As summertime arrives, you may find yourself caught between deciding if you wish to keep fishing or try your luck at catching crabs. For people who enjoy hauling in a couple of fish over the weekends for fun, it may be time to switch things up and try luring crabs for once.
Luckily, you don’t always need to have professional experience to give crabbing a chance. Keep reading below to find out the ways you can throw in your line and wait for the crabs to take the bait and hopefully serve as your next dinner.
Hand-Lining
Hand-lining is also known as chicken-necking. It’s a fishing method that people in Maryland are accustomed to practicing, as well as anyone else in America that’s interested in using a mere kite string and net to start catching crabs.
Another great thing about this kind of fishing tactic is you don’t need to have fishing experience, a license, nor spend money on expensive fishing equipment. In fact, the only things you require are a ball of string, net, and bait for the crab.
Some people prefer using a chicken neck, while others opt for a fish head from their last catch to set up as bait. What you need to do is secure your bait on one end of the string, throw it in the water until it hits the bottom, and wait patiently for the crabs to yank your line. Just make sure to have your net ready once you feel them tugging and slowly pull up your string to avoid scaring the crab away.
Snap-Trapping
Snap-trapping is often called collapsible-trapping or jerk-trapping. It involves setting up a device that captures crabs by leaving its sides open until the crab takes the bait, allowing you to pull on your line and shut the sides tight.
Many people who rent fishing boats to catch crabs prefer snap-trapping as their method because it’s a practice that’s perfect for beginners since it doesn’t require any experience. Besides that, if you find yourself fishing in shallow waters deep enough for trot-lining, throwing in a snap-trap is more useful, especially if the crabs aren’t visible enough from the surface.
You can use snap-traps anywhere you plan to catch crabs—from piers, docks, bridges, or fishing boats. Renting a Panga lets you bring along your jerk-trap as you look forward to luring crabs to your makeshift cage, so long as you remember to place bait inside it.
Trot-Lining
Trot-lining is a fishing method that helps the more advanced individuals catch crabs that can fill a whole basket rather than focusing on a small number. It requires plenty of practice and time to hone your skills and get used to it and will involve investing some money to buy the right equipment and a proper Panga boat.
Moreover, trot-lining involves preparing an adequate amount of bait to ensure you don’t run out of it when you need it the most. Since a standard trot-line is 1,200 feet, you will need to hang bait on it every 5-6 feet to guarantee the crabs stay on your line.
You will also be using floats and anchors, setting them up on both ends of your line. In addition, you have to use a stick in the shape of a U to keep everything in place and prevent your setup from breaking loose.
Conclusion
Whether you decide to go for hand-lining, snap-trapping, or trot-lining, the important thing is to avoid putting pressure on yourself the moment you fail to catch crabs the first time around. If you’re a beginner, like fishing, it will take some time and patience to learn. Fortunately, catching crabs isn’t impossible, so long as you enjoy what you’re doing and you’re motivated to keep going until you get your hands on what you want.
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