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Dip Net Crabbing
Dip Net | Handline
| Seines | Crab Pot
| Crab Trap | Trotline
Crabbing is good outdoor fun for anyone. Get
a dip net with the basket made of wire mesh, or nylon ( 6 to 8 dollars),
rather than a cloth mesh net. Crabs fight, bite, twist and turn
when they are caught. The wire or nylon doesn't allow your crabs
to get tangled up so easily. Learning to use the dip net to catch
a crab takes some patience and practice, and there are various methods
to improve your skill.
Look for crabs clinging to bulkheads, pilings, and
piers. Be certain you can reach them with your net, then scoop down,
alongside, under and up. Chasing after crabs in shallow water is most
exciting and offers a continuing challenge to your scooping talents
and proficiency.
A long handled dip net
is used when scooping from a boat. As you travel slowly on the surface
of the water, usually in and among the shallow and high grass or
reed protected marshes, you will see crabs resting or moving slowly
on top of the water. The object is to get your boat as close as
possible (a flat bottom boat is best), and scoop from the top or
from the grasses with the extra length of your net. You may find
that many of the crabs caught in these areas will be soft-shelled
crabs, or "busters", (crabs ready to molt) that have moved to
these locations to shed their shell and gain cover from other crabs
and fish.
If you intend to keep
your crabs for longer than a day, then consider constructing a crab
box. This is usually a wooden structure made of slats to allow the
circulation of water. The crab box is tied to the pier and supported
in the water with floats. Feed the crabs leftover bait until you have
enough fattened up for a feast!
A pail or bucket is not advisable because air cannot flow through
this type of container. If you have no other option, then be sure
to replenish or change the water often. Always protect the crabs
from the hot sun; cover them with a wet towel. Dip the container
in the water or pour water directly over the crabs to keep them
wet.
If you catch a doubler (male with
female underneath), do not put the female ("buster" or "soft-shell")
into the same receptacle with the hard-shell crabs, as they will
either eat or kill this crab. Instead, separate these "soft-shell
crabs" and place them in another container.
Crabs are transferred to the container by turning the net over
and shaking it a little. Sometimes the crab will hold on to the
net with his claws and it will take a lot of shaking to break him
loose. You might even have to pull him out by hand. If you learn
how to handle live crabs with tongs, or better yet, with your bare
hands, you will keep yourself from being bitten and take care to
keep your crabs alive.
Content developed by Laren Leonard
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