Pregnant "she crab"

[pdecarolis]

Can anyone describe what a pregnant female looks like.  I thought it was a a mass of orange colored eggs attached to the females apron.  Yesterday, a fellow crabber convinced me to throw back several keepers in the 5 1/2 inch range because the apron was dark brown, but no visible eggs showing.  Any help would be appreciated.

[Maximus]

You should through back all female crabs.       
K

[R D]

Here we go again,  If there are no eggs showing then she may or may not be pregnant, If you have plenty of crabs then throw them back, if you need a few more to have a mess to eat then by all means keep them, just don't waste what you keep

[dleeza]

the advice you are getting seems to be annoying people around here if you need some advice bmail me and i will give it to you with love not attitude

[dfran]

I think the law says egg bearing females. If they have an egg cluster tossum back. If not keepum if you want them. If I catch some female mumbos I'm eating them. I can buy them for $15-$20 a bushel from comms. I doubt the 20 or 30 I catch will make a difference. Someone on here wrote a couple weeks ago about Comms catching 100 bushel of females this time of year.

[procrabber]

Actually i think summertop just had a good summary of everyones opinions on the matter, a collection of all the threads on the matter... that thread could be published as a book (war and peace maybe?)  good reading for anyone new to the board 

[Joe Crabs]

Yeah, but i think Bill Murray got more accomplished in the movie Groundhog Day.

[rivercrab]

Keep muture apron sooks..Throw the immature and sponges back..Simple enough.. I think peelers should go back..But I get abuck a piece for them at the bait store so Im a hipocrite.. I dont know a commercial guy that doesnt keep em..But we are destroying the crab population not the recs taking 5-10 bushel a day and not reporting. Dam commercial guys

[tattoo]

IF you want to be safe, throw thwm back. 

[genecrabman]

Lets all work hand in hand and catch em and kill em all...Then we can take our toys and go home..Why has there got to be a US against THEM thing going on..If there isn't a orange sponge under the apron keep em. Have fun and enjoy yourself,thats the best part of crabbing.

[R D]

Keep muture apron sooks..Throw the immature and sponges back..Simple enough.. I think peelers should go back..But I get abuck a piece for them at the bait store so Im a hipocrite.. I dont know a commercial guy that doesnt keep em..But we are destroying the crab population not the recs taking 5-10 bushel a day and not reporting. Dam commercial guys

Now thats the logic i have never been able to follow, i shed my peelers and right now am getting $2.50 to $3.00s apiece for the softcrabs but all the people who own picking houses think i should not be able to peeler fish, throw them all back so somebody can catch them after they harden up for .25 to.30 cents apiece, hmmmmmmmmmmmm

[surfpico]

This is a very heated discussion. I kinda like it.

As for me, and in my own opinion only... I throw back all females. That's all. You can do what you want (but abide by the laws) and I will do what I want.

Hugs!

[ILLSWIMHOME]

This is a very heated discussion. I kinda like it.

As for me, and in my own opinion only... I throw back all females. That's all. You can do what you want (but abide by the laws) and I will do what I want.

Hugs!

good call

[tattoo]

This is a very heated discussion. I kinda like it.

As for me, and in my own opinion only... I throw back all females. That's all. You can do what you want (but abide by the laws) and I will do what I want.

Hugs!

[Pinchy]

I live near Chinatown in Philly. All the fish stores down there sell crabs year-round, and 90% are females. I was told the locals think the meat is sweeter, and that they like to eat the undeveloped eggs inside. There's nothing wrong with keeping a few nice-sized, heavy sooks without an egg mass if you need to make your dozen (but I throw all mine back anyway).

What I dislike, and have seen: People killing shorts out of "frustration"; people crushing shorts and using them in minnow traps; people keeping shorts and telling you to "mind your own business." I don't think it's snitching at that point to call a game enforcement officer to report these jerks.

[gkrangers]

If you see someone violate the regulations for any kind of game in New Jersey, or anywhere for that matter, call Fish & Game or whoever...

[tattoo]

  YEA. 

[ILLSWIMHOME]

DEP Environmental Hotline 877-WARNDEP (927-6337) - 24-hour toll-free number for reporting environmental complaints and abuses including spills, discharges and emergencies.

[surfpico]

What I dislike, and have seen: People killing shorts out of "frustration"; people crushing shorts and using them in minnow traps; people keeping shorts and telling you to "mind your own business." I don't think it's snitching at that point to call a game enforcement officer to report these jerks.

Oh my god... I know exactly what you're saying. Nothing makes me more upset. Seriously, ask anyone who has ever crabbed with me what the only thing they'll find me complaining about is...

Errr...now I'm annoyed again. Grrrr.

I propose an idea... lets kill the short killers!   

[jrccrab]

Oh my god... I know exactly what you're saying. Nothing makes me more upset. Seriously, ask anyone who has ever crabbed with me what the only thing they'll find me complaining about is...

Errr...now I'm annoyed again. Grrrr.

I propose an idea... lets kill the short killers!   

You are a pistol! I like your attidude.