Yes, I'm another Newbie

[VentureForth]

Hey y'all.  Getting into the newness of all this...

Couple of questions -

I tried fishing off a pier in Ft McCallister, outside of Richmond Hill, GA.  Spent about two hours there without any sort of luck.  Tried the chicken neck on the line trick.  Left it in for an hour with no nibbles.

Here are the questions - 1) how long do you typically have to wait to lure crabs over to you if they aren't in your immediate vicinity?

Don't have a boat yet, so setting traps isn't really going to help right now (don't want to leave anything unattended that is easily accessible by anyone).  How brackish can the water be (in miles from ocean) for crabs to still be in the water?  Another area that I'm interested in (and may be too fresh) is Kings Crossing by the Ogeechee River and US 17.  Is that too far inland?

Finally, it's the first week of April.  Is it too early?

Thanks,
Jim

[jack1747]

Hey y'all.  Getting into the newness of all this...


Here are the questions - 1) how long do you typically have to wait to lure crabs over to you if they aren't in your immediate vicinity?

Seconds! If they r hungry.   Welcome to the BCA Jim..

[tattoo]

Welcome aboard . alot of good info on here. I'm not from your area so i can't be much help to you. Hope you have a geat season , Have fun. HAPPY CRABBING. 

[VentureForth]

Thanks y'all.  Will try some various areas over the coming weeks and see how it goes.

[tattoo]

Good luck. GO GET THEM CRABS. 

[horsefly]

WELCOME TO THE SITE   
I don't think past the 17 bridge is too far. The thing is getting the crabs on the right tide. If the current is running hard (outgoing) you might have a hard time getting them to hang around a neck. Usually a hour is a long time to leave them (necks) you set some out spaced apart, and keep a check on them, if ya feel like something heavier is on there or pulling, bring it up slowly(dip net in hand). Also, you may wanna try different bait as well, say fatback (menhaden, bunker,pogies all the same)
Getting back to tides, I think the incoming is the time and the lull once it happens, you have some time then before the tide drops. GOOD LUCK.

[CrabDog]

welcome aboard to the BCA.. BTW,  beware we are all knuckleheads....   

......CDog

[VentureForth]

welcome aboard to the BCA.. BTW,  beware we are all knuckleheads....   

......CDog

Thank goodness.  I'll fit right in.

So another question - about how many crabs can fit in a standard trap?  Is it usually 1 per cage?  More?  I think the limit in GA is a 2 cu. ft cage.  Most at Walmart are 1 cu ft.

Plan on picking up one after work today... 

[Crabcruncher]

Im in Northwest Florida and it is still a little early for crabbing in the shallows. A few are showing up but the spring run is still a couple weeks away. Crabbing in the Shallow water is roughly between late April thru Mid November. After that, you will have to find piers or bridges with water depths between eight and seventeen ft.
If you use the string and neck, make sure you have a one ounce lead wgt. on the end. You will know when a crab has picked it up by the line moving tightly to the right or left.
If the crabs are around, it usually takes less than fifteen minutes for them to show up in your traps or lines.

Large male crabs frequent the fresher water areas you describe. Females will use these waters in the spring for mating, but spend most of their adult time in saltier areas. In the spring you will catch a large number of small crabs, that arent worth the trouble for the amount of meat in them. If you release them, they will become  jumbo crabs in a short time, which is what you want to catch.

One other tip, dont put crabs you catch in bucket of water, they will drown and will not be fit for consumption. Always put live crabs in cooler with frozen water bottle, and cover them with a damp towel. They will stay alive this way until you are ready to cook them.

Cc

Cc

[SHELLFISH]

Ask at your local bait shop where to crab. They should be able to provide an answer for you.
Aside from that ask locals and try different areas around until you find a good spot!
Good luck and have fun!

