kitsap County WA and portions of Pierce, Mason, and Jefferson Counties. You can also find him at KitsapLife.com, SOUNDBITEBLOG, ActiveRain, Everyday CK, Facebook, Twitter, or e-mail:  kitsapagent@gmail.com

Last year, I shared the post Hood Canal WA Deadliest Catch, another installment of my never-ending series ‘Stupid Human Boat Tricks‘ by sharing the near-death escapades I experienced with my Mom out on the Hood Canal. I was recently reminded by one of my readers that I neglected to finish the story, hence Part Deux.

And so, the saga continues….

When last we left our hero, he was perilously close to the brink of an icy grave….

Even in the late Summer, the waters of the Hood Canal are surprisingly cold. And in this instance, bone-chilling cold! Perhaps it’s because there’s still run-off from snow that’s melting on the Olympic Mountains? Or that the Hood Canal is over 500 feet deep in some areas, and is part of the Puget Sound waterways, leading to the Pacific Ocean?

Regardless, there I was, treading water for what seemed like an eternity, faithfully holding onto my lost crab pot buoy, patiently awaiting my Mom’s rescue.

I forced my head above the waves and scanned the surface for my trusted C-Dory. Off on the horizon, I could see my Mother hitting the 9hp kicker with a wooden oar.

Gee, that was a comforting sight! Obviously, she hadn’t yet figured out how to operate the motor or vary the rate of speed (as you may recall from my previous installment, my Mom’s first attempt at saving me ended rather abruptly as she passed me at full throttle!).

It was late afternoon by this time, with the water becoming increasingly choppy. The tide was coming in too, and rather rapidly at that. I held on relentlessly to my crab pot buoy and the $150 investment it represented, stubbornly refusing to let go. About every third wave or so, the tension on the submerged buoy & crab line would pull my head underwater.

As my head resurfaced, I looked up just in time to see the bow of my C-Dory heading straight for me! I was on a collison course with my own boat!

I could hear my Mom yelling and cursing as she continued in her valiant attempts to whack the kicker motor into obedience.

Just before the final moment of impact, I heard the Johnson Kicker die, and the trusty C-Dory finally slowed. I reached up, grabbed the bowline eyelet, and straddled the bow with my legs.

I felt like a lamprey, contently attached to a large fish. The boat was still moving, but the drag on my clutched crab line was bringing us to a halt.

However, I guess my Mom was still pretty wigged out though. For I soon heard a blood-curdling scream up above me.

“I’ve killed my son, I’ve killed my son!” she cried out!

I was satisfied just to remain still and quiet from my perch there on the bow, but I couldn’t allow my Mom to think that she had caused my early demise. So I yelled up to her that I was okay, and worked my way around the side of the boat, back to the transom, where I handed her the crab buoy and line intact.

After I climbed back in, we pulled up the pot. I can’t recall if there were any keepers. I don’t think it really mattered much.

As we made our way back to Miami Beach, I think we were both just happy to be alive!

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Rich Jacobson is a licensed real estate professional with Keller Williams West Sound providing knowledgeable empowerment and relentless representation for his clients of residential properties and vacant land throughout all of Kitsap County WA and portions of Pierce, Mason, and Jefferson Counties. You can also find him at KitsapLife.com, SOUNDBITEBLOG,ActiveRain, Everyday CK, Facebook, Twitter, or e-mail:  kitsapagent@gmail.com

Okay, so the good news first…

The crabbing season has been extended from October 8th until December 31st (Hooray!)

Now the bad news…

That doesn’t include Marine Area 10 (Seattle/Bremerton) or Marine Area 12 (Hood Canal) (Boo Hiss!)

If it’s any consolation, most of the people I’ve talked to reported as having a rather fruitful catch this year.

Of course, I wouldn’t know, seeing that my 40hp Johnson suffered from a severe case of bi-polar schizophrenia, and couldn’t decide if it wanted to work or not.

