Please comment on my crabbing perception.

[dai phan]

Greetings,

From my limited experience (four trips total), this is what I observe and please comment on my takes:

1. Crabs tend to bite when the sun is out AND at high tide.
2. When the tide is down or the sky is cloudy, they become much less active. In such cases, where should a person crab?
3. Once a crab is caught, a person needs to move to a different location as crabs are not "schooling" but rather territorial.
4. Crabs like chicken breast better than neck because the former is meatier.
5. Crabs don't like to dine with puffer or with other fish because I never caught a crab along with others like hermits, pinfish, flounder in the basket.
6.Caught crabs tend to taste better (sweeter) and more meaty than store bought crabs.

This crabbing thing is getting addictive to me and I can't wait to do it again this weekend! DP

[Grizzly36]

I've only been at this for about a year so I can't give you a good answer on the tidal affectsI've not noticed any difference yet but I'm not paying it much attention either I will start this year.

The sun affects them some but i think most guys will say cloudy is better than sunny.  Atleast my experiance with the trotline it is.  When the sun shines you cast shadows that spook the crabs and they drop off or when they come to shallower water on the ride up they know because it is getting alot brighter.

Crabs will follow the food.  They probably have certain paths they like to take to the "hot spots" but if there ther they'll find the food.

No sure which cut of chicken they like but necks are less than .50 a lb breasts are $2+per lb.  Save your money and buy whats been working for decades.

Not sure how social they are but they probably wont hang out with stuff that will eat them.

Everything you do on your own is better than when someone else does it. But caught crabs are probably cooked faster than store boaught crabs so there's not as much spoilage starting.

Remember I've only been at this for one season hardcore so I'm probabaly not the best at giving opion but this is my opinion.

[Ronster]

1. Crabs tend to bite when the sun is out AND at high tide.
They bite best early in the morning (my opinion) and whenever the tide is moving.

2. When the tide is down or the sky is cloudy, they become much less active. In such cases, where should a person crab?
If the tide is moving, they will bite.    I've had some of my best days when it's cloudy.
 
3. Once a crab is caught, a person needs to move to a different location as crabs are not "schooling" but rather territorial.
If you are crabbing from a stationary point, if the crabs stop biting for an extended period of time, it's time to move.

4. Crabs like chicken breast better than neck because the former is meatier.
Disagree.

5. Crabs don't like to dine with puffer or with other fish because I never caught a crab along with others like hermits, pinfish, flounder in the basket.
They compete with other bottom predators.   You get bi-catch in crab pots all the time.

6.Caught crabs tend to taste better (sweeter) and more meaty than store bought crabs.
It doesn't get any more fresh than ones you just pull out of the drink.   Meaty depends on the quality of crabs.    

This crabbing thing is getting addictive
See above.

[crewstation]

To add to Ron's comments (which I agree with):

3.  If you catch a crab in a particular spot, stay there.  That crab will often be part of a long line of crabs that are moving with the tide.  If the bite stops for a while, then it's time to move.  (The second option is, if you catch crabs in a particular spot, call me and let me know where you are, then move out of the way.  )

4.  I have caught some of the biggest crabs on the tiniest piece of neck, and I have seen a whole chicken in a trap go untouched for an entire day (I swear, that wasn't me).  I would opt for the smaller necks.  There's something about eating something as big as you are, or bigger, that probably doesn't work for the crab.

Good luck out there.

[registereduser]

try the opposite , you might have the same success

[crewstation]

True dat.

[CrabDog]

yeah like Ron said.. and I have caught some of the biggest crabs on tiny peices of chicken necks .. it was literally small bit bone left and have caught large 8- plus inch crabs in days gone by on that... I find that the larger chicken necks do not catch as many or even hardly any crabs... I like a neck no bigger than 2-3 inches.. if it is real long I break em in half.. and they catch better..... maybe the large bait spooks the crabs....  don't know I can only tell you I do better with smal to medium size necks in my traps..

