2018 crabbing

[king crab 48]

Looks like another interesting winter     Anyone got a hunch what is in store for 2018      Pretty cold up north here. Looks like at least 10 days of C-O-L-D   un seasonable  weather. Daytime highs 20 or less.  Went by the crabbin  places yesterday and saw a lot of ice starting to form. There was a couple guys catching schoolies though, (NOT for me)      It's allways interesting to hear everyones opinion.  It kind of warms you talking about it, There will be ANOTHER crab season 

[riverpop]

Hey Sean, the last 2 years in Central Jersey experienced warm winters which resulted in the Bluecrab going into the mud between 4- 6.5 inches and emerging in late April. One molt and we had plenty of 7+ Inch crabs in Early June... problem was these monsters would not survive the next molt... so 2016 and 2017 had out largest crabs in June/ July..    This Winter looks to be much colder, and will result in more crab loss... and possibly a later start to the season...  Here, we will have a pick of monsters in june/july but a 5.5 could molt a couple times and give us our normal late october november monsters. Depends on how fast Spring gets here.... The normal cycle was absolutely disturbed the past 2 years..  Merry Xmas and Happy New Year Sean.

[Neither Crab]

I hate to make crabbing predictions but we left off without many crabs left in upper Chesapeake bay tidal rivers after an off and on season to begin with. The likelihood of an early good start looks dismal to me. Maybe we'll have a good late summer/fall season ? Crabbing with pots in the main Bay should be better.

[king crab 48]

Hey Sean, the last 2 years in Central Jersey experienced warm winters which resulted in the Bluecrab going into the mud between 4- 6.5 inches and emerging in late April. One molt and we had plenty of 7+ Inch crabs in Early June... problem was these monsters would not survive the next molt... so 2016 and 2017 had out largest crabs in June/ July..    This Winter looks to be much colder, and will result in more crab loss... and possibly a later start to the season...  Here, we will have a pick of monsters in june/july but a 5.5 could molt a couple times and give us our normal late october november monsters. Depends on how fast Spring gets here.... The normal cycle was absolutely disturbed the past 2 years..  Merry Xmas and Happy New Year Sean.

    I totally agree with that prediction Happy new year Gary

[indoe]

I will wait until the the dredge report comes out. What ever the dredge report says I believe the opposite.

[evinrude 130]

I will wait until the the dredge report comes out. What ever the dredge report says I believe the opposite.
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Wasn't the 2016 dredge report spot on?  Or very close, from what I experienced and read from other posters reports. Nah, couldn't be, scientists are hardly right.

[Wallco99]

I agree. I am currently sitting in a snow storm that was supposed to be less than an inch. Not to mention, this "less than an inch" snow shower is now being labeled, "Winter Storm Frankie". Big enough to get a name, and they couldn't even get that one right. Weathermen and scientists are about as accurate as pollsters and CNN.

[indoe]

Weather men and the dredge report are not always wrong. But I can be right predicting the weather and predicting the crabbing and be right once in a while as well. Must be hard to be paid to be right 20% of the time.

[tattoo]

There weather people never get fired , even when they are wrong