Atlantic Rock Crabs (peekytoe)

[LongIsland23]

Has anyone been catching these in the Northeast yet?  I'm usually catching tons of them by now.  So far just a few small ones and I've seen some shells around.  I guess the cold winter might be keeping them in deep water for another week or 2.  

[Crab Shack]

No, they were chased away last year by the Pinchytoe monster!  

[marknut]

Those are the reddish rock crabs correct?

[Crab Shack]

Those are the reddish rock crabs correct?

[marknut]

Caught dozens last hear in my pots, on a 24 hour soak.  Can you eat them I heard you can i just let em go

[LongIsland23]

I eat them.  They taste and look exactly like dungeness crabs.  They hold me over until blue claw season.  The legs on the big ones actually have a decent amount of meat.  In april I can catch 50+ of them in an hour just using a few hand lines.

[jason22]

Caught dozens last hear in my pots, on a 24 hour soak.  Can you eat them I heard you can i just let em go

Wow.  Really.  In the Barn what area?   I don't think I have ever seen any in the bay.  Maybe they are in the back bats and creeks by us.   Obtw nice to see you back posting Mark 

[marknut]

Wow.  Really.  In the Barn what area?   I don't think I have ever seen any in the bay.  Maybe they are in the back bats and creeks by us.   Obtw nice to see you back posting Mark 

Yeah man in the back back bay, is where I got em.  You know I couldnt let you have all the fun Jay. lol

[ralphrepo]

Hi, can you be a bit more specific as to where you can get these Rock Crabs? Thanks!

[marknut]

Behind double creek channel

[ralphrepo]

Behind double creek channel

Thank you! Didn't even know where it was and had to look it up on the net; found it around the lower end of New Jersey? <sigh> Unfortunately, that's one heck of a drive for me. Wish these tasty critters would swim a bit further north.

[marknut]

Thank you! Didn't even know where it was and had to look it up on the net; found it around the lower end of New Jersey? <sigh> Unfortunately, that's one heck of a drive for me. Wish these tasty critters would swim a bit further north.

  Yeah I always threw them back because I didnt know anyone ate them.  But I would catch dozens at a time

[#1 JIMMY]

My buddy and I would catch Jonah crabs off of the Long Branch fishing pier in the 80's before it burned down. We would drop the traps off of the pier into the ocean and pull them up minutes later with a bunch of them. The Jonah crab is caught by the local lobster fisherman and sold as claws only. Not much meat in the body. They also are called rock crabs. Their  claw shell is really hard hence rock crab. The meat is delicious.

[LongIsland23]

Hi, can you be a bit more specific as to where you can get these Rock Crabs? Thanks!

Captree is loaded with them.  You can catch them in the bay too.  Leave an overnight trap out in the bay and you'll catch some. 

[ralphrepo]

Captree is loaded with them.  You can catch them in the bay too.  Leave an overnight trap out in the bay and you'll catch some. 

Really? That would be great since Captree is one of my favorite spots. Though I would love to get access to a boat, but unfortunately all my crabbing is pier and dock only. I had been to captree several times, but didn't see any there though; is there a seasonal window for them? Also, am I correct in that, though strikingly similar, there is nonetheless a distinction between the Atlantic Rock Crab aka 'Peekytoe' (Cancer Irroratus) and the slightly larger Jonah Crab (Cancer Borealis)?

Thank you.

[LongIsland23]

I caught a few dozen yesterday right off the pier (I was lucky with the tide not moving very fast).  I just brought 2 traps with me for something to do while going for bluefish.  My best spot is actually at captree island.  I'm not sure if you're familiar with it, but the exit before captree park where you can park and fish under the bridge?  If you walk past the parking spots there's a sandy trail that leads down to the shore.  That spot is AMAZING for blue claws and rock crabs.  If you go right before dark and stay until after dark you can rake them in.  I usually just throw out bunker pieces on some lines about 6 feet from shore.  Let them sit and every few mins shine a light on each piece...you'd be amazed. 1 or 2 monsters on every piece pretty much.  I fill up a bucket or 2 then leave all them time.  Right now it's really starting to get good.  It's going to stay that way for another few weeks then they start to disappear when the water warms up. 

