Thompson Beach is well known for its blue swimmer crabs, which can be harvested during October, November, December, January, February, March and April. I’m told from the beginning of October until November is when the crabs are considered to be at their most tasty and in the best condition.
What is the best time to catch blue swimmer crabs?
Best times for crabbing for Blue Swimmer crabs
The best time to head out is at low tide and follow the incoming tide back to shore. You should not need to go out much deeper than your knees or slightly higher but depending on the weather and your own temperature sensor, you may go out deeper if game.
What is the best month to go crabbing in?
The primary season for all crab species is October to January, when they are often at their largest and populations are highest after spawning. Some regions even stretch crabbing season into July.
What season are crabs most active?
Crabs can be caught all year, but become inactive, and therefore more difficult to catch in winter when water temperature falls below 50-55 degrees. The best time of year to harvest large, heavy crabs is usually from October to December.
What is the best bait for blue swimmer crabs?
Bait is required for crabbing with a net. Bait attracts Crabs to the net and keeps them inside the net before the net is pulled in.
Our favoured baits for Blue Swimmer Crabs are:
- Flathead Heads.
- Whiting Heads.
- Carp.
- Salted or Brined Pilchards.
Can you catch blue swimmer crabs all year round?
Available year round with peaks from November to April.
Can you catch blue swimmers in winter?
It depends on water temp, if it’s still warm, there’s crabs, when it cools off, they disappear, during winter you will still get the odd one, you just have to decide if it’s worth the effort, right now, there’s plenty around, and winter is only a few days away.
Do blue crabs like warm or cold water?
As a generality, crabs are more dormant and less likely to be caught during colder climate. Crabs are more inactive in waters that are about 50 to 55 degrees Fahrenheit. They tend to hide in the mud as opposed to swimming around, actively searching for food. Crabs thrive in warmer waters closer to 70-75 degrees.
Is it better to go crabbing at night or day?
Crabs are nocturnal, making nighttime the best time to go crabbing. It’s a relaxing experience and you usually have the water to yourself. Nighttime crabbers also have a secret weapon: flashlights. Crabs are drawn to the light, which makes for a large catch.
What’s the best bait for crabbing?
Crab bait: Crabs are notoriously greedy and have a super sense of smell, so the smellier the bait the better. Firm favourites are raw liver, bacon, sardines, squid and fish heads (if they are a couple of days old then even better!), all of which can be found at local butchers and fishmongers throughout the region.
What temperature do blue crabs come out of the mud?
After burrowing into the mud or sand at the water bottom, the crustaceans lie dormant for the winter months. While not technically considered hibernation, dormant crabs remain inactive until water temperatures rise above around 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
Are blue crabs more active at night?
Blue crabs, like many predators, are more active after dark. They emerge from eelgrass and weeds where they hide during the day to scuttle close to shorelines and snatch spearing and mummichogs or scavenge fallen fish. This brings them into knee- to waist-deep water, often right against the shoreline or sod bank.
Do blue crabs like shallow or deep water?
Crabs move in and out with the tides just like the fish do. Make sure the depth is no deeper than 10 feet. If you’re an inexperienced boater and don’t want to venture too deep into the bays, the easiest areas to crab will be right outside the deeper troughs in the estuaries.
Do crabs like smoked bacon?
2. Then you need to bait your crabbing line with a big chunk of bacon. Crabs prefer their bacon smoked.
Where do blue swimmer crabs go in winter?
Estuarine crabs tend to spawn later in summer, having moved to the sea or the estuary mouth during the winter rains.
How long can you leave blue crabs in a trap?
You don’t want to leave your crab traps in the water for more than six to eight hours, since once the bait is gone the crabs will turn on each other, often resulting in one large survivor-crab.
How long will blue crabs stay alive in a trap?
Each trap can last up to seven years, continually killing and rebaiting itself. This process, called ghost fishing, affects every major fishery worldwide. In the Chesapeake Bay, these derelict pots capture and kill about 3.3 million blue crabs per year, amounting to nearly 5 percent of the bay’s commercial harvest.
What is the best water temperature to catch blue crabs?
Blue crab growth is regulated by water temperature. Growth occurs when water temperatures are above 59°F (15°C).
What tide is best for blue crabbing?
Slack water (the time around high or low tide) is the best time to crab. During slack water, crabs are generally walking around and foraging since they are not getting pushed around by tidal exchange.
How often should you check crab nets?
It’s mostly agreed upon to check your crab traps, or pots, every 6 to 36 hours, depending on how soon you want your catch. Waiting any longer than 36 hours may lead to your crabs starving or someone stealing your catch.
How many blue swimmer crabs can I catch?
Blue Swimmer Crab: Legal length: 6.5cm. Daily bag limit: 10 (20 in possession). Mud Crab: Legal length: 8.5cm. Daily Bag limit: 5.