Eastern Shore Lower half Oct 31 Last Day

[Jake]

Water temp 61. Depth 14-25. 2-1 female to male ratio. Clams. I was catching well at all depths but once I hit 17', there were crabs on every snood. Around 10am, it completely shut off and never turned back on. Not sure why. This fall, the catch rate has steadily increased the later the day got but this was like they literally disappeared all at once. I am appreciative of this forum and some folks I met here literally help me keep my first season going. So many lessons learned and also humbling thinking you can go out and work hard and still have many sucky days but season one is officially over. Like someone mentioned here, next season I'm going to focus on just a few areas and know those areas well instead of trying all over the place. I'm also going to add 50 pots and trotline during the day to see how that goes. I'm always torn on how much info to put here in reports as I don't want to spot burn for all those that read these posts just to see where to crab and never become active members of the forum but I also have benefited from others giving reports and this forum. It's a fine line to walk. Being my first season, I don't have much advise to give but I can say the wavve app has saved me more than once with being able to research rivers and mark lays and set routes the night before I crab. I've had many good days in high pressure areas crabbing where nobody was crabbing from using that app. That and slushing- night and day sorting with slushing and they pack a heavier bushel and live longer for whatever reason and less claws lost 

[Logical1]

Working an area consistently can pay benefits. You get to know the spots that produce, the underwater features ( ridges, shelf, sand, mud ) and you get to know the patterns crabs or fish follow there as well as bait for that area.

I start down south in my kayak in April, work my way back up to mid bay, then worky way south again in the fall.

Stick with it, even on days that aren't productive take the opportunity to learn better techniques and just enjoy the scenery.

Good Luck next season.

[Fishofff]

Jake. Thanks for sayin' hey at the Farm Show. Good to talk crabbing with someone in January. Maybe we'll catch up on the water sometime. Good luck this season. Scott. Fishofff