..Anthony...
...I seem to nail more fish when I cut the legs off...I think it gives them a way of stealing the bait ???....if they bite on the legs that are exposed they may be able to pull the crab off the hook...or when you go to set the hook, and he's just swimming away with a few legs in his mouth...you pull back...and scare the living doo doo out of him or possibly increase the odds you get stuck... and he swims away
..although sometimes I get lazy and leave the legs on
...but most of the time, its a legless crab...
..and umm, by the way...all this " crab " abuse really bothers the family
...
..just my opinion...but I agree with the rest of your ideas
..not that I count...