Best tip you will ever receive

[lqdestruction]

LQdestruction,

I have kept detailed logs with another commercial crabber for years and it seems that there are much bigger factors that come into play...,such as lots of fresh water pushing the mass of crabs down farther in the bay and possibly into the ocean??? or cold begging of winter than warm or warm begining than cold, that change everything. Everytime I think I got them figured out...they prove to me that I don't.

I do agree that the more detailed information you have will help you make the best decision you can.

Good luck finding them to everyone on here,

JP

You're right they are pretty hard to figure out.  I've been crabbing off an on for the past 18 years but the truth is my logs are only from the last three years and are scattered in terms of location from So. MD, to the Eastern shore, to the Gunpowder.  Most of my experience is from when I as a kid on my neighbor's boat but now that I have my own boat I've been trying to keep logs to help find some spots/trends in and around Baltimore.  Despite my logs, 2 years ago was definitely better than last year, but both were better than the first year I had my boat.  Go figure...

Good luck to you too!

LQD

[bklynmike]

I'm a rec. crabber so the logs i use are for a campfire, and ive never had a wasted trip. always have fun.

[Donavin1976]

 The log may serve well as a cabin fever tonic in February, but I put in my garden 2 years in a row by April fools day. the year before that,,, we had a frost warning on Memorial day! Just sayin    A day away from work,kids,wife,deadlines,"hey buddy,can you do me a favor", traffic, and the decline of society, is never a WASTED TRIP. Crabbin aint always about stuffin bushells. Just like sometimes cutting the grass is about the glorious racket of the motor, drowning out the world.

[Donavin1976]

P.S THANK YOU!!! MdJohn:  In my rush to chase trophy stripers, and jumpstart the crab run, I forgot all about first aid! My kit has been in dry storage in the basement my last 4 trips, and I COMPLETELY forgot about it while checking over my gear!

[crabbywaters]

The log may serve well as a cabin fever tonic in February, but I put in my garden 2 years in a row by April fools day. the year before that,,, we had a frost warning on Memorial day! Just sayin    A day away from work,kids,wife,deadlines,"hey buddy,can you do me a favor", traffic, and the decline of society, is never a WASTED TRIP. Crabbin aint always about stuffin bushells. Just like sometimes cutting the grass is about the glorious racket of the motor, drowning out the world.

Well said! I went and sat on the pier with my handlines just hanging there and loved every second of it.

[tugcapt]

Best tip form me would be

"dont' eat yellow snow"...   little dog humor sorry couldn't resist........

but the ones above have been good.. safety first over getting yourself in a jam on the water.... believe me I had a bad accident while on a boat in the bay and really made me stop and think and not take chances anymore.. err on the side of caution...... which reminds me about the time I broke my ankle..... .. but you all know that story.....   

You might help prevent future injuries by telling the new members the full story.   

[jack1747]

You might help prevent future injuries by telling the new members the full story.   

[CrabDog]

You might help prevent future injuries by telling the new members the full story.   

Tug,

really,  you think.. ?  only if Jack gives me the green light  ......   

[crabster2]

Best tip? Switch from chicken to clams early on in the season. You'll catch crabs that you never knew were there;D

[antman]

Best tip? Switch from chicken to clams early on in the season. You'll catch crabs that you never knew were there;D

 

...get yourself a dipper and then you will find out what was there all along

[crabster2]

...get yourself a dipper and then you will find out what was there all along

Tony, run chicken off your dipper and I'll run clams w/o a dipper and then we can talk. 

[tugcapt]

Tug,

really,  you think.. ?  only if Jack gives me the green light  ......   

I forgot, that story is band in Virginia and North Carolina already. 

Well, I can say it....Don't jump on or off a boat!

Did I ever tell you about the time I broke my ankle? (This is a true story) I was working as deckhand on a boat that delivered lube oil to ships when I was 15 years old. The boat was approaching the dock when it stalled. I took the spring line and jumped over to the dock. When I landed, my heel hit a curb that went along the street/dock (on south Anne Street in Fells Point) and I broke my ankle and leg in three places. Spent the next three months in a cast. I still can't bend my ankle all the way.

