Ya know, I used to do "Bloo" crabbin' when I was a youngster in MD... Run a 1500' trott line with refrozen 4 inch long eel chunks tied every 18 inches with a piece of rag. Run the line through the hook on the side of the boat and those "Chesapeke Bay Blue Channel Crabs" would stay on that line all the way up to the surface, scoop 'em up with a net and toss them back in the barrells... Get afew bushels, sell them, party like any particuarly evil 14-15 year old kid and be broke again the next day...
Nothing like putting 5-6 dozen live Blue Channer's in a huge boiling crab pot, a couple cans of PBR (hey - we were near the Mason Dixon line) and a box of Old Bay Seasoning - Crab Feast - Maryland style....
Then there was method #2, go down at night (I believe full moon but it's been 20 years (damn, I'm getting old
)) to the side of the pier and shoot a BB gun at the bottom of the pilons. The crabs were sluffin' there shells to grow into bigger ones. The new shell would eventually harden but this is how they grow. Well, we would shoot below them, get them to scurry up the pilon where someone else would scoop them up with a net. From the net, right into the frying pan, eyes and all, and then in between to toast buttered pieces of weat bread... Soft Shell Crab Sandwhiches - Awesome....
And then there was the "Chicken Neckers..."
(Sorry Bloocrab)