Help me get crabs!

[Requine]

 

Now that I have your attention...

I just joined the site this afternoon, and have been having a hoot reading through all the postings and info.  I'm closing on a house in Leesburg on 20 March, and will be spending a couple weeks down there getting little things for the house....like furniture.  The only thing I've bought so far is a complete outdoor kitchen.  And I'd like to break it in with some crab boils.

So...to make a long story short...it sounds like Weeki Wachee would be the right distance and Qcrab has been singing its praises.  I guess my next step is to get some equipment and figure this thing out.  Here are my questions...

1. Can I crab from the shore/pier there?
2. Is there a local shack to buy/rent traps, buy chicken necks, etc? 
3. Can I buy the Sam's Crab traps anywhere in town?

I hate to sound like a confused girl, but considering I built my own garage, ride a Harley and have more firearms than my husband...I'm anything but.  Just trying to cover my bases so I don't how up waiting for the crabs to walk into my traps. 

Thanks, crabbers.  Looking forward to learning a new sport!

Amy

[tattoo]

WELCOME aboard, If you don't have a boat the next pest thing is to crab from a pier, be fore you crab check your local or state regulations, I'm not from your part of the country so I really can't help ypu out all that much, I'm sure you will find the answers you need on this site, GOOD LUCK and HAPPY CRABBING.

[Gregacy]

So long as you use five or fewer traps, you are considered a recreational crabber and are governed by the state's salt water fishing license regulations. Recreational laws regulating the harvesting of blue crabs are very liberal. There is no minimum size limit and no closed season. The only restrictions are a 10 gallon bucket of whole crabs per day limit and a prohibition against keeping egg bearing females. To these rules I would add not keeping a crab unless it had at least a 5 inch shell, measuring from point to point. Smaller ones than that won't have much meat on them. If you want to run six or more traps you will need a salt water products license.