How to Bait Crab Traps

If you don't mind touching raw meat or fish, and have the fine motor skills to stick a piece of wire through the bait, twist it, and attach it to the trap, then you can learn to successfully bait a crab trap. For your bait, you can choose raw meat that you wouldn't otherwise eat, such as a chicken or turkey neck. Some crabbers prefer to use raw fish like shad as bait, and find that frozen works better to attract the crabs.

Things You'll Need

• Raw turkey/chicken neck or fresh or frozen fish such as shad
• Metal wire
• Wire cutter
• Crab trap

Instructions

1. Purchase your bait. If you are near a dock where crabbers congregate, a bait store may be a good choice. Select chicken neck, turkey neck, or fish such as shad. A 3-inch piece should be adequate for a single trap (you can always keep additional bait for later use).

2. Cut a piece of wire about six inches long. Poke it through the bait and twist to tie. Put the bait and wire into the trap and attach it to to the inside by twisting the other end of the wire.

3. Place the trap into the water and wait for the crabs to come inside of it.

References

• Blue Crab: Crabbing for Hard Shell Crabs
• Oregon State University