BAIT PRICES ALMOST DOUBLE FOR FLORIDA COMMERCIAL CRABBERS!?

[saltyfarms]

  WTH is going on? my shad and pogys went from $20 bucks a flat to $30 a flat.......im in northeast Florida.......how is everyone else in comparison? I'm going to have to win the lottery to keep crabbing down here at $2.00 lb.

[horsefly]

It's everywhere pretty much. Our bait ranges from $18-22 per flat of fatback (menhaden) and $22-28 for box of shrimp heads. Last I heard was boats up north were still getting pretty low price for them, so I suppose the packer n freezer is getting rich? 

[flounderpounder]

Cant you catch your own? Can you get fish carcasses from local fish houses? Just a thought

[saltyfarms]

I tried the fish from local markets....I run 600 traps and hand pull 100 a day 6 days a week it's too time consuming! when I'm not crabbing, I want to be not crabbing that's also why I don't try to build my own traps too!

[horsefly]

I tried the fish from local markets....I run 600 traps and hand pull 100 a day 6 days a week it's too time consuming! when I'm not crabbing, I want to be not crabbing that's also why I don't try to build my own traps too!

If so disappointed with being a crabber....quit. You should've known what expense and time was involved BEFORE you started, you think? Curious, if you have 600 pots in the water, why fish on 100 per day? For us, I pull thru about about 100 pots in a hour and 15 minutes. On a note, you have to factor in, the price of you bait also reflects transport fee's tacked on since more than likely it comes from Va or etc.

[flounderpounder]

My buddys dad does 120 a day by hand and takes about 3-4 hours.. And hes 73.

[Dann86]

Wait till everybody starts catching (when..who knows) and the price go's down but demand for bait go's up.

[MMseafood]

Salty farms i would like to talk biz , i need 100lbs of blues twice a week call me asap.954-773-1184

[SHELLFISH]

With the water so warm bait doesn't last any time at all in the traps. Catch is also down so times aren't good right now!