# Crabbing in the Texas gulf



## jen74145 (Oct 31, 2006)

DH and I are wanting to head south and try our hand at crabbing sometime soon, but have no idea when the best time to go is. Who has done it, and when would you recommend? Spring, summer? Morning, night? Thanks!
Oh, and what do you use for bait? I'm hearing everything from chicken necks to shrimp bits to rubber worms.


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## Ohio Rusty (Jan 18, 2008)

How similiar are crabs and crayfish? (crawdads I call 'em) If I was in an area with crabs I could catch ...... none would make it home as they would be boiled and eaten on the spot !! Great excuse for a beach bonfire ....
I've caught lots of crawdads using Purina dog chow or chum like chopped up fish. With a stick a 3 foot line and a hook with a piece of bacon on it, I can catch crawdads one after another and drop them in a floating bucket behind me. I wade in a foot ot less of water with a light at night. Several pounds of fresh crawdad tails and claws dipped in butter and lemon is a treat to behold. I'm real careful that any I get with egg clusters stuck to the underside of the tail (females) they are put back so the eggs will hatch. I'm not sure how you catch crabs. If they run up on the beach, I would try a longhandled butterfly net and scoop up the rascals and put them in a bucket. That would keep you from being pinched I would think .....
Man o' man do I like fresh seafood .....
Ohio Rusty


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## tn_junk (Nov 28, 2006)

I crab a few times a year in the Gulf around PCB. My family is from, and still lives, in that area. My guess is that the water is a little too cool right now, but I have caught crabs from March thru November, with some of the biggest in the fall. 
I have had best success with chicken necks and cut fish, firmly tied in the trap, but I think anything will work. Biggest problem pier or jetty fishing is how to keep crabs off the bait. 

alan


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## jen74145 (Oct 31, 2006)

Thanks both!
Rusty, I'm kinda figuring it will work like crawfishing.... at least, I hope. 

And Alan, we probably will put it off till May or so... I looked up temps down there right now, and I just don't think it sounds pleasant. I've done the freezing beach thing once, and once was quite enough.

Don't know if I can wait that long though... DH is so excited he's driving me batty.


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## james dilley (Mar 21, 2004)

Where are you thinking About crabbing at?? South Padre has been in the 80 degree range here in the Valley. I can't say anything about Crabs here ,I have never went!!


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## Michael Kawalek (Jun 21, 2007)

Hi Jen 
I used to go crabbing in New Jersey when I was a kid. Our family caught them two ways. We had the square box traps that had four sides that dropped down once it touched bottom. Pull on the string and the sides snap shut and you haul the trapped crabs out of the water. What was more fun as tying bait to a string and waiting for a crab to grab hold. We'd SLOWLY pull the string up and catch the crab holding on with a fishnet. Much more challenging, but more fun and exciting. We pretty much always used fish heads for bait. Wire the head to the center of the box, or run a string through it's mouth and tie it off.
Michael


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## EDDIE BUCK (Jul 17, 2005)

I haven't been in a long, long time, but when we did go it would haved warmed up, may or june. We used heavy twine with a shower curtain hook tied on to hold chicken neck or fish heads. Drop baited line to the bottom and every now and then lift off bottom just a little, if theres a crab at the bait you can feel him on the line,then gently ease the line up and having a dip net already in the water, when you see the bait and crab dip from under and catch crab. If you let the crab get to close to the surface, alot will turn loose and go back. Just be ready to dip the crab when you see him under water. You can buy crab dip nets but the crabs get tangled in the cotton or nylon netting. We would take the netting off and replace with a piece of chicken wire or hexigon shaped wire and the crabs would fall right out and into the cooler. Don't know how much you know about crabbing but you don't cast out, you have to be on a pier, bridge or boat so you can drop lines straight down. Also you may need to add a little weight to get the bait down to the bottom. Good Luck And Enjoy Them Crabs IMO No better eating! Eddie


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## ahahahni1 (Sep 4, 2006)

bacon. They loved bacon!


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