What are the crabbing techniques? I'll be at Seacrest Beach (not the Seacrest Beach community, but Seacrest Beach) in July with 2 kids and it would be fun to take them crabbing but it will be more fun if they actually catch a few crabs.
Crabbing Places
- Thread starter murphdog
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I will be down next week and plan to fish, and crab....my problem is that I don't fish! So therefore I have no idea about the types of fish that are there...probably a silly question to all you guys, but a real dilemna for me 
I will be fishing from one of the piers on the lake at Grayton...
Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
I will be fishing from one of the piers on the lake at Grayton...
Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Paula said:
Go to a brackish area - lake, bayou, bay, etc.
Simply tie a piece of bait to a string and toss it in the water. Leave it there for a while and then very gently start to pull the line in. If you feel some resistance, that means there is a crab holding on. When you can see the crab, slip a long handled dip net behind it and scoop quickly. The technique is easier than it sounds.
The bait used to catch crabs is not something to bring up to persons with squeamish stomachs. Crabs are scavengers and they will eat just about anything. People use fish heads, dead mullet, chicken backs, liver, and other low food value and odoriferous products. The fact that a blue crab can turn dead and decaying materials into the white flaky meat of the backfin part of the crab or the sweet meat of it's claws may classify as one of natures miracles.
graytonrbust said:I will be down next week and plan to fish, and crab....my problem is that I don't fish! So therefore I have no idea about the types of fish that are there...probably a silly question to all you guys, but a real dilemna for me
I will be fishing from one of the piers on the lake at Grayton...
Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
There are many types of fish in the lake - redfish, trout, bass, bream, mullet, etc. You can catch them with all types of gear, including cane pole, casting rod, or fly rod. A simple hook and bobber with live or cut bait will work, and many different types of lures.
Mullet are caught with a cast net, and the little ones can be used for bait.
I was thinking the same thing about the delicious king crab that I was munching last week.kurt said:
By the way, the old timers were called, "long-neckers" due to the fact that they used chicken necks for crab bait.
This is all very helpful. What are the best places near the Seacrest Beach/Camp Creek area for crabbing that are easy to get to and public access. Are you saying that it's possible go go crabbing with a stick and a string with some bait stuck to the end of it (chicken necks and liver don't bother me at all -- I like making chicken liver pate)? That would make me very happy... Would we get stopped if we didn't have a fishing license? Thanks!
Yes, and you don't even need the stick, just the string, bait, and net. You do not need a fishing license if you are fishing from land, but you will need to follow the laws regarding those which you can keep, and those which you must release.Paula said:
You should not keep the females because they spawn but once in their lifetime - and the male is tastier anyhow.
Here is how to identify:
http://www.blue-crab.org/identification.php
So long as you use five or fewer traps, you are considered a recreational crabber and are governed by the state's salt water fishing license regulations. Recreational laws regulating the harvesting of blue crabs are very liberal. There is no minimum size limit and no closed season.
The only restrictions are a 10 gallon bucket of whole crabs per day limit and a prohibition against keeping egg bearing females. To these rules I would add not keeping a crab unless it had at least a 5 inch shell, measuring from point to point. Smaller ones than that won't have much meat on them. If you want to run six or more traps you will need a salt water products license.
Cooking your catch is simple if you have a big pot. Crabs can be boiled or steamed. Whichever way you go, the animals must be alive when you start. Keeping them on ice will slow them down and minimize the awful crab screams heard by all animals within a 1-mile radius.
I like to clean them first by opening the shell and using a garden hose and nozzle on the innards. Place them in a pot with a few inches of water and sprinkle a bit of Old Bay seasoning on each layer. You'll know when they are done when the shell turn bright red.
Disclaimer: the screaming may be a product of my imagination.
Here is how to identify:
http://www.blue-crab.org/identification.php
So long as you use five or fewer traps, you are considered a recreational crabber and are governed by the state's salt water fishing license regulations. Recreational laws regulating the harvesting of blue crabs are very liberal. There is no minimum size limit and no closed season.
The only restrictions are a 10 gallon bucket of whole crabs per day limit and a prohibition against keeping egg bearing females. To these rules I would add not keeping a crab unless it had at least a 5 inch shell, measuring from point to point. Smaller ones than that won't have much meat on them. If you want to run six or more traps you will need a salt water products license.
Cooking your catch is simple if you have a big pot. Crabs can be boiled or steamed. Whichever way you go, the animals must be alive when you start. Keeping them on ice will slow them down and minimize the awful crab screams heard by all animals within a 1-mile radius.
I like to clean them first by opening the shell and using a garden hose and nozzle on the innards. Place them in a pot with a few inches of water and sprinkle a bit of Old Bay seasoning on each layer. You'll know when they are done when the shell turn bright red.
Disclaimer: the screaming may be a product of my imagination.
Thanks. Can't wait to try this out with the kids in July. How can you tell a female from a male crab?
Smiling Joe-
Does that no fishing license deal include if you're fishing from the surf on the gulf side? I had already planned to pick up a Florida license on the way down but it would be nice to cut out one more stop.
Does that no fishing license deal include if you're fishing from the surf on the gulf side? I had already planned to pick up a Florida license on the way down but it would be nice to cut out one more stop.