Crabbing fundamentals

[sly_karma]

Leading up to my recent Sunshine Coast stay, I read a lot of forum posts about prawning equipment and method, determined to get it right after many episodes of little success. Many thanks to those who posted as I consistently caught prawns and shrimp in decent quantities. Trap puller got a workout and the family ate a lot of shrimp in the 2 weeks.

Now my thoughts turn to crabbing, again we've had little consistency in the past.

Equipment: do I need the weight on bottom before the trap as with prawn traps? Is there a trap style or brand that is generally preferred by rec fishermen? (ie, a crab equivalent of the Bauer prawn traps). How many traps per licence holder?

General location: type of bottom (mud? sand? rock?), water depth (does this change between spring and summer?). Flat area or slope? Water movement: fast current areas, avoid or seek out? Do crab move around much daily or seasonally?

Bait: what type of bait? How is it held in the trap (loose or Scotty type bait cup?).

Method: how long to soak traps before checking? Is it a case of check traps and move location quickly if nothing's there, like with prawning?

Thanks in advance to all who contribute.

 

[scott craven]

Square traps work fine. Sand, Mud bottom and eel grass is where they hang out. Fresh bait, not rotten.
Use anything as long as it's chicken backs.
They really do work best IMHO. flood current. 2-3 hour soak.

 

[boatmmman]

I had a fairly primitive and short-lived experience with open crab traps at a depth of 10-15 meters. You fix the net, bait, lower it to the bottom for 30-40 minutes, and then abruptly raise it from the bottom. Done =)

 

[Clint r]

I’ve caught decent crab using chicken backs/necks, salmon carcass and heads, ling cod and halibut carcass too. But by far the best bait for us has been whole rock fish carcasses with the fillets removed and perforated a few times before hanging them in the trap by their bottom jaw. 2-3 hour soak and 40-60 feet deep. Sandy, grassy bottom and near but not too close to some fresh water flowing in. This is for Dungies. Rock crab same setup but closer to rocky bouldery bottom and no fresh water nearby. This has worked for me year over year and in every location I’ve fished since 2007.

 

[MikeyL]

Square traps work fine sand Mud bottom and eel grass is where they hang out. Fresh bait, not rotten.
Use anything as long as it's chicken backs.
They really do work best. preferable on a flood current. 2-3 hour soak.

All of my chicken is usually left out in a bucket and sits out for a week or so and usually it’s chicken being thrown out from a grocery store, pretty much to the point where it’s turned green or rotten (pretty gross). I use chicken skin and a mixture of chicken thighs and drumsticks. I use the bait containers which the crabs can get at to feed and not the Scotty cups with the little holes. I will stuff my bait containers so full that you can’t fit anything else in there. My theory is that if there’s lots of bait for them to feed, they will stay in the trap and not leave.

 

[Rarnet]

Leading up to my recent Sunshine Coast stay, I read a lot of forum posts about prawning equipment and method, determined to get it right after many episodes of little success. Many thanks to those who posted as I consistently caught prawns and shrimp in decent quantities. Trap puller got a workout and the family ate a lot of shrimp in the 2 weeks.

Now my thoughts turn to crabbing, again we've had little consistency in the past.

Equipment: do I need the weight on bottom before the trap as with prawn traps? Is there a trap style or brand that is generally preferred by rec fishermen? (ie, a crab equivalent of the Bauer prawn traps). How many traps per licence holder?

General location: type of bottom (mud? sand? rock?), water depth (does this change between spring and summer?). Flat area or slope? Water movement: fast current areas, avoid or seek out? Do crab move around much daily or seasonally?

Bait: what type of bait? How is it held in the trap (loose or Scotty type bait cup?).

Method: how long to soak traps before checking? Is it a case of check traps and move location quickly if nothing's there, like with prawning?

Thanks in advance to all who contribute.

I find the best bait is prawn heads. Fill up the green mesh bags and I find are even better than salmon heads and bellies

 

[Corey_lax]

All of my chicken is usually left out in a bucket and sits out for a week or so and usually it’s chicken being thrown out from a grocery store, pretty much to the point where it’s turned green or rotten (pretty gross). I use chicken skin and a mixture of chicken thighs and drumsticks. I use the bait containers which the crabs can get at to feed and not the Scotty cups with the little holes. I will stuff my bait containers so full that you can’t fit anything else in there. My theory is that if there’s lots of bait for them to feed, they will stay in the trap and not leave.

