Crabbing is Fun for Everyone
All you need is some simple gear, bait from any grocery store, time by the water, and a little luck.
Crabbin is a fun activity, but the best part is what you do after crabbing when you
bring them home and boil them. Crabs taste great! There are many ways to go
crabbing and where you can crab, you can crab from a boat, a pier, or a bulkhead,
and many other places. There are also many ways to catch them. You can catch
them using a handline which is just a string around a piece of word with a
weight and something to hold bait on it.
When crabbing using this method you would probably want to use raw
chicken as bait, you would want to attach the chicken to the weight and lower
it into the water. Once your chicken has
been underwater (on the bottom) for a few minutes you want to slowly pull up
that chicken to just below the surface and net the crab.
The next method for crabbing, which is best done from piers or bulkheads, is using a crab pot. The reason you don’t
want to use a crab pot while on an anchored boat is because the boat is moving
around on the anchor and if the pot is on the bottom the lines will be dragged
under the boat. In a crab pot, you just want to clip a piece of raw chicken to
it (with a sinker) and send it down to the bottom. After waiting for a few
minutes, pull up the pot swiftly to make sure that the crab(s) have been trapped.
The last method I know of for crabbing is setting up pots on the bottom and marking them with buoys. Then a few hours later you come collect your pot and all the crabs inside.
The best places to crab are usually tidal backbays. Crabs can be found in saltwater and brackish water.
Chart of legal keeper-size crabs for common species: (CW=Carapace Width aka from point to point)
Blue claw (Hard Shell)-4.5in CW
Dungeness crab-6.25 in CW
Alaskan King Crab 7in CW
Female crabs should be released especially if they have roe or eggs.
Best Way to Catch Blue Claw Crabs
Nothing beats a hand line for blue claw crabs. These little lines are a lot of work, but a lot of fun. Nothing is more productive for catching blue claw crabs. Raw chicken wings make the best bait because you can slip the baitholder between the bones of the chicken wing to keep the bait secure.
Best Net for Crabbing
You will need a net with a long handle when crabbing with a hand line. The beauty and the fun part of a hand line is that when you feel a tug, you pull the crab out of the water, but they are only holding on to the bait with their pinchers. If you pull the bait out of the water the crab will let go and drop to the bottom. You use this long-handled net to reach just below the water’s surface to net the crab, then pull the crab out of the water.
Best Bait for Crabbing
Chicken wings make phenomenal crab bait, especially with a hand line. They stay on the bait holder because there are two bones to hold the bait secure. Some people like to let them rot and get stinky before using them as bait so they attract the crabs. Our experts have found this to be disgusting and unnecessary–fresh, uncooked chicken wings will catch crabs just fine.
For larger crabs such as Dungeness crabs on the west coast, or passive crabbing with multiple traps in the water, these two-ring crab traps are simple and very effective. Simply attach the bait with the bait holder, lower the trap to the bottom, and tie the line to a pier or to a floating buoy. Pull the trap up every half hour or so to check your catch.
Best Way to Handle Crabs
With skill and experience you can handle crabs by hand by grabbing the back of the crab, but the experience of learning how to do it can come with a horrible pinch. These tongs are solid, and just long enough to make it easy to handle crabs.
How to Cook Crabs
The best part about crabbing is eating them! Crabs are a delicacy around the world because they are delicious. Don’t overlook the need for a large pot after a successful day of crabbing. Most people have one or two average-sized pots, but after a successful day of crabbing, these would take hours to cook your catch. Plan for success by having a 12-quart pot ready to load your crabs. Fill the pot a little over halfway with water, bring the water to a rolling boil, then dunk the crabs into the water and let them boil on medium heat for about 10 minutes. Pour out the water, let the crabs cool to room temperature, clean the crabs, and enjoy!