Blue Crab
The Blue Crab, (Callinectes sapidus) also known as the
"blue claw"; is a feisty little marine creature that provides a good deal of fun
and delicious food. The creature's coloration consists of hues of blue, green, and red.
They can be found just about anywhere you can access the water, from a few inches deep to
the deepest parts of the bay.
Blue Crabs can be taken by a number of methods. The use
of bait in wire traps involves a minimal amount of effort for the recreational crabber and
can be effective throughout the crabbing season, which usually begins in June and may last
well into October. Baited drop lines are often used during the summer months to entice
nibbling crabs close enough to a boat or dock so that they can be scooped with a net. A
popular bait used for drop lines is chicken necks, thus a person crabbing around these
parts gets nicknamed a "chicken necker" by other fishermen.
Harvested crabs should be placed in a bucket with ice
and/or very little water and covered with a wet towel, or a piece of wet burlap. Crabs
bite, well actually pinch, and a pair of long-nosed pliers should be carried to aid in
handling the feisty little devils.
Check out "Crabbing - All About Blue Crabs"
or the "Blue Crab Archives",
they are some of the best resources on the web for all the aspects of crabbing.