[LongIsland23]

Really? That would be great since Captree is one of my favorite spots. Though I would love to get access to a boat, but unfortunately all my crabbing is pier and dock only. I had been to captree several times, but didn't see any there though; is there a seasonal window for them? Also, am I correct in that, though strikingly similar, there is nonetheless a distinction between the Atlantic Rock Crab aka 'Peekytoe' (Cancer Irroratus) and the slightly larger Jonah Crab (Cancer Borealis)?

Thank you.

They stay on the bottom.  You won't see them on the bulkhead or swimming or anything like that.  But trust me they are there.  I think the difference is mainly just the size and slight difference on the shell.   They are really good eating though.  I'm surprised more people don't go for them. 

[ralphrepo]

I caught a few dozen yesterday right off the pier (I was lucky with the tide not moving very fast).  I just brought 2 traps with me for something to do while going for bluefish.  My best spot is actually at captree island.  I'm not sure if you're familiar with it, but the exit before captree park where you can park and fish under the bridge?  If you walk past the parking spots there's a sandy trail that leads down to the shore.  That spot is AMAZING for blue claws and rock crabs.  If you go right before dark and stay until after dark you can rake them in.  I usually just throw out bunker pieces on some lines about 6 feet from shore.  Let them sit and every few mins shine a light on each piece...you'd be amazed. 1 or 2 monsters on every piece pretty much.  I fill up a bucket or 2 then leave all them time.  Right now it's really starting to get good.  It's going to stay that way for another few weeks then they start to disappear when the water warms up.  

They stay on the bottom.  You won't see them on the bulkhead or swimming or anything like that.  But trust me they are there.  I think the difference is mainly just the size and slight difference on the shell.   They are really good eating though.  I'm surprised more people don't go for them.  

Wow! You got A FEW DOZEN ?? of these from off Captree's pier? If you don't mind, which one was it; the north side (Marina) where the boats dock, or south side (Overlook) that faces the bridge? And this was yesterday (18 APR)? If that's the case, then I'll be headed out to Captree this week! Also, looking at Google Maps, just north of Captree Park, on Captree island, I think I may have found the spot you're talking about; there's a small angled park lot with about five or six spots, which appears accessible only from the southbound lane of the Robert Moses Causeway; there is a small narrow sliver of beach, if you can even call it that, really just a sandy strip at the water's edge beneath some bushes. Is this the spot you're talking about?

Indeed, I'm also surprised that more people don't try to get them as they're known as a poor man's Dungeness. In fact, some unscrupulous Asian restaurants have been suspected of attempting to pass these off as the much higher price Dungeness to unwitting customers. It's hard to argue unless you're intimately familiar with crustacean taxonomy.

Thank you again for the heads up, I'm definitely going to try Captree this week then.

[LongIsland23]

Wow! You got A FEW DOZEN ?? of these from off Captree's pier? If you don't mind, which one was it; the north side (Marina) where the boats dock, or south side (Overlook) that faces the bridge? And this was yesterday (18 APR)? If that's the case, then I'll be headed out to Captree this week! Also, looking at Google Maps, just north of Captree Park, on Captree island, I think I may have found the spot you're talking about; there's a small angled park lot with about five or six spots, which appears accessible only from the southbound lane of the Robert Moses Causeway; there is a small narrow sliver of beach, if you can even call it that, really just a sandy strip at the water's edge beneath some bushes. Is this the spot you're talking about?

Indeed, I'm also surprised that more people don't try to get them as they're known as a poor man's Dungeness. In fact, some unscrupulous Asian restaurants have been suspected of attempting to pass these off as the much higher price Dungeness to unwitting customers. It's hard to argue unless you're intimately familiar with crustacean taxonomy.

Thank you again for the heads up, I'm definitely going to try Captree this week then.

That is the spot I'm talking about.  Hand lines 6-8 feet from shore around dark and after dark or traps farther out.  I was on the overlook pier.  I put the traps on the side closest to the shore (basically under the dock).  Yes I caught them on the 18th and will probably be back there at some point this week after work.  Definitely try captree you won't be disappointed. 

[ralphrepo]

That is the spot I'm talking about.  Hand lines 6-8 feet from shore around dark and after dark or traps farther out.  I was on the overlook pier.  I put the traps on the side closest to the shore (basically under the dock).  Yes I caught them on the 18th and will probably be back there at some point this week after work.  Definitely try captree you won't be disappointed. 

Thank you! That sounds great, I'll definitely do that

Cheers!