[antman]

Tony, run chicken off your dipper and I'll run clams w/o a dipper and then we can talk. 

 

[ChrisS]

Best tip? Switch from chicken to clams early on in the season. You'll catch crabs that you never knew were there;D

better tip, if you find something that works extremely well, dont jump on the internet and tell everyone.

Makes getting clams when you need them the most, a little easier

[antman]

better tip, if you find something that works extremely well, dont jump on the internet and tell everyone.

Makes getting clams when you need them the most, a little easier

Chris I think some of the "cattle" have gotten out of the barn a while ago.

Just cause theygot clams don't mean they know where to put em'

[FenwayRick]

Don't put your fingers where you won't put your face.

[mdjohn]

Don't put your fingers where you won't put your face.

and after number 2

what to do

  

[jack1747]

Wear your seat belt.  Lost a friend this morning.  The lady easily could afford a new car every year but chose to drive old junkers.  She also totally refused to wear a seat belt.  Her 1990 prism crossed the center line on 175 (the road to Chincoteague) and hit a SUV head on.  The driver of the SUV, 2009 with air bags, was not seriously hurt.

Just a week ago another friend was also in a head on crash.  Head on at 60+.  Both the cars were new models with air bags. Both my friend and the other driver walked away.

[antman]

Wear your seat belt.  Lost a friend this morning.  The lady easily could afford a new car every year but chose to drive old junkers.  She also totally refused to wear a seat belt.  Her 1990 prism crossed the center line on 175 (the road to Chincoteague) and hit a SUV head on.  The driver of the SUV, 2009 with air bags, was not seriously hurt.

Just a week ago another friend was also in a head on crash.  Head on at 60+.  Both the cars were new models with air bags. Both my friend and the other driver walked away.

Sorry to hear of your Loss Jack

hope the message is heard.

[bklynmike]

Sorry about the loss of your friend Jack.    We dont realize the value of seatbelts until it either saves a life or isnt used and one is lost.  Back in 86 i was getting in my 78 Nova at NYCEMS academy and heading home, had a vision of recently departed grandma telling me to buckle up , reluctantly i complied (not cool for a young dude). Later it started raining and riding the Belt Pkwy in Queens where it makes a 90 degree right turn at springfield blvd heading to brooklyn I hydroplaned into the concrete Jersey devider and shattered the windshield with my face. If i hadnt had on my belt i may have been launched thru window and into opposite traffic. I was towed home VERY lucky and found a black and blue imprint of the belt across my waist. VERY VERY lucky. worn it since. totaled the car. oh well

[FenwayRick]

Sorry to hear that Jack. Sending prayers.

[crabbywaters]

Man sorry to hear about that. I drive for a living and have been through lots of defensive driving classes. The number one thing they teach is to WEAR YOUR SEATBELT. If i were to get cought without it on, i would be fired on the spot. Now if i could get my stubren old man to put his on.

[suzyq52]

I'm here to tell you - wear your seatbelt!

Literally - I am still here because of the seatbelt.

In November of 2000, Old Grouchy, The Child and I went to Harrisonburg, VA for a dinner put on by the trucking company he worked for. Dinner was great, motel nice and all that good jazz. Sunday morning we went out to breakfast, and were heading east on Rt. 33, intending to drive up Skyline Drive for a bit, just to see the sights.

Old Grouchy was driving, and a few miles outside Harrisonburg he had a seizure. We veered off the road to the right and went head on into a guardrail, did a NASCAR flip across two lanes of traffic, skidded into the median strip, flipped back onto the wheels, set the blasted median strip on fire, and was headed into oncoming traffic.

Let me tell you - it's pretty [dang] hard to drive the car from the passenger seat, especially when the person in the driver's seat is having a seizure and is stiffened up against the gas pedal! I managed to get the car turned off and steer back down the center of the median.

Even after all that drama and the car being totaled, once he and The Child were checked over in the hospital, we were all fine except The Child had a sprained ankle from it being jammed against the bottom of my seat, and all of us had seat belt bruises. Those black/purple marks looked pretty darn good to me when I considered the alternative.