How to Harvest Blue Crabs in Florida

Florida has some of the best Blue Crabs to be had. However, there are a few rules you will need to know before you set out crabbing.

First off you can not harvest a female crab with eggs. If you look on the crabs belly and it is not smooth, but has some gunk stuck to it, then she has eggs. It is illegal to keep females with eggs, so toss them back, regardless of size. If your using a trap you need to make sure your buoys are marked with a legible "R" at least 2" high. There is a limit of 5 crab traps per person in the State of Florida. All traps must be pulled by hand, during daylight hours. You will need to have a valid Florida recreational saltwater fishing license to harvest any crabs from a boat. If you are wading in 4 feet or less in the water or using a dock to place traps, you do not need a license.

There is no size limit to Blue Crabs. However, the smaller the crab, the less meat you'll have. The bag limit on Blue Crab in Florida is 10 gallons of whole crab, per day, per person. It takes 3 to 4 large Blue Crab to make a recommended single serving. I don't know about you, but I can eat more then that. A nice crab or large crab is anything with a shell over 4 inches. You measure them from side to side, or point to point.

Almost every crabber has their own method. One of the easiest way, and most affordable is line crabbing. This is where you tie a rotten day old fish head, or piece of chicken to a string and toss it out into the water. Then about 20 minutes later you slowly, very slowly pull the string in, with a dip net ready. Simply drag the bait with crab(s) attached over the net, and scoop up. This is a wonderful method, that many crabbers prefer. Note: Bring some instant hand sanitizer along on the trip, there is nothing worse then having rotten meat on your hands, it can make you very ill.

There are hundreds of places to catch crab throughout Florida. Some people prefer using a telescopic pole to dip the off from piers, as the crab swim by. This is a very simple way to catch crab, but it does aggravate the fishermen, and it isn't very sportsman like. You can also catch them during low tide by just walking in a foot or so of water at night. You can spot them with a flashlight, but you better be fast with a net. Along bridges, and in grassy patches in shallow waters are also great places to find them.

Crabbing is fun, and kids seem to enjoy it, especially little boys. But, remember crabs have pincher's! Even a small crab can pinch hard enough to bring blood. A larger crab can give a nasty pinch. It's best to shake the crab out of the net, or trap into a bucket, without touching it. If grabbing it is unavoidable, use extra caution, and never let a child pick up a Blue Crab.

Your ready to try out your crabbing skills now, I wish you the best of luck, and I'll see you out there.