how to catch soft crabs

[ruwolfenuf]

 ok well im rather new to this forum been on it a good amount of times while looking for crabbing links so i decided to try it out. ok so ive been crabbing non commercially for a few years now and ive been running traps. what is a good way to catch peelers or softys? i love them as sandwhichs and my dad has some killer striper spots. pleace will u answer cuz im desperate!   
 

  also im only 14 and dont have enough cash to get a tank for them to sluff in house/garage making this even harder...

[Crabbyd]

OK, let me help a little.

To start out, as a recreational crabber, you will only be allowed to keep male peelers.

As a sloughing tank, here is what I have running in my garage.  I bought 2 "under the bed" storage containers that are 12" x 36", an aquarium pump that has 2 outputs and 2 air bars (one for each container/tank). 

While I'm crabbing, any pink - red sign peelers that are caught go into  5 gallon bucket on the boat.  Before I leave the river for the day, I fill up 2 - 5 gallon jugs with water.  When I get home, I fill the containers about 1/2 full and put the peelers in the containers.  From there, it is a waiting/watching game.

Keep in mind, I can keep female peelers so this is much easier for me to get peelers (doublers) while dipping my line.  Make sure you know the signs for a peeler so you will not get in trouble for keeping undersized crabs.

[jack1747]

http://www.bluecrab.info/crabbing/softcrabs.html

http://www.bluecrab.info/redsign.htm

[Oerdin]

ok well im rather new to this forum been on it a good amount of times while looking for crabbing links so i decided to try it out. ok so ive been crabbing non commercially for a few years now and ive been running traps. what is a good way to catch peelers or softys? i love them as sandwhichs and my dad has some killer striper spots. pleace will u answer cuz im desperate!   
 

  also im only 14 and dont have enough cash to get a tank for them to sluff in house/garage making this even harder...

I lived in Baltimore for a year when I was 13-14 and we had a creek/slough right behind the house so when one of my neighbors (who grew up in the Chesapeake region) said the crabs were molting we'd just take large nets on a wood staff and scoop them up into a bucket.  It was muddy work but you could easily catch enough for the whole family.