I'm off to the coast at the weekend and was thinking of chucking a few crab lines out...... What should I use as bait?
Ed
Ed
Crab Fishing
- Thread starter Ed
- Start date
Anything that won't fall apart after being submerged for a while. It also has to be strong enough to hold the weight of the crab without breaking apart when you lift it out of the water. The chicken sounds like a good idea as the bones keep it together. The fish is also good, freshish so it has some strength.
I've seen em grab onto bits of cloth.
I remember when I was a kid, using shellfish, limpets, muscles, welks and such. The meat is pretty tough.
I remember when I was a kid, using shellfish, limpets, muscles, welks and such. The meat is pretty tough.
I had a holiday at Wells Next The Sea in Norfolk this year, where crabbing is the normal way of keeping the kids quiet for a few hours.
The state of the art is to put your bait, usually bacon/gammon scraps, into on of those little net baggies you get with washing powder tablets these days. It seems to give the crabs something better to grip onto as you pull them in.
Dave
The state of the art is to put your bait, usually bacon/gammon scraps, into on of those little net baggies you get with washing powder tablets these days. It seems to give the crabs something better to grip onto as you pull them in.
Dave
does anyone know which types of crab you can eat in this country or can you eat them all??
also how do you remove the dead mens fingers?? (the bit your not supposed to eat)
also how do you remove the dead mens fingers?? (the bit your not supposed to eat)
10 out of 10 MartiniDave the baggies worked a treat :-D Most successful technique out of all the ones I tried.... they loved the bacon.
diabolik.... Dressing crabs (and removing the dead mans fingers) is a bit like identifying poisonous fungi, ie... if you learn it from a book or pics on a forum you may be unsure what you are doing... if you make a mistake... you could be very ill or make a complete mess of the crab. Best if you can get someone to show you, you will learn alot quicker and can ask questions if you are unsure. Bug your local fishmonger if you have to (and have one) they always seem happy to talk shop... or anyone on a beach fishing for crabs ...
Saying that, its very easy to learn, and when shown once you wont forget. I don't know any websites off hand on this subject... if I come accross any, I'll post a link.
If all else fails, get yourself a good seafood cookbook and try and catch a sea food cooking program or two on the subject.... they are always pulling the legs off of crabs. The dead mens fingers themselves are just the feathery gills/lungs which can be just cut out with a knife.
Ed
diabolik.... Dressing crabs (and removing the dead mans fingers) is a bit like identifying poisonous fungi, ie... if you learn it from a book or pics on a forum you may be unsure what you are doing... if you make a mistake... you could be very ill or make a complete mess of the crab. Best if you can get someone to show you, you will learn alot quicker and can ask questions if you are unsure. Bug your local fishmonger if you have to (and have one) they always seem happy to talk shop... or anyone on a beach fishing for crabs ...
Saying that, its very easy to learn, and when shown once you wont forget. I don't know any websites off hand on this subject... if I come accross any, I'll post a link.
If all else fails, get yourself a good seafood cookbook and try and catch a sea food cooking program or two on the subject.... they are always pulling the legs off of crabs. The dead mens fingers themselves are just the feathery gills/lungs which can be just cut out with a knife.
Ed
went coast fishing when i was bout 12-13 with dad and a couple of uncles. did a bit of fishing off a bridge along the coast. all we caught off the bridge was crabs, had two buckes of the things but the end of the day. we were using rag worms as bait(supposed to be for the fishes!) so you could try that.
steve
steve
First thing I have never dressed a crab, but searching the web I was shocked to find that Mrs "grain perfect recipes" Delia, has quite a good pictorial on her web site http://www.deliaonline.com/cookeryschool/howto/how_0000000066.asp on how to dress a crab.
Must have a go.
Must have a go.
If you are using lines and staying with them then any smelly meat/dog food/ fish/bacon will do, I prefer to wrap it all in a net bag like the ones garlic and vegetables come in. Then you attract them without losing much of the bait. The bag also helps to entangle them when you haul them in.
