Florida Crabbing???

[spinfreak]

Like I said in a post over in the General Section, I've been down here in Fort Lauderdale for almost 2 years now, and stillhave not been able to find a decent location for crabbing. You could spend all day out there and not even get a dozen crabs.
Whenever I get the urge for crabs, I need to go to the Fish Market.
Does anybody know any areas down here in South Florida that can yeild more than a few crabs? Thanks

[big daddyray]

I'm from Palm Harber and ther are plenty of crabs in the small canals . I'm sure if you look in the small canals in your area you will find them. if not , come west. we even get crabs off the fishing piers. You will not find them by the bushel like the chesapeke but they are good eating. good luck ray

[spinfreak]

I live right near a few canals (rivers actually), and there aren't many crabs there I think it could be because of pollution, which isn't as much of industrial pollution, as it is agricultural pollution (i.e. the sugar growers out in the Glades). There are a few crabs here and there, but like I said above, you can spend all day out there, and you'll be lucky to get more than a half dozen.
I'm not looking for a ton, since I can only eat so many, but at least a dozen, or dozen and a half would be pretty [dang] sweet.
I have an uncle that lives up near Jacksonville, and crabs up there are like flys on s**t

[DocSmith]

SpinFreak -

What kind of crabbing do you want to do? Do you want to use handlines, traps, pots, or a trotline? We need more info before we can advise you. Do you have or have access to a boat or waterfront property? How far are you willing to travel and for how long? Check with local bait shops and ask the seafood market where you buy your crabs where they come from. Look for commercial or recreational crab bouys on the water (but don't touch them!). Drive around out in the country and ask some of the locals. I have five pots off a 50' dock along a canal and get about 12 a day, keeping only the biggest 2 or three. I clean and freeze them for the weekend. Anyway I can help, just let me know.

  Doc

[spinfreak]

I have a small skiff, and a larger center console. I have a couple of trotlines, about 5 "commercial" traps, a ton of regular folding traps, and if needed, I can rig up some handlines in no time flat So any type of crabbing would work for me.
There aren't really any commercial crabbers right in my area....I think most of the crabs in the markets around here come from N FL...around Jacksonville maybe?
I've tried numerous times with the traps in the local rivers/canals, and like I said, it really isn't worth the time out there. I also tried with the trotlines down around Haulover (Miami), in the Oleta River. Nothing....not even a single crab
I guess I'd travel maybe an hour or two at the most if the trip would be worthwhile.
I just don't get it though....back in NJ, the crabs used to crawl into your bushel basket , but down here they're like bigfoot....you suspect they exist, but can't find them But yet before I moved here, I read that they're all over the place

[DocSmith]

Bummer.

Sounds like you're all dressed up wth no place to go! Well, there have got to be some crabs around there somewhere. I'll talk to some buds I have down there and see what I can find out.

  Doc

PS Do you still have a NJ accent? Drives the crabs freaking' crazy!

[spinfreak]

PS Do you still have a NJ accent? Drives the crabs freaking' crazy!

 

[Buffalo Bob]

Spinfreak-

  Check your thread in the Crabbing Reports forum.

[DocSmith]

Spin -

Ok, OK, I'm just kidding...

  Doc

[spinfreak]

BB...thanks for the info

DS.....LOL

[DocSmith]

Card Sound is recommended - like Bufallo Bob says.

  Doc

[spinfreak]

Cool....thanks

[Jablackberry]

Spin,

Did you ever find a decent place to get crabs? Im new to crabbing and im
In miami. Any tips would help.

Thanks
Jose