what to use as crab bait

[poppa smurf]

being in gods country we are of course blessed with an abundance of goodies simply waiting to be plucked from our very surrounds almost within arms grasp

one of these "gifts" from god is the blue swimmer crab.........I have chased these delectable mobile meat factory since I was a boy (more years than I care to state)

anyhoo! been a while since I did any chasing and apparently the rules have changed......not allowed "meat" in my crabnets any more.....the audacity of governmental interference simply beggers belief

apparently the meat brings the sharks who then eat the hippies that like to surf our shores....well I say if you swim in their bath tub then you join the food chain

anyway.......what do i use in my nets now......what do you folks use.....what is recommended......what success have you had lately

what works......tommies.....shyties (trumpeters) or fish heads from the fish shop

[T4ME]

I find whiting heads to be the best.

If I cant get those then whatever other fish heads are around will be used.
Usually a good portion of flesh is left behind the head on most head scraps and using the eye socket pathway is good for tying them up to the net.

[xr gr8]

Sheep necks! That's lamb not meat!

[05_ENFORCER]

Fish heads for sure.

Gone are the days of using rabbit

.

[poppa smurf]

I used to pick up hare road kill.....the blood was potent and the meat was good.....if there were a couple of maggots in the carcass, well that was a bonus for catching garfish

but mum wont come with me now if I pick them up and I also had a young feller in a uniform tell me I wasn't to use red meat then he knicked it

spoilsports are ruining all the basic pleasures in life

so anyway, these fish heads, how long do they last with 2 foot blue swimmers hanging off them.....we got some big ones here

last one i pulled up, going back a while now, belted me around the head, stuck me in a full nelson, pinched my nose and jumped back in the water shaking his claw at me

[The Yeti]

I just use fish heads and stuff I get from the cleaning table

[saam]

well what about chicken?

I didnt know you couldnt use meat..... when did this law come in?

[poppa smurf]

Originally Posted by saam

well what about chicken?

I didnt know you couldnt use meat..... when did this law come in?

fair while ago apparently......now i'm not sure if it just covers red meat or all meat

no offal at all to be returned to the sea.....dont know how the the big trawlers get on when they dump tons of "by catch" over the side

but looks like fish heads are the go.....I'll steal a bit of time over the weekend and take the apples of my eyes out (grandkids to the uninitiated)...the little one is a bit small yet to go out with Pop!

[supershifty]

I got best results with fresh fish frames head on (you know - after the fillets are taken off) from the local fresh seafood joint - particularly mullet frames. Easy to wire into the pot/suicide dilly with a couple of bits of wire around the spine.

Used to cost me around $5 for 10 or so good size frames - did me for the day. We've got a 4 pot per person deal in QLD, can't take jennies either - that's not a bad thing.

Happy crabbing Poppa!

Edit: It's a fallacy that cats make for good crab bait.

[2011G6E]

Easy:

Stop in at any supermarket, pick up some cans of home brand sardines in oil (in oil, not spring water, not tomato sauce), and put one in each pot, punching a few holes in the top of the tin with a knife.

The bait lasts for ages, the strong "smell" brings in crabs from miles around, and lasts for a fair while too as fish can't get in and nibble the bait away.

Works a treat on Red Claw too for those of us too far inland to get hold of mud or sand crabs...

[xr gr8]

Originally Posted by supershifty

Edit: It's a fallacy that cats make for good crab bait.

......I bet the theory has been tested many many times though!

[ea90gl]

We used to use chicken frames back in the day to varying degrees of success, not sure if you still can but might be worth giving it a shot

[poppa smurf]

ah! cats in the net.....good idea, it'd be a hell of a fight to get them in there, then I doubt the little buggers would stay there??....

I made a blue, told the kids i was taking them out on the weekend........now they wont go to bed!!!

