open traps

[boysenberrygirl]

 This is my first season crabbing and I love it. My question is: how long do I leave my two door open trap out before I pull it in?  The other day Icaught 34, but only two with the chicken/line method....

[jinocrab88]

Check every 10-15 mins  you have been doing better than me and it my sec crab season

[Ronster]

Sounds like you are doing fine.   34 crabs is a respectable catch.

[CaptMoose]

   Sounds good with the traps.  If you were hand lining in the same spot, maybe you were pulling the line in too fast?  Hand lines need to be pulled up pretty slowly.

[boysenberrygirl]

Doh! I didn't copy paste right or something.  I meant to say only two with the trap, 32 on the chicken line.

[CaptMoose]

Hmmm, that is odd.  Are you sure the doors are opening?  Do they open well on the ground?  Maybe they are not landing upright on the bottom?

Or you are just one heck of a hand liner!

[TheLyrical1]

It really depends but i normally leave my traps out for bout 15-20 mins.
Remember you need to give the crabs time to find the trap,
but on avg i have caught more using handlines( i do but like 20-30 of line tho sometimes with 4/5 chicken necks ) then i do with the traps i got and i have use topless 2 door metal and cotton rings.

[jinocrab88]

I personally don't like two door traps any more in try to get four door traps because they work better and th crab can find the bait better as well also I think they're is a better chance of catch the in the four door instead of the two door. that's just
just me

[CrabbyLAD]

as long as your catch'em and have fun - 
2 door traps, 4 door traps, ring traps -  they all catch
crabs... I say the key is fresh bait & look for a moving tide...
if the tide is moving and there are crabs in the area..
you will probably catch some.. Sometimes you have to
run the gear as fast as possible so they don't strip all
your bait.. 

Good luck and Get Your Crab-On!

[Ronster]

as long as your catch'em and have fun - 
2 door traps, 4 door traps, ring traps -  they all catch
crabs...

You threw that in to make Thom feel better, didn't you?   

[Terrapin T]

No need.  I feel great. Especially everytime there's a crab in one of those rings I have. 

[Ronster]

Time to retire the rings.   New boat means you need new traps.

[jinocrab88]

I've had my experience with two door traps for a year and a half and I've even caught my first crab in one but never really had much luck after that and. they got rusty faster than any other crab gear I have ever had I eventually ended up throwing a way lot of money on those things so personally I won't used them ever again but four doors make me curious also I do see the better advantage to using  them. Two are nice for for first time crabbers there less inexpensive and and can give you an idea from where to build. Other than that just not my thing anymore. To anyone how has a two door traps I hope you do as well as I did with all 4 of mine but eventually on day they will rust and end thrown away for good .four door traps last longer and sometimes can be prevented from rust build up if taken care of right from what I have studied

Take crabbin one step at a time

[jinocrab88]

Rings do work that much I can say 

[jinocrab88]

Time to retire the rings.   New boat means you need new traps.

. 

I agree

[boysenberrygirl]

Thnx for advice friends. We usually leave the trap out between 5 and 20 minutes depending on our patience.
Honestly, I can't be certain if the doors are opening each time since the water is mucky and I don't feel like swimming just yet. Maybe people have better luck with traps in deeper water--found with canoeing--than with just throwing it off the shore...

I'll have to investigate these rings.

[adam22]

I use the regular box traps, and they're kind of a pain. You need them to land upright in the water, and they need to collapse correctly and close up properly or you will either prevent the crabs from getting in or lose them on the way up. However, I leave them out for about 15 minutes (I go longer if the bite isn't good) and have brought up several keepers. I use handlines as well though and do better on them, but the lines out number the traps I use.

[sultini]

Most of the time I check the trap door opening properly by dropping them on the deck before dropping them in the water every other time I pull them.

[Dreampixels]

Thnx for advice friends. We usually leave the trap out between 5 and 20 minutes depending on our patience.
Honestly, I can't be certain if the doors are opening each time since the water is mucky and I don't feel like swimming just yet. Maybe people have better luck with traps in deeper water--found with canoeing--than with just throwing it off the shore...

I'll have to investigate these rings.

Can you feel the doors close in the question - when you pull the trap - you take up the slack line - at some point you should feel a little resistance or an angle change on the line to the water showing a more straight up dangle in the water - then set the hook (a quick snap or pull) you should feel the slight resistance suddenly become greater - the slight resistance was the weight of the doors  - the greater resistance is when you actually have the weight of the trap.

A trap with a crab in it (depending on the crabs position in the trap) will have more pulling resistance the just a baited trap. If the crab is narrow end to the water flow while pulling - you may not even feel it in there - but if flat with the brad side towards the motion you should feel it unless very it is very small.

Of course if you are side pulling anything can happen - traps are most effective in a straight down drop and not a toss with a side pull.

[crabbywaters]

Handlines are the sh%&. I hardly ever take traps to the pier anymore. I've always done better with handlines and there more fun.

[boysenberrygirl]

So me n the bf started walking the traps to waist deep water from the shoreline trapped enough crabinstead of just throwing them out to insure the doors open. Caught two like that while we caught over 25 with the chicken lines. We also started placing the trap far away from the lines to reduce the chance of crab getting spooked by us shuffling around in the mud. Dreampixels, we haven't trapped enough crab (yet) to get a feel for the resistance.  In any event, we get plenty with chicken line, the trap just helps to mix things up!

[jinocrab88]

  you guys ate killing them up there going next week trying a different spots

[LongIsland23]

I have three of those green 2 door traps.  They work great for me in certain spots, but nothing beats hand lines and a net.  I usually bring my 3 traps and set about a dozen hand lines where ever I go crabbing.  When I have all 12 lines out theres almost always one or two on constantly.  I catch a few with the traps, but the majority with the hand lines.  

[Crabby Captn John]

I'm too impatient for handlines except when my grandsons are with me. I generally drop pots in and check them every 48 hours. I like 3 - 5 tide changes. I only run 5 pots and once in the water they stay except for 3 months of winter. Besides-- I like flounder just as much so I fish while pots soak. It is not unusual to find 15 - 20 crabs per pot culled to 10 or 15 each.

[boysenberrygirl]

So we weighted the bottom of the trap n threw it from shore away from our hand lines. Seems to do the trick. Had seven total with three at once! Starting to get the feel for that resistance now.