Where are all the crab?

[Sea Ranger]

If you can get any,try,as mentioned by Andrew P, prawn heads. They are by far the best bait I've ever used for crab
in Saanich Inlet. Without a word of a lie,I've had many traps come up after a full days soak with 20+ in them.

I've never been prawning but it is on my bucket list.... would shrimp heads work???... lol.

 

[Tsquared]

Yup--they do.

 

[Andrew P]

I've found that prawn heads are crab gold! I always used to chuck them, now I bring the prawns home live, de-head and then freeze the tails to eat and freeze the heads for bait. During summer salmon season, I usually save the trashed chovies and then mix with prawn heads, which makes a killer crab bait. Salmon skeleton and guts catch the prawns, the prawn catch the crab....too bad the crab can't catch the salmon for a full circle!

 

[sammyslabber]

trashed chovies and then mix with prawn heads, which makes a killer crab bait. Salmon skeleton and guts catch the prawns, the prawn catch the crab....too bad the crab can't catch the salmon for a full circle!

salmon and halibut eat crabs...

 

[fshnfnatic]

Damn I never even thought of using prawn heads I get so many of these things and chuck them...For bait I use chicken necks always or salmon head...chicken works better...For crabbing on South east coast from Sydney up. West Coast Renfrew and up.

Seriously H5,give em a try the next time your out in Saanich Inlet.My theory is with all the thousands of discarded
prawn heads in that Inlet,the crab have developed a taste for them BIG TIME.

 

[Andrew P]

Seriously H5,give em a try the next time your out in Saanich Inlet.My theory is with all the thousands of discarded
prawn heads in that Inlet,the crab have developed a taste for them BIG TIME.

I have no doubt that the Saanich inlet crabs have a taste for prawns, but they seem to work great elsewhere as well. I put my one trap down today for a four hour soak near Sidney island and got 9 jumbo dungees and one female bursting with eggs, first time I've seen that before. It was only me in the boat, so just took my limit of four males home for a family feast. My neighbor had 2 traps down in the same zone....and got one rock and one dungee. Only difference was the bait. Prawn heads have performed well for me off metchosen, oak bay, Sidney area, etc.

It helps to give them a bit of a crunch before freezing to get the juices(brains!) going. Then when they thaw out the scent really spreads. Certainly not as good results if the heads have gone off at all so you have to freeze right away.

 

[rook 2]

I have no doubt that the Saanich inlet crabs have a taste for prawns, but they seem to work great elsewhere as well. I put my one trap down today for a four hour soak near Sidney island and got 9 jumbo dungees and one female bursting with eggs, first time I've seen that before. It was only me in the boat, so just took my limit of four males home for a family feast. My neighbor had 2 traps down in the same zone....and got one rock and one dungee. Only difference was the bait. Prawn heads have performed well for me off metchosen, oak bay, Sidney area, etc.

It helps to give them a bit of a crunch before freezing to get the juices(brains!) going. Then when they thaw out the scent really spreads. Certainly not as good results if the heads have gone off at all so you have to freeze right away.

prawn heads are the best bait for crabs,,as far as where are all the crabs,,,try a local pub out in langford,,

 

[poet1971]

I was out fishing a few weeks back and after letting the 2 crab traps soak all day we pulled up nothing.... not a female, no males, no sea lice..... nothing. Even the bait was untouched.... a sea food mix of anchovie's(old bait), Mackrel, Salmon head and a bunch of ripe salmon eggs. I thought that the male crabs showed up this time of year? and where do the females go? During the summer months we use to pull our traps and get 20+ females out of a trap and lucky if you get one or 2 males. I'm hoping to get out this weekend and was wondering if it is even worth putting the traps down? Or maybe its time to find a new spot to drop the traps, far side of bay out from Cheanuh use to be a good spot. Anybody got any ideas?

Te guys at Chehuna told me they haven't ad crab in the bey for 2 years. Dropped at William head prison and after a 7 hour soak got one keeper male.