[dai phan]

yeah like Ron said.. and I have caught some of the biggest crabs on tiny peices of chicken necks .. it was literally small bit bone left and have caught large 8- plus inch crabs in days gone by on that... I find that the larger chicken necks do not catch as many or even hardly any crabs... I like a neck no bigger than 2-3 inches.. if it is real long I break em in half.. and they catch better..... maybe the large bait spooks the crabs....  don't know I can only tell you I do better with smal to medium size necks in my traps..

Thank for the replies. I always use a big piece of chicken thigh but may be that is my undoing. Next time I will use small pieces of chicken/turkey necks and see how I fare. I will also put in a piece of oily fish to attract them as I have read that oily fish tend to work well. DP

[CrabDog]

Thank for the replies. I always use a big piece of chicken thigh but may be that is my undoing. Next time I will use small pieces of chicken/turkey necks and see how I fare. I will also put in a piece of oily fish to attract them as I have read that oily fish tend to work well. DP

there are folks on here that swear by chicken legs / drum sticks... most important thing to me is that the chicken is skinless.. I have used wings that had skin on them and did not do as well as skinless chicken.  Think that is why necks are popular.. cheap and also already skinned..... soemtimes I wil take a knife and cut slits on the necks to get the scent flowing better......

[Crab Shack]

4. Crabs like chicken breast better than neck because the former is meatier.
 

IMHO...chicken breasts are overkill.  Necks or backs do just fine.  Also, if you multiply the costs of chicken breasts X 30, it can get quite expensive....   If you go the meatier way, I'd do drumsticks or thighs instead of chicken breasts.  IMHO

[Grizzly36]

most important thing to me is that the chicken is skinless..

Thats what i've always heard but I had a freind who swore wing tips were the best thing in the world..  I used to use legs and thights for handlines cuz they add weight. Now i prefer to eat them and just add some lead

[Professor_Leakey]

i have very limited crabbing experience, several times as a kid visiting my grandpa on the chesapeake, a couple times so far this season in mass, and half a dozen times when i lived near galveston, tx.  that said, here is my $.02

ive caught them high tide and low tide, but i always noticed the bite slow down during slack tide.  moving water seems to be very important.  at slack tide though i needed to be a bit more active. wading around looking for them, or throwing out baits and bringing them back in real slow, covering more ground. 

as for baits, i tend to get my own.  i turkey and duck hunt and save all the wingtips/necks/backs/gizzards and freeze them. 

when i buy chicken at the store i wait till whole chicken goes on sale then i buy a bunch of them at say .99/lb.  from each chicken i take the wing tips, backs, necks and gizzard and freeze them up as baits for later.  i saved baits all winter like that and now i think i need to buy an extra freezer (and eat lots of chicken).   

[MetroMan]

with regards to the size of the bait, I remember someone posting some scientific study results here a while back. The blue crabs opted for the smalelr baits opposed to the larger ones. After seeing that, I've made sure to keep the bait size pretty small. Going into this whole crabbing thing, I automatically assumed bigger was better. Granted I may have to swap out baits every now and then, but the small baits seem to work rather well.

Last trip I had soem huge neck from the store...cut some into four pieces!

[clskinsfan]

Thats what i've always heard but I had a freind who swore wing tips were the best thing in the world..  I used to use legs and thights for handlines cuz they add weight. Now i prefer to eat them and just add some lead

Thats what I use. Instead of trashing those wing tips when you grill your wings. Freeze them and use them for crab bait. You will be surprised how well they work.

[flounderpounder]

I agree with 1 out of those 6 assumptions...... My caught crabs are far better then any store bought

[Tomas]

I use chicken necks and do pretty good.  Sometimes I use fish heads and also do pretty good.  But, when I bait my traps with a chicken/fish combo, I seem to do a lot better than either bait used singly.

