Crabbing Tips from the Harvester
Pulling Traps early in the 08-09 season (link to vid)
There are many ways to a crab and you can catch a crab around here with about any kind of bait, but we don’t want to just catch any crab crawling around down there, we want to catch big legal male crab and leave the rest on the bottom.
The commercial crab season opens December first and is open till mid August. Most commercial crabbers quit before the season is over because they have other fisheries or the volume of legal male crab is less than what it takes to make a profit. This season we left our 300 traps out for for six months and managed to make them pay. In the beginning of the season there were lots of crab so they have to compete to get their share of the grub and they are just fighting each other to get in the traps and on the boat. As the season progresses they get harder to catch as there are fewer crab and more food available for them to eat and so this is when you need to dig into your bag of tricks.
Squid is the mother of all baits. I do not know of a fish or a crab that doesn’t eat squid, it is like candy to them. All commercial crabbers use it, they put it in chew bags or plastic bait jars with small holes. A chew bag is just a nylon mesh bag that holds the bait. If you are looking for a quick catch or if you are using crab rings use the squid in chew bags. When you use chew bags the crab will stay there longer because they are able to eat. It will also make more crab move in because they can see and hear their buddies chowing down. The big male crab will move in and chase away small crab that are eating something they want. The bait jars are good when using traps because it will last longer, always chop up the squid when in bait jars. When a crab gets in to find out that he can only smell the bait, it is too late.
Clams are another great bait, they have a nice sweet smell that those huge dungies can’t resist. I always use razor clams and squid in separate jars it is a great long lasting combo. Save up all of your clam trimmings and the shells too they also contain good scent.
Fish carcases work great too, especially when they are fresh. The average weekend warrior may find it tough to find these prime baits so they settle for chicken, turkey, hotdogs or roadkill. Try calling around to local fish buyers, seafood stores, tackle shops or charter boat offices.
If you are fishing off the docks using open ring traps you might see the seals diving down and stealing your bait. This is why a lot of people use chicken or turkey backs for bait because the seals don’t much like those .. but neither do the crab. If you are getting seals taking your bait you can use the chew bags or bait jars with squid or fish to bring the crab in and use the chicken or roadkill to keep em in the pots. The scent from those squid, clams, or fish in the jars will attract the crab and once they are in the trap, the turkey will keep em occupied till you can pull em.
Other things to consider before planning a crabbing adventure is the moon phase. Crab are always more active during the full moon. Tides are also important when crabbing in the bay. Crab come in and out of the bay with the tides. High tide is usually the best time to crab in the bay because there is more salt water, so lay your traps before then and let the crab come in with the tide.
We hope these tips help you get the most of your time on the water and please share your own ….
go get em!!
Harvester and crew….
Update: Just got off the phone with Tony’s Crab Shack in Bandon and he’s got chew bags, and bait boxes for sale. He’s also got bait jars, but you’ll need to drill holes in them yourself. Might be worth making a few up for yourself. Also the Sportsmen’s Cannery in Winchester Bay sells preloaded bait bags and they’ll have all kinds of fish bait available. I’m sure there are plenty of other places near your crabbing grounds to find what you need to bring in the big ones.
Those tips are great! I have one of those chew bags but never have put much in them other than chicken in bandon. I will have to give it a try with squid and see how it goes. I am hoping the weather and crabbing will be nice in Bandon this weekend. If not can I borrow your boat for a couple of hours? LOL
CHICKEN NECKS AND BACKS ARE THE BEST ! ANY ONE ELZE?
TURKEY GIZZARDS RULE TOO~