The blue crab is an iconic
symbol of the
Pick your time:
A stronger current is what you’ll need. If a good tidal current coincides with an
early or late day period versus a sunny mid afternoon, your chances of catching
crabs are better. Check out the tide and current data on this website: http://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/currents08/. My personal favorite is an incoming tide (3
hours before high tide) with the wind coming in the same direction that the
tidal current is flowing.
As opposed to tide, current is affected by the horizontal movement of water and uneven bottom structure. The swiftest current in the area is likely to produce feeding crabs because, as the theory goes, more bait is available during these times. Humid days with low light or a cloud cover will improve your catch, while sudden cool fronts make the crabs uncomfortable and less productive. Try to aim your outings between the new moon (no moon) and before the full moon when crabs seem to be a bit heavier.
Although it seems like a no-brainer, experience has taught
me to check the chart to be sure the water depth is sufficient for the amount
of line attached to the trap float. Depending on the weight of your traps and
the size of the float, insufficient water depth will lead to lost traps
(sinking floats) or lost crabs (traps that aren’t sitting on the bottom).
Once I’ve selected a spot, I’ll check the depthfinder to locate weeds, which appear as long black
stringy marks on the bottom of the screen. I always try to lay the traps just
outside of the weedline to prevent bringing up weedy
traps. When I’ve chosen a spot, I’ll put out 6 test traps to be sure that there
are crabs in the area before laying out a whole line. I run my line of 20 traps parallel to the
shoreline in front of a cove where the crabs swim in and out,
or sometimes straight up the middle of the river. On those particular days when the wind and
the tide are going in the same direction, I’ll lay traps horizontally across
the mouth of a river. While this is only
advisable on days when recreational boat traffic is slow, the payoff is better. Finding clamshells in your traps is a good
verdict since clam beds are feeding grounds for crabs.
In recent
years, open-top crab traps have become widely available and affordable. I
prefer the open-top traps over the traditional 4-sided ones as side-by-side
comparisons of open top traps versus the 4-door collapsible ones has proven
that open tops win hands down every time.
The main reason for their increased productivity is simple easy access
for the crab to swim into the trap and onto the bait. Stacking the traps inside
one another also requires less storage and makes these traps more convenient to
work with on a small boat with limited space.
As I prefer to crab in water depth of around 6 – 8 feet, I
routinely tie 10 feet of line on
my traps. Pull up the line on the open
top traps quickly because the laws of gravity apply here and you don’t want
your crab climbing out of the top of the trap.
Typically, the force of movement keeps the crab clinging to the chicken
neck, and the open-top trap design allows for quicker transfer of the crabs to
the basket.
Having
tried every bait holder possible, I’ve found the best amateur chicken neck
holders are ladies’ hair bands with a good tight stretch that have no metal
parts to them. Contrary to the old adage
that stinky old bait works better, changing to fresh chicken necks after an
hour or so of crabbing will greatly improve your catch throughout the day.
Always look for other crabbers’ floats to be in compliance with the law since
you have to be 100 feet from someone else's line. All your crab floats should be of similar size
and color by law. Wear non-slip tennis
shoes, preferably leather. You will get
dirty and nobody wants a runaway crab that derives pleasure from clamping down
on your toes.
When crabbing by boat, lay your traps about ~100 feet apart
to allow the boat operator time to pull up the previous trap, check it, remove
weeds, replace bait (if needed) and drop the trap in the same position. Always lay your traps in a straight line so
that you don't lose any. If your line
becomes crooked, the waves from increased winds or boat traffic can make them
difficult to find later. Push the “MOB”
(man overboard) button on your GPS when laying your first trap so that you can
return to the line if you lose track of your starting location.
While running your traps, approach the crab float and put
your boat in neutral so that the propeller doesn’t cut the line. Use a boat hook to hook the line directly
under the float and have someone pull the remainder of the line up as quickly
as possible. Empty the crab into your
basket and place the trap back in the water.
Depending on wind and current, you may find it easier to maneuver your
boat on one particular side of the float.
A little trial and error will tell you which side of the boat is better.
All female crabs have orange claws. Immature females have the triangle shape on
the bottom of the shell, and mature females will have the rounded half moon shape
on the back. Release all females (check
the regulations), to increase the crab population. Male crabs that are blackish in color are
locally named “MUDDERS” and are the sweetest tasting crabs.
The last
piece of advice is to just go crabbing.
All of this information is subjective because it works for me, and your
day may be different due to the inevitable whims of nature. So if you catch a basket full of crabs at
dead low tide among weeds on a cold, bright sunny afternoon while wearing a
pink chiffon evening gown, call me. I’ll
let you borrow the crabbing goddess crown for the day.
Callinectes sapidus and the Epicurean Ecstasy
Place 2
cups of white vinegar or apple cider vinegar, 1 dark room temperature beer and
an additional 3 or 4 cups of water in a steamer pot. Once the mixture steams,
add crabs in layers and shake JO #2 crab seasoning over each layer of
crabs. The following cooking times will
generally give you fully cooked crabs without drying out the meat.
Less
than two dozen 20 minutes
Half a
bushel (approximately 32 crabs) 35
minutes
Full bushel
(approximately 65 crabs) 40 minutes
Place a
brick on top of the steamer to keep the lid tight. Bon Appetit!