I like the idea of sardines.....I'm gonna give that a go, I had heard of folks using canned dog food or similar on the Murray chasing yabbies, or as you southerners call them.....crayfish....never tried that

I reckon chicken frames would be on the banned list......I must get some more info on what is and what isn't allowed and where

I will poke my nose in to our fish monger and grab some frames as well, sounds like a plan......so sardines and fish on the menu.....sounds better than some of the meals I've had at some restaurants

[poppa smurf]

just had a squizz on the fisheries website and came across this......

quote......."Bait or berley
When baiting for crabs, fishers are permitted to use fish or fish based products only. It is illegal to use bone, meat, offal or the skin of an animal including birds.

The legislation applying to the use of bait in crab nets has changed recently". ...... end quote

the full legislation can be found here.....

http://www.pir.sa.gov.au/fisheries/r..._species/crabs

so looks like chicken and cats are out....

[FPV+fteT3]

Originally Posted by 2011G6E

Easy:

Stop in at any supermarket, pick up some cans of home brand sardines in oil (in oil, not spring water, not tomato sauce), and put one in each pot, punching a few holes in the top of the tin with a knife.

The bait lasts for ages, the strong "smell" brings in crabs from miles around, and lasts for a fair while too as fish can't get in and nibble the bait away.

Works a treat on Red Claw too for those of us too far inland to get hold of mud or sand crabs...

We use this except we use no name cat food and pierce the top of the tins works on blue swimmers and muddies the bait lasts for ages. leave the witches hats out overnight pull them up in the early morning.

[sarrge2001]

Originally Posted by poppa smurf

.......last one i pulled up, going back a while now, belted me around the head, stuck me in a full nelson, pinched my nose and jumped back in the water shaking his claw at me

pffft.......you're lucky it was only one of those wimpy blue swimmers.......now if it had been a Mud Crab........

[poppa smurf]

yeah! caught a few of them big muddys.......wouldn't like to get bit by one......

[MarkAW]

A long long time ago..........when I was a kid, Dad's sister had a place at Careel Bay (inside of Palm Beach, Sydney) and the old uncle would go up the river a catch a haul of jewfish and the heads all went into the crab trap. Jewies were big heavy fish with heads of bone - just thread the wire through the eye sockets and its done.

You needed to change the bait every 4 days in winter and 2 days in summer if you used about 4 heads per trap - but the traps were big square steel and wire cages, about 1/3 of a cubic metre - probably illegal by now. At that rate you were pretty much guarranteed of 3 or 4 nice sized blues in each of the traps.

BTW I haven't seen a jewie in years and years - we must of got the lot

[MR.BA.GT.332]

great reading and like all the tips on the bait. Ive always enjoyed crab and the kids gave me a couple of pots for Xmas so can finally start catching them.

My question is that im a total rookie at crabbing so since ive never had any experience to catch them (sorry im going slightly off topic) but whats the best way to get them out of the pots without getting pinched by a claw etc.... i can imagine they will be angry buggers when it comes time to take them out of the pots.

cheers

[poppa smurf]

yep! they get pretty grumpy and the blue swimmers are very fast, aggressive and smart

they will watch you and have a go given half a chance

the trick is to get them from behind, they cant bring their pincers over their backs so push down on the rear of the carapace then either pick them up from the rear or grab the pincers and hold them together

I've seen some folks hold the rear flippers together and lift by them

but look it's great fun and absolutely fantastic for youngsters.......I will go off the jetty this weekend but normally I take the boat

the nets have to be checked regularly (keeps the kids attention and doesn't allow for boredom

then of course the "thrill of the chase"....each net pull is an unknown......we often get squid, sand crabs and cuttlefish (which we return)

always something to look at, tires the kids and gives mum and dad a very well earned break

of course Pop doesn't mind too much either!.......I get to spend a day with my favourite people!