[VentureForth]

Tried in two places yesterday, still with no luck.  Probably, as others have mentioned, too early in the season yet.  Tried in the Ogeechee near US 17, but the current didn't match the tide charts.  Was on a strong outbound flow.  Even heavily weighted, couldn't get bait to stay on the bottom.  Then went to a public boat ramp off of a quiet deep water creek.  Much calmer and very much low tide.  Still nothing, but a bit more enjoyable.  Sand gnats were horrible, and they lick DEET off your body....

Will hold off a couple of weeks and try when it gets a bit warmer.  Well, maybe won't hold off.  Still like going out and getting nothing.

I need a boat.

[tattoo]

At least you gave it a try and had a good time. hope you do better next time out. think the water is still a bit cold , have a GREAT season , may your basket be full. HAPPY CRABBING. 

[horsefly]

, but the current didn't match the tide charts.  Was on a strong outbound flow.  Even heavily weighted, couldn't get bait to stay on the bottom. 
Will hold off a couple of weeks and try when it gets a bit warmer.  Well, maybe won't hold off.  Still like going out and getting nothing.

I need a boat.

I guess you didn't take my advice on the current running, it when it runs.......it really RUNS! I think Crabcruncher said crabs are out a bit deep, this is true right now and maybe for the next two weeks, but then again they might be on a peeler run by then too. Have you tried around Crescent/Shellman Bluff or Sapelo I sland area, maybe getting closer to the ocean or more of a bay/sound place might work better.

[Crabcruncher]

Did a search for your area
Have you ever heard of moon river and lasseretta creeks?
Also saw posts of crabbing from Tybee Island pier.

Run can start anytime now.
I was catching peelers last year this time.
I just ate a soft crab a couple days ago that I sluffed in a cooler of water.

Cc

[coastman]

I am right down the road from you in McIntosh County. Go to the hardware store in Richmond Hill. They should have several types of crab traps for sale. If you cannot find one in Richmond Hill go to Midway. You can hang it from the pier. Right now the water is still cool but the crabs are moving. Crabs are molting here. Our local seafood market is shipping soft shell crabs to Maryland now. At Fort McCalister you have the Ogeechee River which dumps a lot of fresh water into the estuaries. Try dead low tide and let the tide run halfway to high tide. After midtide the current will be running to strong for a crab basket hanging from the pier. Try Flood to mid low.

[VentureForth]

Excellent.  I've tried a few more times since first posting and still nothing, but will keep trying.  There are some great salt creeks way down the penensula.  I heard someone tell me the last week of May, but if they're already taking at Jekyll, then I can't imagine them being that far away.  The water temp reports are in the mid to upper 60s...

Thanks, all.  Will advise first catch...

[tattoo]

Good luck hope you find them. Keep us posted. 

[coastman]

Sand gnats!! They love new blood. They don't bother us that have been here a long time or we just don't notice them. Get some clothes dryer sheets like bounce or the store brand and crumble up several and put under your hat. Put one in your shirt pocket and rub the dryer sheet on your arms, hands and face. This helps with the sand gnats. Don't laugh. This really works. Personaly I smoke a good hand rolled cigar. You will not do very well with grabs off Hwy 17 Bridge at the Ogeechee River. The water is to fresh. Now during the drought of 2006 and 2007 you could catch the crabs there. Have you tried crabbing at Riceboro? There is great crabbing off of the piers at Jekyll Island and St. Simons Island. As the water temperture rises so will the increase in crab catches. If you have specific questions email me.

[SHELLFISH]

Sand gnats, no see ums or what ever they are...wings with teeth!
I was down in the keys a few years back and was getting eaten alive by them ankle biters!
The locals told me the same thing; they don't bother the locals; they only like that white Yankee skin!

[jack1747]

Sand gnats, no see mus or what ever they are...wings with teeth!
I was down in the keys a few years back and was getting eaten alive by them ankle biters!
The locals told me the same thing; they don't bother the locals; they only like that white Yankee skin!

