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There are a number of ways to catch blue crabs. One of the most common methods is a trap
with collapsible sides that lower when the trap settles on the bottom, then rise when it is pulled
to the surface (top). Other traps are designed to be left out for several days (left). Both types of
traps are baited, usually with chicken or fish. Seines can be used in shallow water (above).
"We'd spend hours setting up the
lines and catching the crabs. Kids like
to jerk the line out every two minutes
because they're so into the art and fun
of crabbing."
Yes, there is an art to crabbing. If
you leave your line in the water after it
becomes taut, you may pull up a few
crabs on the same piece of bait, hold-
ing on with one claw and poking at
each other with the other claw. The
line needs to be pulled up slowly with-
out jerking. When the crab is just
under the water surface, dip your crab
net underneath its body so that the
crab falls into the net if it lets go of the
bait. It's easy to spot the experts, who
lean half their bodies over the edge of
the pier, backsides to the sun. Once it's
out of the water, immobilize the crab
by putting it in an ice chest. This pro-
tects you and minimizes the chances of
a crab war breaking out under the lid.
The crabbing season lasts from
April to October, or the first cold
snap. In winter months, blue crabs
move into deeper water less prone to
freezing temperatures. Bait shops
along the coast have piers, and sell
crab traps, nets and bait. "About 35
percent of our summer business is
crabbers," says Wayne Vinton, an em-
ployee at Sylvan Beach Bait & Tackle
in La Porte. "It's a great family sport
because it doesn't require a lot of skill
or money." All you need is a crab net,
a line or trap, bait and an ice chest.
"The most popular crabbing de-
vices are the throw line and drop net,"
says Vinton. "I've been crabbing 25
years, and I think they like fresh
chicken or fish bait best." To use a
throw line, attach one end to a pier or
boat, then tie some bait and a small
weight onto the other end and throw
it in the water, giving it plenty of
slack. An umbrella net is a non-metal-
lic net on a rigid frame with strings.
Place the bait in the middle of the net.
When you pull up on the net, the crab
comes with it.
At night, crabs move into shallow
water or near grassy flats to feed.
Waders use seines, gigs and dip nets.
Commercial fishermen often use traps
Texas Parks & Wildlife 17