If you are looking for crabs on a beach for pure fun or to make crab meatballs, you are in luck! There are many different methods to catch crabs, from the simplest (by searching for them on the beach or using a hand line) to the most complex ones (by lowering a longline or using a keepnet). Read from passage no. 1 to start catching crabs!
Steps
Method 1 of 4: Catching Crabs with a Keepnet
Step 1. Gather the proper crab fishing equipment
Crab fishermen who use a crab net tend to have a landing net (or net) to pull up wandering crabs, thick gloves suitable for this type of fishing, a keepnet, a stick (to easily remove the crabs from the net) and a container in which to store the caught crabs.
- The keepnet is a large square trap made from wire (usually, the wire type of chicken coops). This is equipped with an entrance (called "backward") from which the crabs enter the trap to catch the bait, and built in such a way that they cannot get out. This way, the crabs will get trapped in the pot, which you will pull up to the surface with the loot.
- Depending on where you are, you will need to figure out if you need a lighter or heavier keepnet. Generally, in the more closed and sheltered areas the use of light pots is allowed, but in others, due to the tidal currents and the powerful action of the waves, the use of heavier pots is required. If you are angling, you will not normally have to use commercial pots, which generally weigh between 34 and 68 kg (sport fishing pots tend to weigh between 4 and 9 kg).
- The stick will help you remove the crabs from the net or container. You can make your own by carving a slot of about 12 cm in a piece of wood.
- As for the container in which to store the crabs, the ideal is to use a wooden basket with a capacity of about 35 liters, but it is also okay to store them in a cooler. Mostly, you just need to make sure you keep them alive until it's time to eat them and store them in a proper container with ice. Leave the ice in the bag inside the container and place the crabs on top of it. This will make it easier to handle the crabs when you need to cook them.
Step 2. Choose the right bait
There are many different types of lures used by sporty or professional crab fishermen. You will need to experiment to figure out which is best, although chicken necks are the most common because crabs seem to particularly like meat scraps.
- You can use frozen fish as this generally decomposes faster than fresh fish, attracting more crabs.
- While crabs eat basically all kinds of raw meat, you may also want to try some types of lures recommended by commercial crab fishermen: eel (one of the best lures according to commercial fishermen, but the cost of which has risen since it is a delicacy in Europe and Asia); bull's lips (long-lasting, inexpensive and very crab-liking); menhaden, a type of forage fish: frozen is in excellent condition, but decomposes very quickly so if you leave the pots out for a while, you may regret not getting it fresh.
Step 3. Find out about any restrictions in your area
Each area has different regulations regarding the amount of crabs you can fish, the type of permits needed, the size limit of the crabs, the areas and times you can fish. Go to the local port to speak with the captain or to the local Department of Agriculture, Hunting and Fishing.
- There are some types of crabs that you can catch and others that you will need to throw back into the water when you find them in the pot. Again, it all depends on the area you are in. For example: If you are fishing on the east coast of the United States, you will probably be looking to fish for blue crab. If you catch a green crab or spider crab, you will need to free it because these types of crabs are inedible.
- Generally, there are laws in force that protect crabs with egg sacs, because these specimens have the task of repopulating the species. If you catch a crab with an egg sac, you need to free it.
- Get rid of any dead crabs you've caught. You don't know how long they've been dead, so you can't eat them. Try to keep the crabs alive until you need to put them in the pot.
Step 4. Choose the right place
You certainly don't want to go to the first body of water that happens to you to catch crabs. There are certain places where crabs are found in abundance. You can find crabs in salt water, not cold, especially in areas subject to tides. This type of water includes bays, inlets, the ocean and salt ponds.
- Again, it all depends on where you are fishing and the different types of crab. Depending on what you are trying to catch, you will place the keepnet in different places and at different depths. For example: Many people fish for crabs from docks because these animals often pop up around underwater structures.
- It is a good idea to remember that the pots should generally be positioned at a depth that varies between 6 and 45 meters, below the lowest level of the tide (in this way, the pot will not come out of the water when the tide goes down).
Step 5. Leave the pot in the water overnight
The reason they leave the pots at night most of the time is that crabs are nocturnal animals and this is when they roam in search of food. You must make sure that you have duly marked your keepnet to find it and prevent any boats from getting caught in its rope.
- You will probably have to try to anchor the buoy, so that you can keep it steady in more or less the same spot. Set the anchor between 60 and 90 cm below the buoy, in order to keep the rope submerged and limiting the risk that it may be cut by the engine of some boat. Some are used to using a brick or a metal bar as an anchor.
