1st Time Crabber in NC

[Northern Yank]

Hi,
  I am coming to the Outer Banks in Sept. with some friends. We are looking forward to some crabbing. Any advice on location would be much appreciated. We are staying on the southern end of the island.
Thanks in advance. Seems like a great forum.

[mkbay]

Hi,
I'm in the same boat as you. I'm from the Chesapeake Bay area in Maryland and I'm visiting Frisco in November. We're staying on a canal so I was wondering about any positive reports about chicken neck'in or maybe bull lips on strings or maybe even a few traps? Also we're near the shallows on the sound and I was thinking about claming with a rake? Any suggestions would be appreciated. I also hear some small drum and trout are in the canal?
Thanks to all.

[lank]

I'm going to Topsail, NC on Sat. for a week. I have had good luck on the sound side of the island using open top traps. It can be hard finding chicken necks in grocery stores. I,
I've used thighs, but only a few. I fish for fresh bait or buy bait in stores. Some of the seafood places will give you waste fish parts from cleaning fish ( works great ).

You don't need a license to crab with hand lines or colapsable traps. They call this " chicken necking."

Good Luck,

lank