How to Catch Crabs
Crabs are a delicious crustacean that live in the ocean. They can be eaten boiled, fried, stuffed in a casserole, in butter or even in sushi! However they can be a bit pricey at the market. But if you live near the ocean, you can catch a few crabs without much effort at all. Here's how!
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Instructions
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Buy a crab trap. Sure you can make your own with an onion bag, rope and a bait, but it won't be as effective and with online sites or even your local sporting goods store, you can buy a crab trap for literally $15. And not only will they last longer than an onion bag, they will also catch more crabs as they have more space.
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Purchase bait. Go to your local bait shop and purchase fresh mackerel. Mackerel is very cheap, you'll be able to get several for just a few dollars. A little goes a long way. Two mackerel per trap is plenty.
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Go to the dock or out on the water. Crabs come in all shapes and sizes. There are deep water crabs that will live in water 50 feet deep and shallow water crabs that will run around in only a few feet of water. Both can be sizable, so truthfully if you are limited to a dock to fish, you may be just as successful as trolling in a boat.
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Snag your mackerel or other bait in the trap. Cut your bait into pieces. The more blood and guts the better as it will attract the crabs. Snag it on the metal cage so it is secure. If you're using an onion bag make sure the pieces are large enough they will not fall out.
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Drop the line. Drop the grab trap line and tie it off on a dock post. If you are fishing from a boat or kayak, tie a flotation buoy to the end of the rope. This will keep the trap floating.
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Wait for a while. Crab traps are best dropped as the tide is coming in. Crabs, like many other ocean crustaceans will move inward with the tide and back outward as it moves out. So check your tide chart and try and catch the crabs as they are coming in looking for food. If you are in a boat, troll around from a while to move your shadow from over the trap.
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Return to the trap and pull it up. Yank the trap quickly so that you will "catch" the crabs. Most traps close over as you are retrieving the line. This is so the crabs can't float out as you pull them up through the water. The metal trap should also snag their claws.
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Sort crabs. Only keep crabs that are large enough to eat. If they are not, toss them back into the water to help protect the ecosystem. Be a responsible fisherman. Creatures first, pleasure second.
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Tips & Warnings
Always wear a life jacket when out on the water. Tides can be much stronger than you think!