- The general rule is that the buoy is white and red with your name, address and phone number written on it. It is allowed to indicate the name of only one person on the buoy.
Step 6. Remove the crabs from the pot
After the night, it's time to check the pot to see if there are crabs inside. Normally, you will have to pull the trap up in one smooth motion, especially with loop nets, so that the crabs don't slip out.
- Remove the crab from the trap. Hold the crab properly, once the trap is pulled from the surface of the water. Grab the crab by the hind limbs to prevent it from pinching yourself.
- Place the live crabs in the container with ice. This way, you will keep them until you return to the coast. It is best to consume the crabs within 24 hours.
Method 2 of 4: Catching Crabs with a Longline
Step 1. Find out where and when to use a longline
Using a longline can take time and effort, but the result will be a nice haul of crabs. A longline is essentially a line anchored between two buoys on which baits are attached. When the crabs grab the bait, you will pull the rope up.
- A good time to stare at a longline is during a quiet morning preceded by a hot, muggy night when crabs tend to run away. Morning is the perfect time to remove the line, as crabs are slower and less likely to let go of the line when you pull it up.
- The best place to set up a longline is parallel to the coast, where the seabed slopes down; generally, this happens between 1.5 and 3.5 meters deep. Some say you should run your longline over a rocky bottom.
Step 2. Gather the equipment
Fishing with the longline, which allows the capture of many crabs if used correctly, requires the use of a boat; for example, you cannot place a longline from a pier. Therefore, before even gathering the rest of the equipment, make sure you have a boat available. You can get various equipment online or at the port where you will fish.
- You will need to have two buoys and 5 lines (6 to 30 meters long): a main line, 2 lines to attach to the buoy and 2 to attach to the anchors. As for the fishing line, there are several types. Choose between a yellow polyester line with a section of about 6 millimeters or a leaded line, although some believe that nylon with a section of 4 millimeters is the best material for the main line. The polyester line costs less, is thinner and floats. However, it can be difficult to pull up and must be ballasted so as to stay below the surface of the water and not get tangled with your line. Leaded line is more expensive, but easy to pull and wrap and sinks on its own. Make sure the buoys are marked with your name and address. Buoys limit the risk of any boat passing over your line.
- You will need to have a main anchor (about 6 kg) and one for the low tide limit (about 2 kg). This will prevent the line from moving out of its position and allow you to find it again. You will also need two chains of different lengths to weight the line, unless you are using a lead line.
- The landing net will help you collect the crabs while you pull the line out of the water. You will have to do some practice to pick up the crabs and store them in the cooler, but you will improve over time.
- The support stick is attached to the boat. Attach the line to the stick when you slide it (pulling it out of the water). This way, the line will come out more smoothly and the crabs won't come off. Along with this, you will need a harpoon or hook to pull the line up from the bottom.
- You will also need some set and hooks to attach the bait to the main line. The setali (horsehair threads) are secondary lines about 15 cm long with the bait attached to the main line by means of small stainless steel hooks of about 7 cm.
Step 3. Prepare the line
Tie the bait to the line using silk and small hooks. You will do this with an interval of about 1-1.5 meters on the main line. The line must be ballasted on both ends with a chain. You can use a galvanized chain with a length that varies between 60 and 90 cm. The weights will need to be connected to the buoys with a line, so that you can pull up the line when you need to control it.
- Take the four shortest portions of fishing line (they should be about 6 meters). Fix one of these lines to an anchor and attach the line to the buoy. Take the second 6-meter line and attach it to the same buoy, then attach a chain to the other end. Attach the main line to the chain. Repeat the same operation on the other side.
- Salted eel is considered the best bait. Cut it into small pieces of about 7 cm, with a diameter between 1 and 2, 5 cm. Chicken necks or bull's lips (also 1 by 7cm) work pretty well too.
Step 4. Drop the line
It may sound simple, but it's hard to focus on casting the line and driving the boat at the same time. You will need an assistant to help you maneuver the boat. Also, it is best to avoid lowering your line where those of other crab fishermen are present, as they will almost certainly get caught between them.
- First weight and first mark drops. Depending on the tide and wind, unwind the line by adding silks and baits as you go. When you reach the end of the line, place the second buoy and drop the second anchor.
- It works the line according to the wind and the tide - considering that it is difficult to slide it even if the boat is stationary. You will have to leave the boat at the mercy of the waves while you lower the line, so it will follow the currents and you can concentrate only on the line.
Step 5. Pull up the line
When you have finished lowering the line, bring the boat back to the starting point and use the hook to grab the main line and slowly bring it back to the surface of the water. Slide the line onto the roller (mounted on the boat). Let the line rise from the water at an angle between 30 ° and 40 ° and keep it taut.
