Crabbing New Smyrna Florida 2-13-2018

[SHELLFISH]

Sorry guys; here's another report from down here.
Hooked up with my visiting CT buddy for round two of crabbing. We went back to the same area we were at last week and spent two hours. I was again using the 5 throwable Bass Pro ring traps and he was again using three fishing rods with Mullet and luring the crabs in where he would then net them. He is not a crabber but would rather be fishing or duck hunting. I am a crabaholic! I can't use the topless traps here due to too much brush in the area and I have even had trouble with the ring traps getting hung up and breaking one or more of the three support strings holding the ring. We got 20 crabs total for two hours while there. No real big ones this time but they were mostly around six and a half to seven inches and that's fine!
I don't regret leaving CT because of days like this!

[evinrude 130]

Okay, this made me laugh and shake my head, "No real big ones this time but they were mostly around seven inches and that's fine!".
 Most would be delighted with 6"-6 1/2 " crabs.  Thanks for reporting, you're the only one posting about catching crabs currently. LOL  Way to go.
 Did the rod and reel catch most of the crabs?

[SHELLFISH]

He got 7 with the rod and reel; I got 13 with the ring traps. He is one of those real competitive guys and wasn't a happy camper yesterday! He was also having a lot of trouble holding the fishing rod and the net at the same time. I had to help him with the net several times.
Last weekend I went down to a spot I was thinking of crabbing  at. There was a fella already crabbing . I spoke with him and saw his catch....only 3-4 inch crabs! I guess he was using them for bait crabs. The Red and Black Drum down here are crazy for crabs so the fishermen are always asking for hem. That is also probably why Florida has no minimum size on crabs like other states. The bait fishermen will not allow it; they need the smaller crabs for fishing! Every bait shop here sells Blue Crabs for bait but are usually out of the real small ones. The guys here will buy five inch crabs, rip off the carapace and break the body in half for two baits. They tear off two legs and the hook goes into one leg opening and out the other.

[king crab 48]

Okay, this made me laugh and shake my head, "No real big ones this time but they were mostly around seven inches and that's fine!".
 Most would be delighted with 6"-6 1/2 " crabs.  Thanks for reporting, you're the only one posting about catching crabs currently. LOL  Way to go.
 Did the rod and reel catch most of the crabs?

   SEVEN inchers aren't BIG ??

[SHELLFISH]

I just finished eating the last of them last night.....and measuring them. Only one was 6.25" the majority were 6.5 with four at 7" and four at just under 7". I'll be back for more in a week or so but will try another spot just to check it out as I have never been there before. There are so many areas to crab down here. I just look at Google Earth to search out new potential areas. The trick is to find an area that has big crabs. Up by my area the crabs are all between 5-5.5" South of me is where the bigger crabs are but the sites fluctuate as to the size of the crabs. I checked an area where a 9.5" crab was caught last fall but all that was there the day I checked were 3" crabs! You have to keep looking and keeping records!

[king crab 48]

Looks like you are getting your new home dialed in     Big crabs + retirement    THAT's what I call LIVIN DA DREAM