Commercial Crabbing

The typical crabbing boat has an enclosed helm and a long, open, work area with low sides (gunwales). Most utilize a motorized "line hauler" to hoist the crab pots from the water.

Crab pots are the tool of choice for commercial watermen. Most crabpots only last one or two seasons.

Watermen need a good bait to lure the blues inside. Eel, herring, and menhaden are excellent baits with menhaden being the most widely used. Most watermen check and re-bait their pots daily.

As the crabs are harvested, they are culled (sorted by size and type) and placed in wooden bushel baskets.