Crabbing - An Adventure for Everyone
Needing an activity that can provide hours
of enjoyment for everyone in the entire family? Load up the little ones and
head on down to the water for a day of adventure - crabbing.
I can remember when I was
knee high to a grasshopper and grandpa would load us up into the old Ford
Falcon and take us to Crystal Beach for a day at the beach and crabbing. Heck,
just the ride across the Bolivar ferry was an adventure in itself. The Blue Crab is a feisty little creature
that provides a great deal of fun for the kids and delicious food for mom and
dad. They can be found just
about anywhere you can access the water, from a few inches deep to the deepest
parts of the bay.
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. Better yet, an
adventure to last a lifetime for
the little ones; baited drop lines can be used during the summer months to entice nibbling crabs close enough
so that they can scoop them up with a net. The bait, usually a chicken neck or
fish head, is tied to the string and thrown into the water away from the bank.
Once a tug is felt, resist the urge to yank the line. If you don't pull it in too fast, the crab
will hang on to the chicken neck. Slowly retrieve the
string with the crab in tow close enough to dip the crab from the water and
place him into a waiting bucket.
The easiest and most productive way to setup drop lines from
the beach front or any shoreline is by use of 2 broom sticks with a line
stretched between them parallel to the shore. Then tie your baited drop lines
to the main line. This rig allows you to run multiple drop lines and cover a
larger area. When netting crabs, be sure to have the net in the water and
scoop them up from behind and underneath.
The beginner should be cautious when
handling a blue crab since the pinch of the powerful claws can be extremely
painful. A pair of long-nosed
pliers or thick gloves should be carried to aid in handling the feisty little devils.
Always approach from the rear when picking up a crab. Should a crab get a hold
on a finger, it is usually best not to pull it off. First, try letting it
hang; many times the crab will release and drop. If the crab will not release,
use the free hand to immobilize the other claw and slowly bend the offending
claw backward until the crab releases it.
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 should never be put into a container of water as
they will die quickly from lack of oxygen. . Crabs that are dead will spoil
very rapidly, and its best to discard crabs that are dead. Crabs that have
been chilled may appear dead, but will begin showing movement as they warm. If
no movement is detected after warming, discard the crab.
A few parting words. First off, put the little ones in a PFD
(Personal Flotation Device). Second, there are
regulations
for recreational crabbing in the state. "I was just having fun with the kids"
probably won't cut it with the warden.
Be sure and check out "Crabbing
- All About Blue Crabs" and the "Blue
Crab Archives", they are some of the best resources on the web for
all the aspects of crabbing.
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