New guy to crabbing looking to learn the ropes

[gander_lander34]

Hey guys, my name is Justin.  I'm new to the crabbing game meaning I've never done it before.  I'm just a guy wanting to get my 5 crab traps and do a little recreational crabbing to put some crabs in the freezer.  I'm a transplant down here from WI due to military service.  I do a ton of hunting out on the sound and the neuse/pamlico rivers.  If anyone has any advice, tips, or anything like that, I'm all ears.  If you don't feel comfortable putting the info out on here, feel free to shoot me a PM.  Also, if anyone out there does crabbing for a living and wouldn't mind taking a new guy out just to learn, I'd love to do it to learn everything I can about the sport.  Also, I'd work for free if that was a concern.  Just wanting to learn and add a new hobby to my life.  Thanks guys.

[shorebilly]

I responded to your intro post.

do you have a boat?

[gander_lander34]

Yep, I run a duckwater 23' that I use for duck hunting.  I'm wanting to get my 5 fully enclosed pots that I can leave out and soak for a day or so.  Since it's a 2.5 hr drive one way, I'd like to make a weekend of spending my time down there. While pots are soaking, I can drive around scouting for ducks for the fall/winter.

[tattoo]

WELCOME

[shorebilly]

ahh you are ahead of the game then!
 
You should try some smaller stackable traps or box traps in addition to your pots.

Put some chicken necks in there and test the different depths around the bays and rivers. Like 4'-15', see where they are. Also you can run a trot line. 

If you click in the crab at the bottom of the page, theres a TON of info there.

[CaptMoose]

Welcome.  Please feel free to post specific questions and you'll get plenty of great info from this motley but terrific group of crabbers here.  But also use the search feature as you'll get the benefit of instant info and you'll see the wide variety of responses.

Best advice I like to give is this: if you don't start catching in 20 min or so, don't hesitate to move around to try different spots and different depths.  Sometimes the crabs are in 8 ft of water and not in 5' or 12'.  Just need to find them then it's game on!

[riverpop]

good luck, plenty of info. here.

[Crabcruncher]

Heres a youtube video on how its done on the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland.

This is an instructional video that covers all the bases.

P.S. The graphic artist that drew the commercial crab trap, the one you call fully enclosed, drew it being fished upside down. Don't do this.

Its an hour long, but explains a lot, and is an excellent starting point.
Definitely advise you to order some topless traps online, you can use as many as you want in NC. without a license.  I would forget 5 commercial traps as they are a weekend visitors free crab meal, or worse, they take the entire trap.
At least with the topless collapsible traps you keep your eyes on them when fishing.

Cc