Tips for complete beginner in Virginia Beach

[ptraum]

Hi everyone.

I'm a midwestern transplant looking to take full advantage of living at Chick's Beach (just west of Lesnar) by doing some crabbing. Given the host of rules and regulations surrounding any given hunting season back home, I have several questions concerning local laws as well as waterman/beachgoer etiquette. Oh and I don't really know how to actually catch crabs either...so here we go.

I'd like to take the kids and do something with a handline at first. I understand that you tie the chicken neck around a string, weight it, drop it in the water, and wait for a tug. My question is how far out in the water do you have to go? And do I drop the line straight down or throw it out laterally?

After the kids have their fun I wouldn't mind using some pots (2 per person...I did do a search) to try and increase the catch but again...more questions. Can I just walk out onto Chick's Beach past the swimmers and toss the pots in the water? If so do I have to stay and mind them or can I go home and come back later? Do they have to be a certain distance from the beach?

I think I have a decent idea of how to actually catch crab but I really have no idea how to go about this legally (cops) and respectfully (beachgoers). Any advice/suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks for your time fellas.

[CRABGUY]

WELCOME TO THE FORUM
IM NOT ALL THAT FAR FROM YOU, IM IN CHESAPEAKE
IVE BEEEN CRABBING AROUND HERE SINCE 81  OR 82
POTS, YOU CAN LEAVE THEM , AT CHICKS BEACH I WOULDNT,   PUT THEM WHERE YOU CAN WATCH THEM, LOTS OF SHARECRABBERS OUT THERE
YOU NEED A FLOAT, WITH THE LAST "4" #S OF YOU DRIVERS LICENSE AND THE LETTER R ON YOUR FLOATS
ID USE BUNKER FOR BAIT, ANY BAIT STORE WILL SELL YOU ALL YOU NEED, CUT OR WHOLE, WHOLE WILL LAST LONGER,     YOU ARE GOING TO CATCH A LOT OF FEMALES , GO TO THE VMRC WEBSITE TO SEE WHAT ONES YOU CAN KEEP LEGALY
THEY MUST BE OUT OF THE WATER NOVEMBER 30
HANDLINING  YES THROW IT
IF YOU ARE GOING TO STAND IN THE WATER MAKE SURE YOU WEAR SHOES OR CAN SEE YOUR FEET
CRABS LOVE TOES
CHICKEN DRUMSTICKS WORK WELL AND YOU DONT NEED THE EXTRA WEIGHT
I USE MASONS STRING FROM LOWES,
MARK 1 MOD ZERO GREEN CRABBIN NETS ARE AVAILABLE EVERYWHERE
BOX TRAPS WORK WELL THERE TOO OFF THE PIER,
GOOD LUCK AND GOOD CRABBIN TO YOU AND THE FAMILY

[ptraum]

Much appreciated CRABGUY 

Is there any particular distance I need to be away from the beach?

[CRABGUY]

NOT IN A LEGAL SENSE, ABOUT WAIST TO CHEST DEEP SHOLD DO IT

[ptraum]

Thanks heaps CRABGUY!

[CRABGUY]

Thanks heaps CRABGUY!

LET US KNOW HOW WELL YOU DO

[ptraum]

Haha wow...went out yesterday at Chick's Beach with the little dudes and handlines. We caught about 20-30 crabs in no time but all but one were pregnant females. All in all it was a really fun time and the boys had a blast.

Any idea when the females will stop being pregnant so we can take some home to eat?

Thanks again

[Dreampixels]

Haha wow...went out yesterday at Chick's Beach with the little dudes and handlines. We caught about 20-30 crabs in no time but all but one were pregnant females. All in all it was a really fun time and the boys had a blast.

Any idea when the females will stop being pregnant so we can take some home to eat?

Thanks again

When they stop dating boys.............On Lord Forgive me for that Please..........You need to find water with less salinity, egg bearing female will only be found in high salinity waters. Example get away from the ocean or bay and head farther up the rivers and creeks. The number of the total catch may drop drastically, but the keeper count may rise.

[ptraum]

I'll keep that in mind. Thanks for the tip

[Tom Powers]

If you are asking a legal question. . .

You can not keep dark (brown) sponge crabs (You can keep crabs with an orange sponge)  in the spring until June 30th.  After that you can keep any mature (round apron or sponge crab) female crab.  

That being said the dark sponge crabs are said to taste "rank" what ever that means.

My opinion. ..  keep a moderate amount of the orange sponge crabs shake the dark sponge crabs off without netting them and let the boys eat what they catch.