My first softshell ?

[flounderpounder]

yep, they use to wade around the shore line and dip them out of the grass. I cleaned many of them when I was a kid and worked at Leo's seafood in North Baltimore, off of Belair Road.

If you catch another one bring it on over and I will show you how to clean it, fry it and eat it! 

Firefly

I have 6 in the crisper now...you come cook them and you can eat 3..

[DoubledareDan]

Yep, worked for him for about 3 years while going to school.... Nice guy.... at least to me he was.

Sometime after I left they found him shot in the head in the back of the store. They called it suicide but one does wonder about that. Apparently he had saved his money to buy a big big boat and had done that a week or so before his demise. Not something a suicidal person would do... reach the dream of your life and then whack yourself. 

I had fun there and would always get seafood to take to school for lunch... quite often me and my buds would sit in school and eat crabs, shrimp, oysters and clams out of the shell or fish. I kept in good with the cafeteria gals so they helped us with a kitchen.

Last time I was in the area the store was torn down and they had put up a used car lot.

[DoubledareDan]

I have 6 in the crisper now...you come cook them and you can eat 3..

Sorry... another day perhaps I got to go and cook dinner for the wife... and the kids... chops on the grille tonight!

[captaincrab55]

Yep, worked for him for about 3 years while going to school.... Nice guy.... at least to me he was.

Sometime after I left they found him shot in the head in the back of the store. They called it suicide but one does wonder about that. Apparently he had saved his money to buy a big big boat and had done that a week or so before his demise. Not something a suicidal person would do... reach the dream of your life and then whack yourself. 

I had fun there and would always get seafood to take to school for lunch... quite often me and my buds would sit in school and eat crabs, shrimp, oysters and clams out of the shell or fish. I kept in good with the cafeteria gals so they helped us with a kitchen.

Last time I was in the area the store was torn down and they had put up a used car lot.

There was a fire in the building...     It sat vacant and than Razed...

[rdbeard]

 had my first of the season last nite for dinner. my slough tank has been runnin for about a weeknow and i'm startin to get more peelers every time i go. cooked 7 last nite 3 were papery and those i like to flour and fry real hot and quick,4 were butter soft ,those i saute with old bay and butter. great meal for my wife son and self.

[DCAP1]

OK so I am completely confused.  I love soft shell blue crabs.  Know how to clean them, cook them, love to eat them.  But when can you catch them in NJ?  Is it all summer or certain times?  I have crabbed for hard shell blues all my life but have never understood the soft shell.  Please enlighten me.  Heading to my favorite spot on LBI next week for another shot.

[jefftoleft]

OK so I am completely confused.  I love soft shell blue crabs.  Know how to clean them, cook them, love to eat them.  But when can you catch them in NJ?  Is it all summer or certain times?  I have crabbed for hard shell blues all my life but have never understood the soft shell.  Please enlighten me.  Heading to my favorite spot on LBI next week for another shot.

Here you go this should help you understand a little better                  http://www.bluecrab.info/crabbing/softcrabs.html

[dantheman2929]

I do not care for the ones from sea food markets to much, Also guys selling them on the side of the road... The longer they are out of the water the harder the shell gets. I stopped 2 weeks ago along Rt. 40 in Elkton and asked to look at the guys soft crabs. He pulled them out and out of the 14 he had 3 were dead ( and yea they were dead not just limp ) 4 were getting way to hard to enjoy and the other 5 were to small for the money... needless to say I was dissapointed! I was looking forward to some good softies. Other than a slogh tank or Slogh box is there any way to trap soft crabs ?? My wifes aunt and uncle have a place on the water right off of the North East river/ Elk River. There is ALOT of grass in the area of there dock. They have been handlining hard crabs there pretty good so I imagine there would be soft crabs in there. Looks like a prime area for them.....

[R D]

The hardening process stops once the crab is out of the water and a crab will soften a little in the cooler over a few days,the crabs he had that were too hard were because they waited too long to pull them out.

[dantheman2929]

The hardening process stops once the crab is out of the water and a crab will soften a little in the cooler over a few days,the crabs he had that were too hard were because they waited too long to pull them out.

huh i did not know that, thanks!!! Learn something new every day

[DoubledareDan]

When I worked up Leo's place as a kid they use to come in wooden boxes with sea grass on them to keep them moist. They were like jelley when they first came in. I cleaned many of them and had my share to bring home after work. Ice cold Black Label and Soft crab fried in real butter... with a side of fresh cherrystone clams and a hit of Early Times to take the edge off of the beer. Yum! Not to bad of a way to live for a 15 year old back then