crab fisherman?

Question

I'm trully interested in becoming a crab fishermen. I would like to see if someone could help maybe get ready for this coming up season. i would hope I would hear something very shortly. I have really thought about this for about 2 years and being 21 now i feel i am ready. Thank You for your time and patients, i really hope someone can help.

Answer 1

you better have what it takes cuz it is so tough!

Answer 2

Being a lobster catcher is a lot easier, still, however, a tough job. For that you need to go to Portland, Maine. For crabbers, that's an Alaskan job. Make sure you are prepared before you go and talk to folks in southern, Alaska. Last thing those folks want on a crab boat is someone who is slow and clumsy. That could end up costing lives.

Answer 3

The basic fundamental principal of crabbing is to use a baited net to catch crabs off the ocean floor. You will need at minimum:

1) An area which crabs inhabit -
From what I can tell they're all over the Bay Area. In San Diego you won't find any. I think they like cold water.

2) An access point to get to the water -
A pier and/or boat work very well. I have had excellent success off piers and have never tried off a boat. The key is getting out to deeper water out of the tide pooling zone and having a relatively stable platform to work from.

3) A hoop net (bait cage optional although HIGHLY recommended) -

This is a hoop net


It's more or less two stainless steel rings with an interwoven nylon net. The bait cage (or bait box) is the black box fixed inside the net and securely attached at the bottom. Mine was $12, the bait cage was an additional $4. Call up tackle shops to purchase both these items.

4) Some rope -
I use generic clothesline rope (as pictured). I picked the cheapest one at Home Depot . Retrospectively, I should have purchased rope that wouldn't soak up water and take two days in the sun to dry. The length of your rope will depend on the depth at which you are fishing. You can always buy too much and save it for other projects. Familiarize yourself with fishing knots. More on this later.

5) Misc Hardware as Needed -
Be prepared to buy a couple more things at home depot while you're there. I would recommend a package of zip ties (whatever is cheapest) a metal ring (1/2 -1" diameter) I'll explain what this is for later as well.

6) Bait -
I'm still experimenting with types of bait. I've had exceptional success with chicken. Think of it this way, would you rather have a hot dog, or dinner at a fancy restaurant with exotic food? Crabs use the same logic. They want something unique, the smell of chicken attracts them and stands out. I see lots of "regulars" at the pier using squid and dead fish as bait and they come up empty handed almost every time. Trust me on this one, crabs dig chicken. Go to the store and get the cheapest chicken you can find. Don't spend more than 5 dollars as you will just be throwing it away. Get something with bones, the bones will make it difficult if not impossible for the crabs to suck the chicken out through the grill on the bait cage and run off with it. This increases the "Bait Reusability Factor" (BRF). Managing your BRF is important, the more fresh the bait - the stronger scent it emits through the water. Select a bone-containing chicken product that comes in small portions such as drumettes or wings. If you get drum sticks the price starts going up. The important thing to note is that you want something that gives you the flexibility to refresh the bait frequently with the least amount of cost. You could get a package of 15 chicken wings and it would allow you 15 bait changes. Quantity doesn't matter in your bait cage, it's the smell.


7) A Fishing license -
Without one, your little crab trip could cost you jail time. It's not worth it. Get the one for the Pacific Ocean only, it's $17, half the cost of the full license and good for a year.


8) A bucket to put your crabs in.


9)Munchies, a chair, maybe even a book, and some free time.

The Method -

First, assemble all of your pieces and parts. Take your rope and cut three identical pieces, you'll want to make them a little longer than a foot (12") so you have room to tie knots on both ends of it. Once you have your three pieces of rope, close your eyes and imagine a "peace" symbol, if you cannot envision that, try the mercedes logo. You're going to want to attach the three pieces of rope to the outer ring of your crab net so that when you stand directly over it the three pieces of rope form that symbol, converging at the center. Reinforce your knots with the zip ties. Make sure they will not easily slide around the outside of the crab net. you need to be able to throw this thing off a 15 foot pier and not have the knots shift on you. Next, pick up the loose rope ends in the center of your crab net and tie them to the metal ring. Reinforce with zip ties as necessary. If one of these breaks off, you'll lose your crabs. Lastly, take the rope you have left and tie it to the ring. This knot is _very_ critical. If this knot fails you lose the entire rig. Use the zip ties and pick a knot that will not unravel. I forget which knot i used at the time. Here's how it should look once you've finished.





When you lift it up, the whole thing should be balanced if you've done everything correctly. You can see in the photo above that mine is close, but not perfect as it leans to the left. As long as it is relatively balanced, you should be ok.


Now is the time to attach your bait cage, I used zip ties and detach the cage when not in use to avoid unnecessary strain on the net. Use about 3 or 4 zip ties and place it in the center of the inner ring.

Let's Do It -

Go find your pier/boat/kayak and take your new crabbing rig with you. Make sure you bring extra zip ties (10-15) and a utility knife or pair of utility scissors. Fill your catch bucket with water ahead of time before you even start fishing and get your snacks and chair out. Bring gloves if you want.. things get messy. Do not eat snacks with the same hands you catch the crabs with, that's just disgusting. Open up your bait cage and put in one or two pieces of the chicken bait you selected. This next step is important, zip tie all four sides of the lid shut. You would be right in assuming the crabs probably cant get the bait out with the standard neoprene fastening strap (standard on bait cages) but what you need to recognize is that lots of other animals like chicken too especially octopus. I nearly learned this the hard way when an octopus stretched the neoprene strap and stole my bait.. then I thought I would be clever and put a zip tie in place of the strap. Well, then the octopus found my rig again and decided to bend back the entire hinge side of the lid and when I pulled it back up the lid was dangling by one little zip tie. Needless to say, zip tie all four sides.

Grab the hoop in front of you so that the hoop is parallel with the ground and toss is like a giant frisbee into the water. Keep hold of the line and feed it out as needed. I try and avoid letting out excess line as it could get snagged etc. Once you feel the rope stop pulling, let out a little more, tie the excess to the pier somewhere, take a look at your watch, and eat your snacks.

Wait anywhere from 5-10 minutes (depending on your bait and the amount of crabs in the area) and then pull the rope up quickly but calmly. If you're lucky, you'll have crabs. Check to see if they're legal (Red Crabs need to be 4 inches across the back) and if they have both claws (more to eat) and you want to save them, drop them in the bucket. That's all there is to it really.



Final Words -


Once your done crabbing for the day, rinse everything off (especially the bait cage with the raw chicken) and wash your hands. Additionally, I store my crab net vertically with the bait cage detached and I took a piece of rope and tied the two steel rings together to avoid the constant pull of the lower ring on the net.


This guide is a work in progress, my future plans are to experiment with glow sticks, led lights, cameras, and putting a small float above the metal ring to keep the rope from falling on the net while under water. I don't know very much about crabs except that they are territorial since they fight in the bucket. With this being said, I don't think two large males will approach the bait cage at once.

Answer 4

hmmm