04/01/2023 Tomoka Basin

[witch1031]

Total of 6 crabs, 2 little females, 1 big one that got away (it was as big as my trap!).  Kept 3 jimmies, 2 fat boys that are 8" across, 1 equally fat boy 7" across.  Angry aggressive guys.  I could barely get them into the sink.  Chicken legs and 2 ring traps.  The current got so strong it bent one trap so bad it looked like a C so we left.  Enough crab meat for 2 delicious crab cakes.  🙂

[Plankton]

Nice report!! Looks like good eatin!!!

[SHELLFISH]

Thanks for the report and pictures! Glad to see you got some!
I stopped at Doris Leeper Park in NSB yesterday.
Three crabbers. All had been there three hours.
One had nothing, the other two only had one female sponge crab each; released.

[witch1031]

I don't plan to go to the NSB area again.   All I catch there are 4" females.   I remember going one summer to Buena Vista park and having 3-5 crabs at a time in one trap.   But they were little, the ones I caught on Saturday barely fit into the traps.

There is a bridge near Tomoka Park and I saw a guy crabbing off it but the drop to the water is a very long way.  And people go speeding through there.  We went a  bit farther north where there is a smaller bridge and a nice wide shoulder where you can park.  Still not my favorite way to crab, there is a lot of traffic.  But we had a really good time and came home with enough for dinner.  Might go back in 2 weeks and try again.

[SHELLFISH]

Your uncle gave me his spots 20 years ago for Tomoka, Sanchez and farther north but I have yet to get there even once!
He also gave me his sites for down through Merritt Island and Canaveral but I haven't done well down there.
We were supposed to get together for crabbing when I retired unfortunately he passed the year I retired.

I catch a lot of crabs in the NSB area but I agree they are mostly females and small.
One year I caught 120 crabs and only two were over six inches!
I much prefer bigger crabs but to get them I have to travel too far and gas is too expensive for that!
While I was in Connecticut I wouldn't even keep a crab under 6.5 inches! I miss those big crabs with big claws!
Here is a CT 8 inch crab!   Terry, I sent you a personal message.