just may be around

:)

Real crabs?

Saw some huge ones in Marion area yesterday....never caught or ate them but with my grandson wading saw a few.... cannot believe how aggressive they are...had one almost jumpiing out of the water snapping at me ....very large and fast... love the way they can swim with those paddle flippers....friggin fast :biglaugh:

someone =take me on a descent bluecrab trip & I,ll repay the favor /with a R & R with the clammer :conf:

stepping into a crab ....spot...after swimming out to retrieve a favorite plug... and i was exhausted, really....and couldnt wait til i could touch the bottom (barefoot) ...stand and walk in...man...it was like : nip nip NIP :shocked:

reminded me of ->sticking my finger into a hedge trimmer

i was back horizontal and swimming so fast my chest rammed the shoreline...

they are angry little fellows...

but yes... i was told today by a family member that he went out for just a whim to our favorite spot, and cleaned up.

this makes me happy..

i hate crab
but my grandfather loves it
and i love catching them!


so win win!

Mike - you an me and Habs are going to go in the near future. I was doing a project the other day and they were all around. We just need to all get some time off at the same time.:)

I love to catch and eat those suckers, but I've yet to find a place in RI where I could catch a good batch of them. doesn't really pay to go for a dozen or less.

Ok....so I have no traps and am thinking of maybe trying to catch some....heard about the raw chicken wing thing....don`t they just fall off when you pull it in or see you.... and.... is night better? I`ve seen these before when the sun came up in some places. Love the turquoise.

I have a cheapo fine mesh net on a stick... any first hand info. from crab hunters appreciated.

Thanks!

Im either headed out Friday or Sunday...

Sooooo relaxing
Sooooo much fun

Do you need a permit for this?

nope
just has to be male, and the right size.

Sounds like a kick.
love me some beers and crabs.
i will have to look into this further.

I've used my smelt net with a bluefish carcass tied to the middle and have done pretty well. I've also done well with the tried and true bluefish on a string and a dip net.
Now I'm hungry.

just need a few chicken wings on a string...
net and a 5 gallon bucket...

4 1/8th inch from spine to spine

Identification - no females

http://www.blue-crab.org/identification.html

thanks for that BJS.

stepping into a crab ....spot...after swimming out to retrieve a favorite plug... and i was exhausted, really....and couldnt wait til i could touch the bottom (barefoot) ...stand and walk in...man...it was like : nip nip NIP :shocked:

reminded me of ->sticking my finger into a hedge trimmer

i was back horizontal and swimming so fast my chest rammed the shoreline...


that made me chuckle. :hihi:

since I have no boat this year, and haven't been crabing in like 5 years, I just might try to give it a try.

I am Camping in Wareham all this month, Imgoing to try, I use to use fish racks from a days fishing , that always worked.

I don't know what the MA regs are, but in RI you only can't keep egg bearing females. And there is no crabbing allowed from sunset to sunrise (stupid rule if you ask me).

I was under the impression that native RI's didnt need a permit, but out of state DID.. or couldnt crab at all or something...

Anyone have any insight?

Yes residents don't need a permit and the minimum size spike to spike is 5 inches.

From the RI DEM website: Blue Crabs: Harvesting by residents only, by crab net, dip net, scoop net, handline and trot line only. It is illegal to harvest crabs from sunset to sunrise. All blue crabs measuring less than the legal minimum size of five inches (5") from spike-end to spike-end must be returned immediately to the water from which taken. No person shall possess, take, or attempt to take more than twenty-five (25) blue crabs from any of the waters of Rhode Island except when taken by a scoop or crab net, trot, or hand line. Measuring: A direct line measured from the end of one spike across the body shell to the end of the opposite spike must be no less than five inches (5").

C<mon quit talking aout it & lets do it



ya like a C/T =talks & talks about sex & then turns & walks :kewl:

Clammah,
when and where?

i would be suprised if you guys found decent amount of 5" blue crabs in RI. Very suprised.

i've done a lot of crabbin and it aint what it used ta be.

that and scallops. remember those? thank god we still have clams!

After reading some on BJSs link :wave:

I think what I saw Saturday was a breeding pair...male about 8 inches female 6 to 7 inches...will have to explore this area more....only two I saw but it was a busy place at low tide...high salinity area as well :smokin:

MA regs: 4 1/8" shell width (spine to spine) egg bearers cannot be taken; 50 crabs/day; no pots; closed season is 1/1 - 4/30

http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3878/3207/1600/kung-fu-blue-crab.jpg

Nasty, but tasty!

that really is a great picture

im pretty much sold on going out Friday morn... bass fish awile in the AM, then drive the short distance to the crabbies... :)

i like how their claws already look bloody.

Red claws usually a female....BJSs link :usd:

i like how their claws already look bloody.

Only the females have the really red claws.

Love fishing for those critters even if im allergic. My favorite way of getting them is stalking them on a small boat, but you have to be fast at the net to get them. I use the nets as oars to push me along and work shallow bars or edges. You can just go back and forth in a 150 foot section and coutinue to get get when the tied is moving. The other is setting up bait( chicken ) on strings & then tied to sticks and staked out , you can see some behind me in the pics. My familly loves to eat them, but they are a little work to get some meat out of them. I have caught them up to 9"(which is a trophy blue crab...lol) from tip to tip. Be carefull they bite hard & draw bood, even thru the tickest gloves. The females can be kept as long as they are big enough in Ma, but not if they are egg bearing. Tho it is good sportsman ship to let go all females. Most crabs live about 2 years so thats why you go thru years were they are all small and not many. Years like this with all the fresh water can make it difficult too. Good luck they are great cooked with tomatoe sauce and beer.

couple more

The regulations say no crab pots. What's a crab pot?

RoyL: Those are some nice lookin blue crabs....damn I'm hungry now....

crab trap

like a lobster pot

You can't use the pyramid style crab traps any more??

Thanks, Im not sure about the pyramid style ones I think you can use those. You can use the crab traps(look like lobster pots) if you have a recreational Lobster lincense. It's about $40 for the permit.

Roy




Thank you for the informative post :hee:

Thanx for the clarification Roy:btu:

Wow them are some nice crabs!!

I haven't done that for like 5 years now!! I hate cleaning them for the meat, but the kids have a ball!!

They clean and then we make crab cakes, crab salad, stuffing, ect..

Not to many places here in the mid cape to get them, and I hear wareham is slow slow?? I am camping there till aug.

I use to use the racks from the Fluke and bass I caught, To cheap to spend the money on the chicken.

Hope you enjoy them!!

no pictures, but just got home...

in about 1 hour... 12 really nice ones

VERY happy grandfather right now.

jerk,jerk,jerk / may all 12 bite ya in the b alls :jump:

headed back next weekend most likely... any and all are more than welcome to come.

this morning was a side trip to my "getting skunked" tour

were do you go BJS?? I like to meet up with ya?