I noticed that..  When we first moved to the shore the little bastards drove me crazy.  Now I hardly notice them.  Except when there is a mosquito bloom.    My neighbors, who all have full time jobs, are still being driven crazy, but the bugs don't seem to bother me as much, maybe cause I tan allot being outside all day.  I have learned a few things.  Don't take a shower before going out in the marsh.  Don't wear freshly laundered clothes.  Don't wear yellow anything. Dark color clothes are best. Stay away from shade, that is where the bitting flies hang out waiting for something to walk by.  Wear a hat helps allot (and the dryer sheets under the hat work).  Long sleeve shirts (sprayed with deet).  And lots of Bunker. 

[horsefly]

I noticed that..  When we first moved to the shore the little bastards drove me crazy.  Now I hardly notice them.  Except when there is a mosquito bloom.    My neighbors, who all have full time jobs, are still being driven crazy, but the bugs don't seem to bother me as much, maybe cause I tan allot being outside all day.  I have learned a few things.  Don't take a shower before going out in the marsh.  Don't wear freshly laundered clothes.  Don't wear yellow anything. Dark color clothes are best. Stay away from shade, that is where the bitting flies hang out waiting for something to walk by.  Wear a hat helps allot (and the dryer sheets under the hat work).  Long sleeve shirts (sprayed with deet).  And lots of Bunker. 

I guess I better keep the thong at home
Seriously though, the dryer sheet does the trick, well at least 88%. We have skeeters that look like helicopters(even with the sound) nothing works on them, even one on ya feels like about 100. So I try and hope for a breeze when going, using the strongest deet, dryer sheets, and long sleeves (when possible) I am not sure if ya get the same thing but yellow flys, greenhead and biting black flies have to rank up there on the bad list too

[VentureForth]

Well, tried again with the chicken neck at Jekyll Island yesterday.  Me-0, Blue Crab-1.  Yes, I did get a little claw.  Went wading out about waist deep in a stream and stepped on one.  It got me good.  Didn't draw blood, but had about an inch-long bruise on my middle toe.  They don't like being stepped on.  Thinking about trying cast net next time.

Lots of molted shells around, but small - 2-3 inches.

So what could I be doing wrong?  Bad chicken neck?  Bad time of day?  (Tried for about three hours, ending right at full-low tide.  Not much current where I was at).

OH - I DID catch one crab.  It was a nice large hermit crab.  Had a good hold on the neck.  But..... that'd been nice if I were hermit crab hunting.  Besides, there were about a dozen or so others right there on the beach...

[horsefly]

Well, tried again with the chicken neck at Jekyll Island yesterday.  Me-0, Blue Crab-1.  Yes, I did get a little claw.  Went wading out about waist deep in a stream and stepped on one.  It got me good.  Didn't draw blood, but had about an inch-long bruise on my middle toe.  They don't like being stepped on.  Thinking about trying cast net next time.

Lots of molted shells around, but small - 2-3 inches.

So what could I be doing wrong?  Bad chicken neck?  Bad time of day?  (Tried for about three hours, ending right at full-low tide.  Not much current where I was at).

OH - I DID catch one crab.  It was a nice large hermit crab.  Had a good hold on the neck.  But..... that'd been nice if I were hermit crab hunting.  Besides, there were about a dozen or so others right there on the beach...

The only two things I can think of without bringing up the moon topic is:
1) depth, maybe the crabs could be deeper -or- shallower
2)crabs down that way are on a shed, hence the empty shells, hard jimmies go on the hunt during this time period for young fresh girls. Give it after the 1 st of May
From the dealers we buy crabs from down in SC/Ga crabs are starting to come back on line, should prove to be another good year for those guys.
Try different bait, try bunker(IE;menhaden,fatback,pogies) or bluefish, something oily and bloody, use little chunks pierced with the weighted string-or- use a piece of onion bag filled with fish/shrimp chum and weighted. Onion bag piece around 3" or 4" wide by 5 or 6" long filled and zipped tied at top, use a 1 or 2 oz(egg/pyramid) weight also inside with chum for weight

[VentureForth]

Caught my first today!!  Woo hoo!  A sympathetic boater gave me three more.  Enjoyed them all tonight.  I think the season is beginning to perk up!