- You will catch crabs with the net in the water as soon as they reach the surface. Be as fast as possible, because the crabs tend to leave the bait when they break the surface. It is always better that there are two people, one who takes care of the line and the other of the recovery of the crabs with the net.
- Try not to cover the line with your shadow, otherwise the crabs will get nervous and leave it.
Step 6. Lower the line again and repeat the operation
You can repeat this process several times in a single morning if you are quick. Once the first round is complete, lower the line again and make sure there are all the necessary baits. Wait a moment, once the line is in place, then repeat the whole process to pull it up one more time.
Step 7. Store equipment properly
Once you have finished crab fishing, you will need to store your equipment properly, otherwise you won't be able to use it so many times. Various people advocate different storage methods, including storing the longline in the freezer, but you can ask the manufacturer of this equipment what is the best way to store it.
- One of the main ways to preserve a longline with any baits still attached is to put it in brine, a strong saline solution that can help keep it. Prepare this solution by putting 1 kg of salt in about 20 liters of water. A container of this size can accommodate long lines of about 230 meters with a section of 4 millimeters. The consistency is right if a raw potato or raw egg floats on the surface.
- Chicken necks should be stored in a refrigerator (preferably an old one and not one for everyday use).
Method 3 of 4: Using a Hand Line
Step 1. Gather the equipment
Catching crabs by hand is much easier than other methods outlined in this article, and you will need far fewer things. Basically, all you need is a landing net, line or rope long enough to reach the bottom of the sea, and a lure.
- You can catch crabs with a hand line either from a boat or from the dock, which is a factor to consider when getting your line.
- Sometimes, it is necessary to ballast the end of the line so that it sinks to the bottom.
- As for the bait, chicken, eel or fish necks are fine. Just remember to attach a piece of it to the line before submerging it.
Step 2. Bind the line
You will have to tie up the line and wait for some time to give the crabs a chance to find the bait and attach themselves. When the crab has grabbed the bait, you will notice it.
Step 3. Pull the line up slowly
Avoid making the crab nervous, otherwise it will let go. The bigger the crab, the greater the risk of it getting nervous and letting go, so pay attention. When it gets close to the surface, bring it up into the fill.
Watch out for currents or tides and be sure to position the net so that if the crab lets go, it will still be trapped and not escape
Step 4. Place the crab in a cooler bag
Make sure there is ice in it to make the crab slower and easier to handle. Avoid taking it with your bare hands. Kitchen tongs or special crab tongs are what you need right now.
Method 4 of 4: Catching Crabs on the Beach
Step 1. Go to the beach
Most beaches in the world are home to a type of beach crab that you can find along the shore. These specimens are of different colors and vary from the common coastal crab (in England, for example, of a characteristic dark green color) to the invasive species of Asian coast crab, spread from its natural (and non-invasive) habitat in Asia. to the east coast of the United States.
- While you can find these crabs on almost any beach, rocky ones tend to be the best because crabs like to hide under rocks.
- Make sure you have a bucket and a spade or gloves with you. It is not a good idea to pick crabs with your bare hands as they may pinch you - even the smallest specimens.
Step 2. Find a large rock
Small coastal crabs can hide under small rocks or burrow into the sand, but the best place to find them is under the larger rocks. Crabs like to hide under these types of stones which, when turned upside down, will prompt the crabs to flee in search of protection in the sand.
- For example, crabs from the Pacific Northwest coast of the United States (called Hemigrapsus nudus and Hemigrapsus oregonensis) are easily found under rocks. These crabs range from smaller than fingertip sized specimens to half a banknote size.
- The presence of hermit crabs on rocky beaches is also frequent. Look for them in tide pools and under rocks.
Step 3. Check for any tide pools
Basically, this is the place where crabs gather to eat and move. Tide pools are great places to find all sorts of marine beings, including coastal crabs. If you find a tide pool and initially see nothing, keep looking. There is always life in a tide pool.
Step 4. Take the crab to put it in the bucket
Put some wet sand inside the bucket to keep the crab moist. You can observe it as it moves in the sand and runs from side to side in the typical movement of crabs. This is a particularly fun activity to do with children on the beach.
Handle crabs gently, especially small ones. They are animals with a rigid armor, but still very delicate for the hand of man
Step 5. Put the crab back in place
Do not bring crabs home as if they were pets. Almost everywhere there are laws that prohibit the removal of wild animals and plants, essential for the preservation of a thriving ecosystem. The small crabs found along the shore are not worth eating.
