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Catching Blue Crabs on the Alabama Gulf Coast

Crabbing is a good family activity. Unlike fishing, which can be unproductive for hours, crabbing during the right time of day, in the right place, usually offers instant gratification.

By Bill ColemanPublished 3 years ago 3 min read
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Terry Cove, Orange Beach

Catching blue crabs on the Alabama Gulf Coast is easy.

The learning curve is small, and anybody can learn the basics within minutes. Of course, like anything else the more practice, the more crabs you will take home, but even the most experienced crabbers are not any better than the novice at enticing crabs. It all comes down to knowing the best spots and having the right equipment.

Crabbing is a good family activity. Unlike fishing, which can be unproductive for hours, crabbing during the right time of day, in the right place, usually offers instant gratification. Most kids never get fidgety when they are crabbing.

I have never seen a kid that was not fascinated with sea creatures.

On warm summer nights, just after dark, the Alabama Gulf Coast beaches are teeming with children and their parents chasing cute little sand crabs. On your next vacation help your kids catch and release a few sand crabs, and the next day help them catch a basket of fierce-looking blue crabs. You can turn them loose as you did the sand crabs, or, if you have access to a kitchen while on vacation, you can have them for dinner.

There are many methods of catching blue crabs. All of them are productive and all of them are fun. More crabs are harvested with crab baskets than any other way. Baskets can be purchased at tackle shops near the beaches for less than $20. You can also find them at some mass merchandisers, but these establishments usually have less selection and less guidance. Since they are so cheap, it might be a good idea to buy more than one type.

Blue crabs are found in the back bays and passes during warm weather.

During cold weather, you will not find crabs anywhere.

Your baskets can be dropped from bridges, seawalls, and docks. You can even wade out from the shore and drop your basket; attach a float to mark the spot.

Another method is a hand line. This is fishing at its most basic-- you do not even need a hook. Just tie a piece of bait to a line. Attach a sinker near the bait, and then wait on a crab to find it. When you see or feel one, gently pull the feeding crab towards the shore. When he gets close enough, net him. Use a long net, but not so long that it is difficult to control (for most adults less than six feet). If possible, use a net with nylon mesh. It is much more difficult for a crab to crawl out of nylon.

Crabbing at night is very productive. Leave your baskets out overnight and check them in the morning. During the day, the most productive time is early in the morning or late afternoon.

Crabs will eat just about anything, so you can use what is handy and cheap.

If you have been fishing, use the parts of the fish that you would otherwise throw away. Pinfish, croakers, finger mullet, and other small fish also make good bait. Serious crabbers buy chicken necks and bull lips at the butcher shop. Packaged crab bait can be bought at tackle shops and even over the Internet.

Be careful when handling crabs. Do not approach them from the front. Grab and hold them from the back. Crab pincers can hurt.

If you plan on cooking your crabs, you are going to need a container to keep them alive. Don't take dead crabs home unless you are very sure when they expired, and it wasn't so long ago that they are unsafe to consume. Ask your tackle shop about proper containers.

Blue crabs are abundant on the Alabama Gulf Coast, but since they are both recreational and commercially valuable, there are laws regulating size and quantity.

One important thing to remember when you are enjoying other water recreation on the coast: Don't disturb crab baskets that belong to someone else. Some crabbers are overly sensitive about having their baskets pulled from the water, even if it is just to satisfy curiosity. It is also against the law and some people do get in trouble.

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About the Creator

Bill Coleman

Hello! I am a traveler, outdoorsman, and writer.

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