Any recreational crabbers out there? (blue crab)

I live on Long Island, NY and want to start taking advantage of what my local area has to offer. I'm an avid fisherman but want to start clamming and crabbing. There are a lot of docks in my area so I was wondering if you have had more luck with small cage traps and traps in general or just hand lining with bait?

(I'm targeting blue crab)

Thanks, enjoy your weekend.

When I've gone crabbing in the Chesapeake Bay, I started out using crab pots; we all eventually decided that they were more work than they were worth. Tie a chicken wing to a piece of string, weight it with a pyramid sinker (1-2 oz worked well), and put it on the bottom. When your bait starts walking off, gently retrieve to the surface. A long-handled net is the only tool you really need.

We use small cage traps on the South Coast! They work well and I can continue fishing while I'm catching crabs!
Avise La Fin

www.bluecrab.info 👍

Takes a lot of finesse to put a bunch of crabs in the boat just using the string and chicken neck technique. It cn be something of a challenge, acually. Easier to use a couple of regular wire crab traps while you fish or nap. Or use a string and chicken neck while your traps are soaking.

Here in California we cast, with a strong fishing rod, crab snares, small bait cages with attached nylon loops in which the crabs get stuck with their legs and claws. Chances of pulling out one or two crabs are very good.




We also use maybe 2-foot diameter nets with a bait cage. These nets get often destroyed by sea lions that love especially the chicken commonly used as bait.



Both methods work well for pier fishing.

Depends on how your going to crab and how much time you have. If have time and are dedicated about pulling your pots every day or two pots are the way to go. If your doing it while fishing you can still use a pot but that ends up being a lot more work. Using s drop line and or trap would be better. I used to catch bushels and bushels of crabs by a drop line. We never kept females or small crabs. This is back in the 70's and 80's when they were plentiful. I grew up on the JERSEY SHORE.