[Professor_Leakey]

i caught a few the other day using a freezer-burned bear steak from '09

[CaptWilliecrab]

These are my observations in the creeks over many years and hundreds of adventures  and eating and cooking thousands of crabs

   The taste of crab meat DOES change according to their environment
Big fresh bay crabs are great, but creek crab meat is slightly sweeter,  the bay crab has a hint of blandness  also   crabs from the Maurice River are slightly different than the creek crab,  they are all great   just slightly different in taste    Crabs that sit in a refrigerated situation,  alive, well their taste changes also--  slightly blander
   the rest of your observations I can't go with   the fact is   when crabs are hungry they eat
I have caught them in all types of weather, times and tides.   Years ago   when hurricane Dan hit the south jersey area,  I had made a vow, and wanted the challenge  I would go crabbing no matter what.  I was out in the creeks in the middle of a hurricane,  driving pouring rain and wind gusts up to 60 mph.   I caught 67 keeper crabs in that storm   and that is a fact!   One day I spent the day crabbing and traveling the creeks in Dividing Creek,  not a single crab all stay.  The state police stopped me to see if I caught anything,  they informed me no one anywhere was catching.  Then up near Beaver Dam,  I caught 87 keepers in just 1.5 hours.  Can't explain it.  An old old timer told me once,  crabs move with the current and wind.  My favorite time for crabbing,  is early in the morning during a heat wave and drought.  Even though I have caught them in all situations,   I have had some of my best days in a heat wave drought.  One year I caught crabs on cooked Kentucky Fried chicken.  Once I tied a 10 lb turkey on a rope,  caught lots.  I have been low on bait,  and broke open a crab and used it for bait,  it works.  Sometimes I have caught minnows and put them on a pin in the trap,  crabs eat them also.  One thing also,  crabs do not like stale bait.   They will sometimes eat it,  but tend to avoid it.  Crabs like fresh dead and living things,  they are very aggressive eaters when hungry,  in fact,  if you were to fall overboard....... oh well never mind  ..   hope you enjoy this crabbing season,  it has been a great year so far,  the fall crabbing should be flat out blisfful!     capt williecrab,  creek explorer in the 21'rst century!
    oh yeah,  crab cookers who don't clean the crab alive first,  but cook them whole,   are missing out and wasting the taste!

[chickenneckstew]

When I was a kid we would walk the shallows @ Ingleside with nets baskets and innertubes no bait. Just long pants and sneakers (jellyfish and or pinched toes hurt) and good sunglasses lol . We always had a blast and came home exhausted and ready to cook em over an open fire . Sure miss those trips last few years no grass in that area. Now we do crab from a boat and use necks . whatever works for you stick with it and enjoy.

[snapper69]

Got to agree with the seasoned guys above.
-Moving tide without question
-Early am is always best, just watch the commercial guys, though they have to head in to sell their catch but they are not out there much past 1:00 pm.
-Fresh bait has always work best for me.....


My 2 cents.

[KALknowsRAE]

    oh yeah,  crab cookers who ***** clean the crab alive first,  *********,   are missing out and wasting the mustard!


I bet this is what you meant to say

[adam22]

You clean first because you want the stuff you are cooking the crabs in, to actually get inside the crab and flavor the meat that you are actually going to eat. I'm not eating the shell, why do I want the shell to be flavored?

[KALknowsRAE]

Don't know where WD is. But I prefer the taste of MD crab meat over the taste of seasoning. Just that little bit that gets on my fingers is all I need.

[flounderpounder]

You clean first because you want the stuff you are cooking the crabs in, to actually get inside the crab and flavor the meat that you are actually going to eat. I'm not eating the shell, why do I want the shell to be flavored?

it gets on your hands....then into the meat .. and Its finger lickin good...  I now know jersey crabs are kinda funny tastin and you need to cover up the taste.. but to each their own 

[adam22]

The top of the shell is removed and discarded. How the [Sam Hill] is it getting on my fingers? Dumping old bay on a non-cleaned crab is gonna cover up way more taste than boiling a cleaned crab in old bay, I would think. But, I would never cook without cleaning, so I'll never know!