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Crabbing The Last Few Months: What I Have Learned

Angus

By Angus
in Saltwater

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Angus Rookie

Angus

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This was one from just last weekend...

So since last December I have put a bit of effort into crabbing around the bayside and Northern NSW when visiting in laws. In my years I have been known to throw a pot or two in the water but it has always been something on the periphery of fishing rather than any sort of dedicated process. While I had a bit of time (ha) on paternity leave I decided to change this and spend some time really focusing on crabs.

So my previous “ha” was in relation to finding I had far less time than I thought I would. Tanya is actually brilliant but the fact of the matter is I like spending time with the wee lad and have scaled back the extent of my weekend missions accordingly. So with short windows on offer I really focussed on land based bayside missions. I knew this would be a challenge as logic would dictate that easily accessed locations be over fished. Well logic has a funny way of being to obvious and I was to learn that there were many overlooked nooks and crannies right under my nose.

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On finding them…

Google maps have been a big asset in my searches and I have combed every possible access point where one can pull up in a car, bash through some mangroves and set the pots. One thing in regard to overlooking certain areas is I suggest giving anywhere a crack. One of the biggest crabs I caught for the campaign was right a the bottom of my street in a very unassuming little trickly of a creek.

Some decent crab sign... Under an urban bridge...

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Finding signs of crabs has become a real focus for me and an extra 5-10 minutes looking for holes goes a long way. Now of course there are probably countless holes under overhanging banks etc that are not easily seen but my thought process with crabbing in line up as many aces as you can. It is not like lure fishing where you just move… Once a pot is in overnight you have very little control from that point so you might as well maximize chances early. The less foot prints in the mud the better as well.

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Flats can also be as good as creeks. Standing permanent water seems appealing but I have had some success walking pots out onto mangrove covered flats at low and leaving for an overnight high. They are not that likely to be raided as it is pretty hard and easily hidden on low lying mangrove plants. The crabs obviously come out over night, crawl in and are waiting in the morning. I try to set my pots late in the evening and retrieve early to ensure my efforts are not noticed and so the crab doesn’t suffer high and dry longer than needed.  

On baits…

Mullet has been a top bait for me but can start adding up putting a fresh mullet in each pot each day. Salmon heads are a new favourite and a fraction of the cost at a lot of seafood markets. Also during fishing adventures down in NSW whiting and bream frames work just fine. Most importantly setting them well in the pot I think is critical. To be honest the first few times (and certainly in the past) when I set my pots I was sometimes guilty of just throwing bait in.

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Quite a few times I can back to baitless pots with no crabs. You can theorize as to what did this all day long from little bream to crabs eating the baits from the outside… But the point is you do not know. This comes back to maximising your chance during the times you have control. I now fix my baits on the bottom of the pots with bits of wire or zip ties (if the pots no longer have their own contraption for this).

On kayaking…

I have found kayaking pots into hard to reach places an awesome option. So many sweet crabbing creeks are inaccessible from the bank due to thick vegetation and also inaccessible to boats due to being way to narrow. It is fiddly but worth taking the kayak option.

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Advice is to not overload as it is far more effort than worth. 2 pots is currently my preference. Also when setting, do so near some sort of bank you can get out on if needed. This will help set the pot, but is critical if you have crabs to get out, or baits to reset. A hessian bag is an awesome option as well as the crabs stay pretty quiet once you get them in and is far more practical in a kayak than a bucket or whatever.

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On cooking…

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I keep meaning to try new ways but to be honest… Mud crab, white bread and nice butter is very very hard to beat. My neighbours scored a crab off me they did an amazing pasta with but I have been loathe to complicate them to much yet. I have researched chilli crab etc and it looks amazing… But I think I need a serious surplus before I am trying this!

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When boiling I often put them to sleep in the freezer first. Not only does ease the conscious a little, I find a fresh crab dropped straight into boiling water loses its legs very easily. A simple time frame I read once and has worked every time is to bring the water to the boil, put the crab in, wait 20 minutes and your good.

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On Identification...

So obviously you cannot keep females in QLD but you can in NSW. They are easily told apart in any case. The claws are quite different but the easiest way is the flap under the body. The males is narrower while the females covers nearly the whole body...

