8-26-18 Canaveral National Seashore (NSB)

[booman17]

Got the Kayak out and headed to NSB.  Arrived at approx 7:30 am and launched after baiting my 5 ring nets and 1 trap baited with a mix of chicken necks and backs at 8:00.  I launched my trap shortly after I launched so it could begin to soak.  I paddled to my first spot dropping all 5 nets in approx 4-5 ft of water.  While I was waiting to pull my nets, I was joined by 3 dolphins that surrounded the kayak (that never gets old IMO).  My first pull I came up empty.  I decided to drop the nets in that location two more times resulting in 0 crabs.  I moved multiple times not catching anything.  I had been out there two hours and decided to drop the nets one final time on the paddle back to shore.  On this drop I pulled 2 large female crabs (5.5-6.5).  I thought this may be a start to a hot stretch.  I was wrong...I did 3 more runs not producing any additional crabs.  I pulled my trap on the way in that had been soaking roughly 3 hours with only a puffer fish inside.  Needless to say it was a very slow day!  Think I am going to hit a pier next weekend and try again!

NOTE: I threw the 2 females back

[tattoo]

better luck next week

[BlueTip4Me]

Thanks for the report, hopefully it will get better!

[SHELLFISH]

Thanks for the report but sorry to hear of your results! That is the way it's been since all the rain we have had.
Up by the north causeway dock the catch has been 1 crab every two hours! The water is too fresh for the crabs.
Next time try closer to Ponce inlet where the water is more salt like Smyrna Dunes Park or the inlet itself. Maybe you'll have better results. Even the commercials are having trouble keeping the bait shops with crabs!

I took a look at the USGS flow rate station for Spruce Creek. In early May the rate was 3.8 cubic feet of water per second (fps).
After the first bout of rains we had the flow rate jumped to 680 fps! It stayed that way through June and July. It stated to drop in mid August and it's now about 60 fps. That is still a lot more flow than the 3.8 fps from this spring!
I'll ave to check back with that site and try to find out how the flow rate was in years past?

This is the worst crabbing year I have seen here! Usually at this time of year you could fill a cooler in less than an hour!