u/spunettsa

I dropped a pot at golden gardens around 10 this morning southeast of the green buoy and in between the marine preserve and Shilshole Bay closure areas. The buoys seemed like they were floating just fine, I’ve dropped there before without issue, and with MA10 opening day for crab there were a ton of other pots in the area.

When I came back around 5pm to pick up my pot was nowhere to be found. The tide was lower but the wind/ waves had definitely picked up, and the only remaining pots in that area all had the same name on them.

I’m thinking either:

1. I misread the depth and sunk my pot despite the lower tide
2. The wind/current was strong enough to move my pot and I just couldn’t find the buoy
3. My pot and many others were confiscated for being dropped in a closed area (would there be some kind of notice?)
4. My pot was stolen

Losing a pot is frustrating, so curious if anyone else can weigh in on what might have happened or has encountered something similar in the area