“Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.”
Crabbing is one of my favourite activities primarily because it does not require any skill, and you can do it while relaxing at a dock with a cold drink, or just leave the trap for a few hours to do something else, and then come back to see if you have dinner ready. To all the seafood lovers out there: did you know that with the purchase of a simple recreational fishing license online, you can go out and start to harvest seafood fresher than what you can get in the market – for free? Or nearly free – factoring in the one-time cost of the license which is anywhere from $20 – $60USD/per year depending on where you live.
Where I live in Canada, you can pay $22.98 CAD (approx. $18USD) for a tidalwater fishing license, and you can catch fish and crab daily for a whole year! Given the going rate for fresh crab at the market is typically $20 per pound in the local fish market, as I write this post in late 2021; getting your seafood for free is not only budget-friendly, but catching your own food is an extremely satisfying and exciting activity. If you have access to the ocean and can purchase a fishing license, the rest is easy.
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A few ground rules before you start crabbing:
- Always make sure you have the appropriate license in the jurisdiction where you intend to harvest crab
- Double-check the area that you’re planning to crab does not have any restrictions on crab harvesting – even when you have license in in a certain country or jurisdiction; some areas are restricted for commercial and recreational crab harvesting
- Understand the regulations regarding appropriate crab species and size of crab allowed to be harvested. For example in Canadian tidal waters, only male crabs are allowed to be harvested and they must be at least 165mm (6.5 inches) wide for Dungeness crabs and 115mm (4.6 inches) wide for Red Rock crabs. Any female or undersized crabs caught must be gently returned to the water as soon as possible.
Here are three ways to crab that are great for beginners:
- From a dock
- From a boat, kayak, canoe or SUP
- While snorkling
Crabbing from a dock:
Equipment needed:
- Hoop Trap
- 100 feet of crabbing rope
- Bait Bag
- Bait (raw chicken legs, giblets etc.)
- Crab Caliper
- Cooler
- Camping chair and another cooler full of drinks (optional)
This is one of my favourite ways to crab just because it’s so assessible (no boat required or getting into the water at all), and it’s a fun way to pass time while sitting on the dock and enjoying a few drinks while pulling up the traps every 15 – 20 minutes. I recommend using the hoop-style traps for crabbing from the docks as their simple designs are quite fool-proof when it comes to uneven surfaces on the ocean floor. They kind of lay flat wherever they land and then once you pull them up, the sides quickly envelop the crabs inside when you pull them up. Another popular option are these folding traps – but they can become a bit finicky/useless if they land the wrong way when you throw them in – especially on uneven surfaces on the ocean floor. Most experienced crabbers would recommend the hoop design traps for their simplicity and high yield. Jens and I caught large “keeper” crabs in our first two throws while crabbing from a dock with these traps!
To start, get yourself situated at a dock that allows for crabbing. Secure one end of your 100ft of crabbing line to the end of your hoop trap (the fisherman’s knot is a good way to do this), and secure the other end of the rope to the dock so you don’t lose your trap once you throw it in. Place a chicken leg or something of equivalent size in your bait bag, and connect it to the metal bottom of your hoop trap, using the hook closure, and tie the other end down as well. Close the bait bag tightly and make sure it’s well secured to your trap so you don’t lose your bait bag.
Throw the trap into the water and let it soak for 15 – 20 minutes. Once the waiting time has elapsed, quickly pull the rope up to trap crabs inside. Use your crab caliper to measure your crab and only keep the crab that meet the legal catch requirements for the jurisdiction for which you possess a crabbing license.
Crabbing from a boat, kayak or SUP:
Equipment needed:
- Folding 4 door cage trap
- Bouy with 100 feet of crabbing rope
- Bait Bag
- Bait (raw chicken legs, giblets etc.)
- Crab Caliper
- Cooler
**Note you can buy everything you need more economically in a kit (including trap, with 100 feet of crabbing rope, bait bag, caliper). Double kits are even more economical.
I recommend a 4 door box trap set-up if crabbing from a boat, kayak, or SUP as you can leave the trap for a few hours and come back to it, rather than pull it up every 15 – 20 minutes like you do with a hoop trap. This set-up is great, if you want to drop a trap or two off before going on a boating/kayak/SUP excursion and just check on it once at the end of the day.
As you’re leaving the trap in the middle of the water, your set-up will require a labelled bouy – usually your name and phone number need to be written clearly on the bouy in case someone needs to call you about your trap, and the bouy is required so other boaters know there is a trap and line in that location.
As you’re leaving your trap for longer, I would fill the bait bag with 2-3 chicken legs (or equivalent size of meat bait), attach it inside your crab trap, head out to the water and drop it off. You can use apps like NAVIONICS to make sure you don’t drop your trap somewhere too deep.
Once a few hours have passed, pull your crab trap up and sort, measure crabs according to the legal catch regulations of your jurisdiction.
Crabbing while swimming/snorkeling:
Equipment required:
- Short-handled fishing net (ideally with a wrist-loop)
- Neoprene diving gloves (optional protection against potential pinching)
If you’re an avid diver, swimmer or snorkeler, simply bring a fishing net with you on your next swim. This is the most economical option to catch crab – free if you already have a fishing net, or just buy a cheap fishing net for about $20 and you’re good to go! Most fishing licenses will allow you to harvest crab by hand. Simply scoop up the crab with your net on your next swim/snorkel/dive and if they meet the legal catch regulations, swim back with dinner.