If you make a trap then canned dog/cat food is good, pierce the tin in several plces to let the flavours out then use whole, its better left to ripen(stink) for a few days. I have only caught green shore crabs from jetties using these baits and havn`t wanted to eat them as they are so small.
The larger crabs that are normally eaten are usually caught by fishermen further out.
If you make a trap then canned dog/cat food is good, pierce the tin in several plces to let the flavours out then use whole, its better left to ripen(stink) for a few days. I have only caught green shore crabs from jetties using these baits and havn`t wanted to eat them as they are so small.
The larger crabs that are normally eaten are usually caught by fishermen further out.
1
1987_uk
Guest
when i wuz yonger i found that the best bait for crabs is fish, just go 2 the nearest fish market or sum sort ov stall n asks 4 scraps. its the best bait u can get trust me good luck !
I always thought you could only eat Cromer or Velvet crabs ,but earlier this year i saw box's of little green shore crabs bound for France!
As for dressing crabs ,if you have enough just eat the big toes and the legs.
One way to catch crabs is at low water with a "cleek".
A cleek is a wire coat hanger or slightly thicker wire if you have it with a hook made at one end.Prod around under large boulders ,and overhangs and keep listening for a sounds of movement.
If you hear a crab "scuttle" ,pull the cleek out quickly and try to hook the crab ,sometimes the crab will have caught you as it tries to attack the wire.
Largest cromer crabs are usually furthest out at slack water.
I have seen local fishermen use this method for years.
They make it look easy but it's hard ,wet work.
I have had some success but usually shoot a few lobster pots in the summer to catch them.
Has anyone eaten sea urchins?
I used to gather them and boil them up over an open fire in a tin bucket to clean them out just as ornaments but i have been told they are edible.
As for dressing crabs ,if you have enough just eat the big toes and the legs.
One way to catch crabs is at low water with a "cleek".
A cleek is a wire coat hanger or slightly thicker wire if you have it with a hook made at one end.Prod around under large boulders ,and overhangs and keep listening for a sounds of movement.
If you hear a crab "scuttle" ,pull the cleek out quickly and try to hook the crab ,sometimes the crab will have caught you as it tries to attack the wire.
Largest cromer crabs are usually furthest out at slack water.
I have seen local fishermen use this method for years.
They make it look easy but it's hard ,wet work.
I have had some success but usually shoot a few lobster pots in the summer to catch them.
Has anyone eaten sea urchins?
I used to gather them and boil them up over an open fire in a tin bucket to clean them out just as ornaments but i have been told they are edible.
You can also eat brown crabs (also known as edible crabs), and spider crabs as well as the green shore crabs ;-)
Ed
I have never heard of any poisonous crabs in the UK.
I work a dozen pots in the summer months. I mainly catch Spider crabs which are great eating especially the males with huge claws, often much larger than the edible (Brown) crab. I dont rate the paste inside too much. Spiders are regularly fished for by commercial fishermen in the UK and shipped to the continent. Velvet crabs are good eating but you dont get much. I once made a Green shore crab soup and wasnt impressed with the bitter taste of the meat. My favourite crab to eat has to be the spider crab. The shell can sometimes be hard to crack, but the meat tastes really nice. They are common and can grow to some shocking sizes. (Dustbin lid)
Rapidboy
What type of pots do you use?
:-D
I work a dozen pots in the summer months. I mainly catch Spider crabs which are great eating especially the males with huge claws, often much larger than the edible (Brown) crab. I dont rate the paste inside too much. Spiders are regularly fished for by commercial fishermen in the UK and shipped to the continent. Velvet crabs are good eating but you dont get much. I once made a Green shore crab soup and wasnt impressed with the bitter taste of the meat. My favourite crab to eat has to be the spider crab. The shell can sometimes be hard to crack, but the meat tastes really nice. They are common and can grow to some shocking sizes. (Dustbin lid)
Rapidboy
What type of pots do you use?
:-D
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