MALE

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FEMALE

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Anyway this report is in no way designed to sound like an expert rather to share my own learning curve.

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I look forward to learning more as I go!

Cheers.

Angus

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Old Scaley Mentor

Old Scaley

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Great report @Angus.  One thing to check out if you are land based - I think you are legally required to make sure the pots are still covered by water at low tide.  Just on the cooking, I like to clean the crabs before I cook them and then it is bring the water to a boil, throw in the crabs and once it comes back to the boil allow 7 minutes for a sand crab and 10 for a muddie. Straight into an ice slurry to stop the cooking process, then into the freezer for a further 5 minutes and you are ready for a treat. 

Like @Drop Bear I love doing a chilli crab but like you I find it hard to go past the plain old boiled crab with fresh bread and butter washed down with a freezing cold beer or a good drip white wine. Ah, happy days.

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Angus Rookie

Angus

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16 minutes ago, Old Scaley said:

Great report @Angus.  One thing to check out if you are land based - I think you are legally required to make sure the pots are still covered by water at low tide.  Just on the cooking, I like to clean the crabs before I cook them and then it is bring the water to a boil, throw in the crabs and once it comes back to the boil allow 7 minutes for a sand crab and 10 for a muddie. Straight into an ice slurry to stop the cooking process, then into the freezer for a further 5 minutes and you are ready for a treat. 

Like @Drop Bear I love doing a chilli crab but like you I find it hard to go past the plain old boiled crab with fresh bread and butter washed down with a freezing cold beer or a good drip white wine. Ah, happy days.

Thanks ill check the high and dry rules! 

Define cleaning?

Mine literally go from pot to freezer to pot (of the other variety)...

 

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Old Scaley Mentor

Old Scaley

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43 minutes ago, Angus said:

Thanks ill check the high and dry rules! 

Define cleaning?

Mine literally go from pot to freezer to pot (of the other variety)...

 

Rip the carapace off, break the remainder into 2 halves or even 4 quarters for big muddies, then scrape away all the gooey bits and those rubbery lung bits. Just gives the crab a cleaner look and taste. You can rinse them in fresh salt water if available but avoid rinsing in tap water.  Always cook in salt water, either from the sea or by adding table salt to tap water.

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tugger Enthusiast

tugger

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Great topic very timely as this time of year is great for crabbing top report and if I can give a bit of knolledge on weather the crabs are going to be full or not a few good tips are look at their colour, that picture at the top of your report with the chocolate brown shell he would have been close to chockers and if they have the maltese cross on the under side of their body it is full to the brim. The greener the more likely to be half empty and another way is to give the shell a pinch just under the tips where you measure the crab and if it is hard it is full the softer shell their it is likely to be less meat in it. Robbie and I are going to hit up some crabs out from Redland bay soon we will drop the pots in before we going hunting the prawns again and will have a report of the day so stay tuned for more crusty crustaceans.

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Angus Rookie

Angus

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8 hours ago, kmcrosby78 said:

Awesome post @Angus - good information and just good to see that success can be had locally if effort is put in. Something I'm looking forward to doing plenty of with my boys - especially once we (hopefully) move to your neck of the woods :) 

There is a house in my street that just came on market. Has a man cave with keg attachment :)

 

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kmcrosby78 Mentor

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14 hours ago, Angus said:

There is a house in my street that just came on market. Has a man cave with keg attachment :)

 

Hmmmmmmm ...... :) Sadly I think 'we' have decided it will be in about 7 years now once our youngest starts at Iona. Comfortable here, good school and less travel to the city for the missus. Oh why must we be so logical/sensible ......... :no:

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Drop Bear Community Regular

Drop Bear

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12 hours ago, kmcrosby78 said:

Hmmmmmmm ...... :) Sadly I think 'we' have decided it will be in about 7 years now once our youngest starts at Iona. Comfortable here, good school and less travel to the city for the missus. Oh why must we be so logical/sensible ......... :no:

We should do that too... oh well

 

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Angus Rookie

Angus

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2 hours ago, Luvit said:

A great read and thread Angus. 

Much appreciated mate. took as much advice as I could from the what do you look for in a report thread.

Time to bring back some cracking reads as I really do enjoy reading what my AFO fishing peers write vs magazines and Facebook spam.

Angus

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