[supershifty]

Originally Posted by mr_460bigblock

My question is that im a total rookie at crabbing so since ive never had any experience to catch them (sorry im going slightly off topic) but whats the best way to get them out of the pots without getting pinched by a claw etc.... i can imagine they will be angry buggers when it comes time to take them out of the pots.

cheers

Depends what sort of pot you've got, what you're chasing and how you're chasing them. As Poppa said approach them from the rear the way he said and stay away from the business end - trust me it hurts! Probably best shown in pics how to handle them. Their achilles heel is that the claws can't reach very far back over the top of their body, and only a little further below their body. The best tip I can give you is to invest $5 at the local fisho and buy a sandy/blue swimmer that is safely dead and manipulate the claws around. You'll get the idea and be rewarded with a feed. Niiice!

I've only ever chased muddies using pots made of metal rod and wire, usually from a wharf or structure in the Brisbane river - somewhere near the banks in about 10-30 feet of water. The beauty of these pots is that they have a door and you can "shake" the crab/s out. If you've got an assortment of undersized or jennies (females) in the pot, and a buck that you want (male) you can shake them around in the pot and exit them individually and dump the ones you keep into a 20 litre bucket. They like to hang on and aren't very agile in a pot. There's a knack to it, but it's not hard to pick up. I've seen some hardened mates just reach into the pot and pull the offenders out - screw that!

Sandies/blue swimmers I've had best success using suicide dillys/witches hats in Moreton bay from a tinnie, I've used the wire pots and had good results, but the dillys are more fun as you've gotta check them more regularly - downsides to them is it's not real easy to pick through the netting and weave a crab out, you have to replace the netting.

As for handling the buggers before cooking: I call into the servo on the way home and buy a bag of ice, smash it up, dump it on top of the crabs in the 20 litre bucket and slurry it up with water when I get home. Two or three beers later - no nasties.

Cheers!

Edit: I noted where the commercial crabbers planted their pots in Moreton bay - I had greater luck following their lead.

[cosworthfreak]

The 'Witches Hat' nets are the go. I've always only used fish heads/carcasses, maybe I'm too young to know about rabbits as bait ;)

If you're local to where you'll be crabbing, and there is a boat ramp or two nearby (especially if they have cleaning tables), I just hang around the ramp the day before and politely ask any fishos if I can have the heads/carcasses from their catch after they fillet them.

I've also heard of some guys using cuts of European Carp as bait, and that it works reasonably well. Not tried it though.

Good luck.

[69XWGT]

If you're chasing sand crabs or blue swimmers for the southerners the best bait is fresh fish
If you're chasing muddies it's chicken.
There's something in the chicken flesh that gets the muddies going and it stinks like you wouldn't believe when it gets old.

I've been crabbing Moreton Bay and it tributries for over 40 years.
We used to use fish for muddies but the pro crabber that lives next door put me onto the chicken. He also had a feral cat problem when he lived up north and shot them all. He reckons it was the best bait he's ever used

Where i go sand crabbing we get a lot of muddies as well. A big sandy or any muddy will destroy a bait pouch or open bait in no time.
I use a piece of 90mm stormwater pipe around 100mm long with a cap glued on one end and screw cap on the other. I've drilled about 20 holes in it and you don't have to worry about your bait being picked apart by the crabs and fish.

Best times are 2 to 4 days before the full and new moon. Muddies are more active at night and sandies are most active around an hour before sunrise to an hour after.
I go and put them out just before dark on the incoming high tide and then check them in the morning. I usually leave them out for a few days so with the bait pipe i don't have to worry about rebaiting.

I use colapseable pots as witches hats are now illegal in QLD.
I catch more crabs with the pots than i did with the witches hats and you don't have to repair the netting each time. The witches hats, you have to check regularly and they shouldn't be left out over night because turtles, big fish and sharks get tangled up in them and usually die.

When i pull the pots, i shake all the crabs into a big tubb and then sort them.
You can use anything to hold them down that way. I use a mackeral donger.

Like all food, you should treat it well. I put all my crabs into an esky with ice in it. Crab meat deteriates very quickly when they die.