On a more positive note, my upper body strength has improved tremendously as a result of rowing across Hood Canal for 4 hours. But I’ll save that for a future installment of ‘Stupid Human Boat Tricks.’

So, if you have the good fortune of living anywhere remotely close to any of the other Marine Areas that the WDFW so generously left open to crab fishing (Neah Bay, Sekiu, e.Strait of Juan de Fuca, the San Juans, Deception Pass, Hope Island, Skagit Bay, Port Susan, Port Gardner, portions of Admiralty Inlet, or Tacoma-Vashon and South Puget Sound opening Nov. 21st), then by all means, knock your socks off!

Or, to borrow a line from one of my favorite movies, Shawshank Redemption:

“Get Busy Crabbing, or get busy dying!”

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Rich Jacobson is a licensed real estate professional with Keller Williams West Sound, providing knowledgeable empowerment and relentless representation for his clients of residential properties and vacant land throughout all of Kitsap County WA and portions of Pierce, Mason, and Jefferson Counties. You can also find him at KitsapLife, SoundBiteBlog, and ActiveRain, or e-mail: kitsapagent@gmail.com

The front page headlines in this morning’s Kitsap Sun, Agreement Reached on Seabeck Marina, evoked a welcomed ‘Hallelujah!’ response.

After a long history of setbacks, work stoppage, and bureaucratic red-tape, the long anticipated Olympic View Marina project in Seabeck WA Marina is finally back on track.

The latest hurdle (renewing the lease agreement between DNR – Dept. of Natural Resources – and the Developers) has been drafted and is awaiting final signature.

Construction is slated to restart within another month or so, with a project completion date of November 2012.

I have to say that I am greatly relieved that this project is finally moving forward. The need for marina services and moorage on the west side of Hood Canal has been a huge unfilled void for much too long. And Seabeck WA is the natural and best candidate to satisfy such a pronounced need.

The Olympic View Marina has the potential for being one of the most positive commercial developments to happen here in Kitsap County WA in a long time. Once completed, I envision other complementary developments, bringing additional business/services to the Seabeck area.

Congratulations to developers Boyer Halverson and Wil Clark, and big thanks to the folks at the DNR for putting common sense before bureaucracy.

Okay, so here’s the latest scoop on where to score all of your crabbing gear here on the Kitsap Peninsula.

Oh for the days when the Pawn Shop in Poulsbo was still open! Those guys were amazing, and they had everything a crabbing enthusiast would want! Unfortunately, they closed a few years ago, and no one has stepped up to the plate to take their place.

Here’s what I’ve found:

Outdoor Outfitters aka Wholesale Sports in Silverdale – they may have boatloads of good stuff for hunters and hikers, but a week before crabbing season opens, this place totally sucks. About the only good thing I can say is that they have leaded line in bulk that they can cut to size. They’re the only ones who offer this. Aside from that, they’re pretty much worthless, unless you want to pay $80+ for a crab pot.

Wally World aka Wal-Mart – You can always count on Wal-Mart to stock the basics during the season. They don’t have everything you need, but they attempt to carry most of it. And, as typical, the prices are pretty reasonable. The basic Danielson crab pot is $23 and change.

Fred Meyer – These guys win the award for best overall stock and prices. The basic Danielson crab pot was just under $20. They stock the buoys separately, and actually have bait cages, stainless clips, etc.. Be aware, they have two places they keep their inventory – in the aisle, and a center standing display.

As far as bait is concerned, I am totally bummed that Silverdale Red Apple Market closed their doors. The butcher there always hooked me up with some slammin’ prices on salmon guts. My back-up is Central Market over in Poulsbo. You can get salmon guts for $1.99 per pound.

So there ya go! Gear up and go get ‘em!….

