Well we have here in Florida our own Crabbing, not as ferocious as Alaska and not done from a boat but none the less a rock and rolling time.

Well there is three types I know you can get in south Florida that are delicious, Stone, Blueclaw, Calico-“Speckled Crab”, for the most part the Calico-“Speckled Crab” is most abundant all year and also keep in mind regulations on Stone and Blue claw crabs.

Well my purpose for getting crabs has always been for bait but in the past years I have done so well I decided to start bringing crabs home for the wife and family.

All traps work and even a chicken leg on a string and a net, I will go into this in a little depth.

Bait:
Ocean Crabbing: spanish mackerel is my favorite but I will use sardines, jacks, ladyfish, blues.
Backwater-ICW Crabbing: Chicken is my favorite but will use the fish I mentioned in ocean crabbing

Traps vary from Round, triangle, box, walk in and don’t walk out traps, I prefer the walk in and don’t walk out, similar to roach motels.
I have gotten accustomed to Promar collapsible Crab and fish traps 36 inch

these are made of a heavy metal wire and coated with plastic, they have slits in each end and so crabs walk in and can’t walk out. The round, box and triangle work but when working the ocean I see a lot walking away and that is why I changed to walk in and don’t walk out traps.

Placement of traps
Ocean
Stone crab and Blues I find them around rocky areas Reefs and Jetties.
Calico-“Speckled Crab” and Blues from the waters edge at the beach out to the first sand bar, most of these crabs are moving in the trough.

Now when it comes to working the ocean I like it to have just a little color, they will move on clear water but I definitely get a lot more when there is color, tide has never seemed to matter but current is everything, no current no crabs.

Backwater – ICW
As long as you have 2 feet of water over that trab the crabs will find it, off bridges is always good.

Backwater – ICW Shoreline I use the age old methods of a chicken leg on a string and toss out and slowly bring it back in after 5mins and have my net ready to scoop what comes with it.

I prefer the end of the incoming and 2 hours after high tide.

So what do you do with these crabs, well remove all small ones and freeze for bait for use at a later date.

Large ones get that pot of water boiling and get yourself some Zatarians Crab Boil Spices.

Toss that into the water and add some corn, artichokes, Pototoes, a couple of lemons and add the crabs, boil for 5 to 10 minutes and remove when done.

Get your Beer ready and a large tray to put your crabs on and start cracking open those crabs and all the extra stuff you put in and enjoy your fresh caught food.

Nothing like fresh crabs Mmmmmm Good.