How to Make a Stone Crab Trap
Whether they're eaten as crab cakes, in gumbo, or picked apart with mallets, crabs are a nutritious and enjoyable meal. Many people enjoy catching dinner, and crabbing is an inexpensive and fun way to do that. Although supplies can be rented at piers and docks, you can make your own crab trap with a few supplies and a little time.
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Things You'll Need
- Roll of wire fencing with 1 inch by 1 inch grid
- Snap rings
- Wire cutter
- Rope
- Float
Instructions
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From the mesh wire, cut two sides, a top, a front, a back and a bottom. Take the piece you cut for the front and cut a section out of it to make a doorway that's large enough for a crab to fit through easily.
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Fit the parts you cut together with the snap rings. Attach the door opening to the front of the trap. Cut a piece of rope long enough to rest on the bottom of the sea and secure it to the top of the trap. Make sure the rope is heavy enough to hold the trap because it will be weighted down by water and, you hope, crabs. The top of the rope should poke through the top of the water.
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Attach a float to the end of the rope. If a float is not available, a floating flag will work. Bait the trap and place it on the floor of the ocean. The float will enable you to return to the trap should you leave the trap for a while. After crabbing, remember to wash the trap because saltwater can corrode the wires.
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Tips & Warnings
Check your state regulations before building a trap because each state differs slightly on construction requirements. There might be a limit on how many crabs you can catch, whether you must mark your trap with your name, whether you require a license and whether egg-bearing females must be returned to the water.