Weird, I've found the opposite. Rotting chicken hasn't worked for me. We have a rule that if I wouldn't eat the chicken, the crab won't either. I only make stink bait for sturgeon.

 

[Tips Up]

I use a combo of chicken backs and salmon/cod/halibut carcass. The chicken brings them to the buffet and the meat keeps them there. Chicken alone gets eaten quickly and then they will find way out. Chicken definitely brings them in best. I like crabs from more open water. The Sooke basin crabs taste like the basin. Renfrew sweet crab meat. Pedder and similar areas taste better than closed water like basin.
I have traps ranging from $20 square traps to $200 stainless traps. The $20 ones catch just as many but they don't retain as well. Big commercial traps seem to retain best but I don't have room onboard.

 

[eroyd]

Raw pork and turkey necks work great. As above for inside water crab flavor. Commercial crabbers have really been goin full bore the last two years.

 

[Aquaholic]

Many commercial guys I know out of Steveston only use squid for bait.

 

[Stizzla]

I’m a chicken necks/backs guy too.
2 traps per license.
I don’t use weight in my cheap square traps as my best spots are typically In shallow water, protected bays. 20-50’ works for my spots.
Only use sinking rope and I like to spread my traps by about 150-200’ at slightly different depths in an area.

 

[sly_karma]

Just dump fish heads/frames and chicken in the trap at large, or do people use some type of bait holder?

 

[scott craven]

Use the wire bait cage Danielson I think, zap strap to bottom of the trap.

 

[Aces]

Just dump fish heads/frames and chicken in the trap at large, or do people use some type of bait holder?

I use bailing wire

 

[Local Hali Hunter]

I've caught crab at depths of 280ft in or near Bella Bella, and in Sooke in 12 ft. But what I have always looked for is a source of freshwater, especially up north, had 10" dungies off Banks Island, I got them at 180ft. I always use chicken and Hali frames. Also the round stainless mesh commie traps are the best IMHO.

But the best way I have experienced is off the Tsawassan at Low tide hand picking, got to love that.

 

[Aces]

I've caught crab at depths of 280ft in or near Bella Bella, and in Sooke in 12 ft. But what I have always looked for is a source of freshwater, especially up north, had 10" dungies off Banks Island, I got them at 180ft. I always use chicken and Hali frames. Also the round stainless mesh commie traps are the best IMHO.

But the best way I have experienced is off the Tsawassan at Low tide hand picking, got to love that.

Yeah netting them up while wading is super fun. Done that at Birch Bay, Washington and North beach near Masset

 

[the gambler]

Raw pork and turkey necks work great. As above for inside water crab flavor. Commercial crabbers have really been goin full bore the last two years.

DONT use turkey. Many years of experimenting with different baits, the turkey will not only not catch crab-it'll scare 'em away. Don't ask me why....
My money is on fresh chicken (backs) and salmon gut's/carcass.

 

[Rain City]

DONT use turkey. Many years of experimenting with different baits, the turkey will not only not catch crab-it'll scare 'em away. Don't ask me why....
My money is on fresh chicken (backs) and salmon gut's/carcass.

I've done really well with Duck necks

 

[Netanyahu]

I make my own holders with stainless hog rings and plastics dog fence, fill them with every part left after cleaning salmon. Put a zap strap on the bottom so it freezes in place ready to attach to the bottom of a weighted trap, put in a bag and freeze until ready to set. Sunshine coast crab like fresh bait. 50-125 works good around Thormanby, I stay clear of Buccaneer bay.

 

[sly_karma]

I make my own holders with stainless hog rings and plastics dog fence, fill them with every part left after cleaning salmon. Put a zap strap on the bottom so it freezes in place ready to attach to the bottom of a weighted trap, put in a bag and freeze until ready to set. Sunshine coast carb like fresh bait. 50-125 works good around Thormanby, I stay clear of Buccaneer bay.

So many floats in the Bay itself this year! How can anyone be catching anything with consistency?

Where does one find those stainless crimp rings?