Things You'll Need:
- Saltwater rod and reel
- Shore crabs
- Sharp bait knife or cutting shears
- Hooks and tackle
-
Step 1
Use only live shore crabs for rigging as bait. These will have a stronger scent to spread through the water, especially when killed fresh and used immediately on a hook. Avoid buying shore crabs that are dead or appear sluggish.
-
Step 2
Cut a shore crab in half through the middle from head to tail and peel off the exterior shell to expose the soft meat underneath while leaving the legs on both sides intact.
-
Step 3
Insert the hook point in the soft crab meat where the crustacean was cut in half, threading the bait up the shank of the hook.
-
Step 4
Turn the bait on the hook so the legs are toward the shank and the soft meat is facing toward the barb. This encourages the fish to attack the soft side directly at the hook point, since the legs act as a deterrent to a strike.
-
Step 5
Add a pyramid sinker to the rig for bottom fishing. The point of a pyramid weight holds the bottom better in the rough surf.
-
Step 6
Cast the rig and bait behind the breaking waves where schooling fish congregate in search of a meal.
-
Step 7
Retrieve the bait by cranking the reel handle while twitching the rod tip.
