S FL Crabbing?

[spinfreak]

Hey guys....first time on the forum in a long, long time, and only posted a few times since the format was switched, so it makes it look like I'm a newbie...lol.

Anyway, I moved down here to Ft Lauderdale from Nj back in October. I know that there is supposed to be alot of crabs in the area, but I can't find any good spots.

I've tried a few canals and rivers in my area, but have only managed a few small crabs....no keepers. It's hard to get any info down here, because not many people go for blue crabs down here. (Not that I blame them....this is a fishing paradise down here .)

Does anybody know of any area in or near Ft Laud that are good crabbing spots? Maybe even down as far as Biscayne Bay. Maybe the grass flats down there are similar to the grass back in NJ....a crab heaven?

Thanks for any info you might be able to give me.

[spinfreak]

No Florida crabbers on here? (or at least Former FL crabers?)

[NJ Grasshopper]

Hang in there SPINFREAK ......... someone will come along with yer info sometime!!

[frxmoney]

You might have to go a little farther north like Grant, Florida I here they get up there. I'm in Palm Beach

[painterjohn]

No Florida crabbers on here? (or at least Former FL crabers?)

I have been crabbing in so.fl. since 1965 .
crabs then were so plentiful you could fill a bushel in just a few hours ( in a good spot ).
NOT NOW ! crabs are hard to come by .
Over crabbing,undersize.taking too many females,
Now enjoying off shore fishing, Lobstering, but am looking to go back into crabbing around Dania & ft laud area. Have boat & 10 rec. traps. always looking for a crabbing buddy ........john

[spinfreak]

Hi John.....it's good to see at least one other person that is interested in crabs around here.
I'm right in Ft Laud around Sunrise and Federal. I went a couple of weeks ago to Birch State Park at the end of Sunrise just at the end of incoming tide. Within the first 5 minutes I caught 2 BIG females.....both about 6 1/2". One had eggs, so I threw it back.
I figured I had found the "spot" and was going to at least get a few dozen for dinner. Boy was I wrong.....that was all I got.
I figure I have to hit the beginning of incoming tide, and I should do better.
I've heard that the Dania Cut-off Canal has quite a few crabs, but I haven't made it down there yet.
I have some regular traps where the doors pull closed, and my buddy just gave me one of the "commercial style" traps (which hopefully I will set out soon.) If I can find a place to buy the wire netting rolls, I want to build a few of my own commercial traps.
I have a small sluminum deep-v boat with a 30 hp for now. Maybe sometime we can get together and do some crabbing or fishing.

(BTW.....do you ever go on the Florida Sportsman Forum? [ http://outdoorsbest.zeroforum.com/zeroforum?id=8 ]If you do, I'm on there as spinfreak also. If not, then you should definately check it out.....a bunch of great guys on there. Me and a few buddies actually run a small "Googan Trail tournament" every month or so. This weekend we're heading up to the IRL. Check it out if you get a chance.....it's always a blast. )

[crab-lady]

Hey Guys
im going to Florida in a couple of weeks and would like to know can anyone tell me wheres a good place to crab. Ill be in the Orlando area, but is willing to drive.

And i assumed the bait is the same chicken and bunkers.

P.S. im using handlines and traps and dont have a boat.

thanks for any info

[shakitykat]

No Florida crabbers on here? (or at least Former FL crabers?)

I'm looking for crabbing spots near Bradenton, Florida.  Can anyone help out?   Thanks

[mothersister]

No Florida crabbers on here? (or at least Former FL crabers?)

[CRABBINDAVE]

If nobody on here knows,,Always ask the man at the local tackle shop.Good luck

[genecrabman]

5 years later, a thread is brought back to life?  THAT HAS TO BE A RECORD

[spinfreak]

Wow

I received an e-mail that a response was made on this thread. It's been so long since this was posted, I forgot all about it. LOL

There's not as many crabs this far South as there were in NJ, but I've found some crabs (and they're not in my pants)

[Ataraxia]

Reviving ...

Spinfreak - did you ever find some good spots? I'm thinking FLL may not be the best spot - too much traffic, traps stolen, etc. So I am thinking about Biscayne Bay around the Rickenbacker Causeway.

[Crab Shack]

After living here in Florida for over 6 years, I've determiined that the best place to crab in Florida is Maryland!  

[SHELLFISH]

There used to be a lot of crabs in Florida but that is not the case today!
There certainly aren't many in my area of Daytona and south.
Look at the no posts in the area! I got more crabs in CT and that was a short season!
Hopefully some day they will come back! I hope, I hope!
I stopped at a couple bait shops yesterday; not one had any crabs!  Bummer!

[outlaw]

We've spent winters in South Florida, Hallandale Beach, for many many years, and I have never ever been able to find a place or even heard of a place anywhere around there to go crabbing for blue crabs. It seems there are no such thing as blue crabs south of Jupiter.  The crabbing in South Jersey is not the best, but it's SOMETHING.  We usually come home with about a bushel.  They may not be huge, but they're crabs.  I'd LOVE to go crabbing in Florida but I see nobody crabbing down there.  If I'm wrong, PLEASE TELL ME!!!!

[spinfreak]

Wow. After 19 years, this thread still pops back up to the top every once in a while. 

In my 20 years down here in the Fort Lauderdale area, I have yet to find a local spot worth putting in any time at. As mentioned in one of my previous posts above, I've found a few, but nowhere near worth wasting time for. A while back I doubt that there's a commercial crabbers running traps in the Middle River (it encircles Wilton Manors), and while he doesn't make a killing, it is worth his time. I've set traps in a few spots in there, and have only found a few.

I've heard that the West Lake area off of Sheriden St in Dania/Hollywood has some crabs, but have never tried there. It a massive area of mangroves and stuff, So it looks promising, but I've never tried there yet.

Like I said, there's a few around, but no one single spot that I've found yet that is worthwhile. Most I've ever gotten in a half day has been maybe 5-6 or so