How many can I expect to catch?

[Scott_NRA]

Just for fun I am now all signed up!  (Formerly "Scott")

Now, about how many keeper Jimmies should I expect to catch in a pot that sits about 8 hours during the day?

Mabey in the York River, Deltaville, Or Gwyns Island areas.

I'm hoping to be able to cart enough pots to throw out in morning and supplement my fish catch for feasting by the day's end.  

2-4 pots is about all I can cary on my boat full of other stuff.  At least as a start.  I'm trying to figure out if it will be worth the hassle, or should I dedicate some time to just crabbing with the kids some days and forget fishing.  (Hmmmmmmmm)

Also, Is it better to place pots at bridges and peir locations than shallows or drop offs or creek mouth areas?

[Steve]

Scott,

You'll need to buy a recreational crabpot license if you plan to use more than two crabpots (the license allows you to set a total of five crabpots). Virginia residents are allowed to set two pots without a licence.

Not sure what to tell you about how many you'll catch... it all depends on where you set the pots and how the crabs are running. I drop a few pots right off my pier and I catch about 3 or 4 keepers overnight (per pot)... again, it all depends! I'm sure you could catch a lot more if you find the right spot.

Where are you located? My place is in White Stone (across the river from Deltaville).

[Crabbyboy]

        Scott, if your goind to put out 4-5 pots you may want to keep on moving them to see where the crabs are... like off of a pier, shallow water, deep water, before a drop off, at the end of a drop off and so on.  and if you are looking to pull the pots at night so you can have them for dinner, i would put them in deeper water because it is more likly to be cooler there during a hot summer day and that is where the crabs will want to be.    i really like "small potting" i think it's great for the family too.

    Steve,  do you know if and where "marylanders" can get recreational crab pot licenses?  

[Scott_NRA]

Did I read the law wrong or not explain enough?  I will always have at least 2 adults in the boat.  I believe we can have two pots/person without the license.  Is that the case?

And thanks for the deepwater advice!

I'm in Hanover county but will spend some time on the bay in the deltaville area, probably putting in at Norview, at least until I get the "feel" of the place.

Right now, the York around West Point is great for big Croakers and kids love it.