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Rich Jacobson is a licensed real estate professional providing knowledgeable empowerment and relentless representation for his clients of residential properties and vacant land throughout all of Kitsap County WA and portions of Pierce, Mason, and Jefferson Counties. You can also find him at KitsapLife.com, HomesByHarbors, SOUNDBITEBLOG, ActiveRain, Everyday CK,  Facebook, Twitter, or e-mail: kitsapagent@gmail.com

With July 1st is just around the corner, most Marine Areas in the Puget Sound will officially open to recreational crabbing!

To find the official start dates/times and regulations for WA State, go to WA Dept. of Fish & Wildlife

The biggest and best change to the regulations this year is the days that are allowed for crabbing. Previously, you could only drop your pots off on Wednesday through Saturday. This put a huge crimp in your weekend crabbing style. Now, the new regulations permit crabbing Thursday through Monday! Catch quantity limits are still remain five (5) male Dungeness and six (6) Rock crab (either sex) per day.

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Rich Jacobson is a licensed real estate professional providing knowledgeable empowerment and relentless representation for his clients of residential properties and vacant land throughout all of Kitsap County WA and portions of Pierce, Mason, and Jefferson Counties. You can also find him at KitsapLife.com, HomesByHarbors, SOUNDBITEBLOG, ActiveRain, Everyday CK, Facebook, Twitter, or e-mail:  kitsapagent@gmail.com

I recently received an email from a reader in Spokane WA who asked if I knew of any places along Hood Canal WA that offered boat rentals.

Back in the day, crab populations around Puget Sound were such that you could easily find your dinner faire by simply walking out during a good minus tide. Nowadays, without a boat, you’re hard-pressed to have any measure of success.

About the only place I know on Hood Canal where you can rent small outboard boats is Hood Canal Adventures.

Another source on the Kitsap Peninsula is Northwest Boat Rentals in Poulsbo WA.

If any of my readers know of any additional resources, please feel free to contact me or leave information in the comments section of this post. Thanks!

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Rich Jacobson is a licensed real estate professional providing knowledgeable empowerment and relentless representation for his clients of residential properties and vacant land throughout all of Kitsap County WA and portions of Pierce, Mason, and Jefferson Counties. You can also find him at KitsapLife.com, HomesByHarbors, SOUNDBITEBLOG, ActiveRain, Everyday CK, Facebook, Twitter, or e-mail:  kitsapagent@gmail.com

One of my most favorite things in life is to sit down to a big kettle of steamed clams freshly dug up from along the beaches of the Hood Canal here in Washington State.

A popular clam digging location, Point Whitney Tidelands and Lagoon is opening for a short season, starting March 15th. The Lagoon will be open from March 1st through March 31st, and the Tidelands will be open from March 15th until April 30th.

You’ll need to have your WA State Fishing or Shellfishing License with you (last years 2010 license is still good through March 31st.

Remember the legal limit you can dig each day is only forty (40) of all species combined, i.e. native littlenecks, manilas, and butter clams.

Jake’s Steamed Heaven

Soak your clams in fresh water for an hour or so to allow the to spit out their grit. Scrub and rinse your clams. Discard any that are cracked or open.

In a large kettle, I like to saute some freshly chopped onion and garlic in butter, add in some parsley, 2 teaspoons of lemon juice, and a 1/4 cup of white wine. Then add in the clams and pour in water until it’s just about an inch below the top of the clams. Cover and bring to boil. Shortly after it reaches boiling, the clams should all be opened up. Turn off the heat and cover for 5 minutes.

I always try to serve steamed clams with a tossed Romaine salad, generous amounts of sourdough french bread dripping with garlic butter,  and a nice chilled glass of Pinot Grigio.

Can You Dig It?

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Rich Jacobson is a licensed real estate professional providing knowledgeable empowerment and relentless representation for his clients of residential properties and vacant land throughout all of Kitsap County WA and portions of Pierce, Mason, and Jefferson Counties. You can also find him at KitsapLife.com, HomesByHarbors, SOUNDBITEBLOG, ActiveRain, Everyday CK, Facebook, Twitter, or e-mail:  kitsapagent@gmail.com