You can clean them before you cook them or do it after. It just depends how you like them.


If the water where you caught them is pretty good take some home and cook your crabs in it. If not salt your water so it tastes about the same consistency as sea water

I cook sandies for 10 minutes after the water comes back on the boil and fifteen to 20 for muddies depending on the size.
If you clean them first 8 minutes for sandies and 12 for muddies.

As soon as they're finished i put them in an ice slurry to cool them and set the flesh.

Crab , fresh bread, salt, pepper and tiny bit of vinegar. Washed down with your favorite ale

It doesn't get much better than that

[Fpvboss335]

Quails mate work the treat
Watch the big blues come

[Trevor 57]

Jamie Whincup thanks - LOL

[davenl5l]

poppa i use fish frames,tommie's(bait not eating one's),squid and cuttlefish.you can buy plastic mesh pouches for your bait if you use squid these are good as the crab's & pickers can't pinch it all. for the fish frames i use those wire spring clips you can get both from any tackle shop. i use drop nets out of my kayak good healthy fun!

[poppa smurf]

Originally Posted by Trevor 57

Jamie Whincup thanks - LOL

Ummmm! dont get this one!......who's been on the sauce??

[sarrge2001]

Originally Posted by 69XWGT

If you're chasing sand crabs or blue swimmers for the southerners the best bait is fresh fish
If you're chasing muddies it's chicken.
There's something in the chicken flesh that gets the muddies going and it stinks like you wouldn't believe when it gets old.

I've been crabbing Moreton Bay and it tributries for over 40 years.
We used to use fish for muddies but the pro crabber that lives next door put me onto the chicken. He also had a feral cat problem when he lived up north and shot them all. He reckons it was the best bait he's ever used

Where i go sand crabbing we get a lot of muddies as well. A big sandy or any muddy will destroy a bait pouch or open bait in no time.
I use a piece of 90mm stormwater pipe around 100mm long with a cap glued on one end and screw cap on the other. I've drilled about 20 holes in it and you don't have to worry about your bait being picked apart by the crabs and fish.

Best times are 2 to 4 days before the full and new moon. Muddies are more active at night and sandies are most active around an hour before sunrise to an hour after.
I go and put them out just before dark on the incoming high tide and then check them in the morning. I usually leave them out for a few days so with the bait pipe i don't have to worry about rebaiting.

I use colapseable pots as witches hats are now illegal in QLD.
I catch more crabs with the pots than i did with the witches hats and you don't have to repair the netting each time. The witches hats, you have to check regularly and they shouldn't be left out over night because turtles, big fish and sharks get tangled up in them and usually die.

When i pull the pots, i shake all the crabs into a big tubb and then sort them.
You can use anything to hold them down that way. I use a mackeral donger.

Like all food, you should treat it well. I put all my crabs into an esky with ice in it. Crab meat deteriates very quickly when they die.

You can clean them before you cook them or do it after. It just depends how you like them.


If the water where you caught them is pretty good take some home and cook your crabs in it. If not salt your water so it tastes about the same consistency as sea water

I cook sandies for 10 minutes after the water comes back on the boil and fifteen to 20 for muddies depending on the size.
If you clean them first 8 minutes for sandies and 12 for muddies.

As soon as they're finished i put them in an ice slurry to cool them and set the flesh.

Crab , fresh bread, salt, pepper and tiny bit of vinegar. Washed down with your favorite ale

It doesn't get much better than that

What he said!

[Trevor 57]

Originally Posted by poppa smurf

Ummmm! dont get this one!......

Use him for crab bait then the Ford teams might have half a chance, come on Poppa you are not that old

[poppa smurf]

Originally Posted by Trevor 57

Use him for crab bait then the Ford teams might have half a chance, come on Poppa you are not that old

I am this morning mate i can tell ya!.....didn't catch that one!......I couldn't tell you who drives what as far as racing goes, when they ceased using production cars i lost interest.....all same same now

much rather be fishing