Anyone know how to rig a live crab up without killing them?

The way I've done it is with rubber bands in a criss-cross over the shell. Slide the hook under the bands from the rear so that it's on the top of the shell and the line is away from the claws.

I have caught some decent bass using green crabs Chef. Personally used a 4/0 (crabs weren't big) and hooked the crab from underneath up and through either side of the shell. On the "wings," try to avoid vital organs. There might be other tactics. I picked it up from some of the guys in Florida who use this approach on Permit and Tarpon. They like the crabs alive with their legs kicking in the current. Stripers love crabs!:cool:

Just got back from walking the dog on the beach where there was probally 400 dead crabs washed up. This Got me thinking about this again, and the fact that 75% of the bass i caught last season had crabs in the gut. Think live crabs should be fished with a similar retrive to eels or dead sticked? Any other ideas?

I think the logistics of fishing a crab like an eel make it a poor option. Just use the eel, a bass isnt gonna pass that up

I wouldn't dead stick a crab because they will dig in the sand or find a crack to slide into. The stripers pick them off rocks or wait until they get swept up in the current. We toss them up current around the rocks with the bail open and let them float by, as they move down current pay out line liberally. You want it to appear as if the crab is getting swept with the wash. If you let the line get tight or stop the drift the bigger fish will figure out that something ain't right. I have never fished them in the surf/sand so I am no help there. Hope this helps

I am with Krispy. Eels are easier to toss and stripers love em' just as much.

If you wanna try them rig them like the tog guys do, pull off two legs and put the hook in one opening and out the other,

They die pretty quickly the tog way though , no?

Velcro :hihi:

Superglue several hooks to the top of several crabs before you leave the house. Then tie them on as you need them.

http://www.surfcasting-rhodeisland.com/StoreImages/124_sm.jpg
This guy, Sunnny Bun of Cranston, got this fish at Beavertail in early May on a tog set-up fishing with crabs. There is something to be said for fishing crabs early in the season....

Just looking for options, seeing that it looks like the eel is headed to the endangered list in the very near future.

Chef,
They'll live for a very long time without the legs. When you put the hook in just try to avoid going deep into the crab.

Green Crabs are an invader from somewhere so fish away!!!!

I have also noticed they take up space in Bass Bellies quite well, just never fished them.

Light rubber bands as said before..... lob cast.... then twitch slowly along the bottom to keep them moving and out of the sand and mud...cruising bass will hear/see...bass love em!

What style/size hook indanite?

Joe do you know Sunny he is a good guy?

Seems like a good option when bluefish are around... nothing worse than losing eels the bluefish.

Chef you can buy ruber crabs at the tackleshop- I always look at them as googan attractors, but if you think they would work, try them-

I tried those torwards the end of the season. Hooked them on jig heads, got a few fish in the low 20's on them . Only used them a handful of times though. Crabs are hardy as an eel and are much easier to trap. Can put a trap behind my work at the beginning of the shift with some kitchen scraps and have enough crabs for the night before i leave.

I`ve used between 1 up to 3/0 and Gami Octo just because thats what I carried....I`m sure other hooks work well or better...When I get the hit I cannot tell if they are picking up from front or rear...my hooking is point up on the butt end....hence pulling the crab backwards inches at a time to make sound, stir up weeds, mud, and sand.

Good luck.....haven`t done this for a few years since focusing on plugs....thought caught more fish when chunking and crabbing.

end should be though I caught more....