Lack of knowledge doesn't mean lack of fun!

[anchorpuller]

This isn't about crappie, but it is about having fun "fishing"

First of all, my father lives on a sound on the East Coast. The water there is salt for the most part, unless it rains alot. Then it get's a bit brackish. His pier sits SHALLOW in the sound, in about 3 feet of water. It stays that shallow out about 30' or so beyond the pier. It's great for the kids to play and mess around in. On occasion, you can get a drum, but mostly it's smaller fish around the pier.
Anyway, the family went down for a long weekend last weekend. Most evenings we would sit on the end of the pier and try to catch something!
After about 3 lbs of shrimp were culled off our hooks by the crabs, we started cutting up the smaller croaker and such for cutbait. Man those crabs couldn't cull that as easy! It was a free for all, seeing who could get thier crab on the pier before it let go of the bait.
Now, I'm telling you. I don't recommend getting in the way of two kids and two adults slinging crabs at the end of a pier. I sat down ONCE. Hubby said he didn't think the ole lady could move as fast as when my son's crab let go at my rear end!
We all laughed and had fun until well into the night several nights.
I know NOTHING about fishing at the coast, but that was fun.
Maybe next time we will try a crab pot! :D

[lee s.]

A crabpot? And ruin the FUN!!!??
Nice lloking mess of crabs. Pretty crabs, with the blue and all. What kind are they. Are they good to eat? Our local crabs are Dungeness and rock crab....both grand eating.
....lee s.
PS - Nice pic of the place.

[Roberta]

Those look like blue crabs. It's been a while, but I seem to remember eating some in my youth and they were tasty. What did you do with them? - Roberta

[DRPEPPER]

My grandmother suffered a massive stroke and could no longer get in a boat. We discovered crabbing almost replaced the fishing trips. Man, she could get serious about them and you are right. It didn't take a lot of skill. I don't remember how she prepared them though.

Do any of you Texas people still mess with them under the I 10 bridge in the San Jacinto??
DP

[anchorpuller]

Yep Roberta, those are blue crabs. They are good eating, no lie. Normally, I put me some Old Bay in a pot of boiling water and dump em all in there for a few minutes. You cook them just like you do Lobster. I like the Old Bay in them too, though.
Once steamed, I dump them out on a bunch of newspaper on the kitchen table and go to town on em.
Those particular ones, my son insisted were trying to "breath" and didnt' want us to kill them. He carried them BACK down to the dock and dumped em off to swim another day! :D

[Roberta]

The ones I remember eating were back when I was in my teens and we stayed in Clearwater Beach, FL. The motel we stayed at had a dock so we crabbed when the tide was out. One of the other kids kept a pot going in his family's efficiency. MMM, good!
Kids' perception of things can be funny. When I did the filleting demo at HOFNOD this summer, one little boy wanted to carry the egg sacks down to the creek "so they could hatch". Sorry, kid...- Roberta

[REDBOAT]

A few years ago we were vacationing on the outerbanks and while I was surffishing at Oregon Inlet I saw abunch of those right in the surf. I was tempted to just pick them up but I was not sure if it was leagal or not. I think they would have made a good lunch!

-REDBOAT

[willsjwills]

they look like the same critters my two kids would catch down a t Cameron, La. using a piece of string and turkey necks. they would have them running all over the highway. good eating cooked in hot sauce and salt water.

[crappiekid24]

Very nice!!! Gonna get me some of those blue crabs when I make a thanksgiving trip down to South Carolina.

[crap-king]

This isn't about crappie, but it is about having fun "fishing"

First of all, my father lives on a sound on the East Coast. The water there is salt for the most part, unless it rains alot. Then it get's a bit brackish. His pier sits SHALLOW in the sound, in about 3 feet of water. It stays that shallow out about 30' or so beyond the pier. It's great for the kids to play and mess around in. On occasion, you can get a drum, but mostly it's smaller fish around the pier.
Anyway, the family went down for a long weekend last weekend. Most evenings we would sit on the end of the pier and try to catch something!
After about 3 lbs of shrimp were culled off our hooks by the crabs, we started cutting up the smaller croaker and such for cutbait. Man those crabs couldn't cull that as easy! It was a free for all, seeing who could get thier crab on the pier before it let go of the bait.
Now, I'm telling you. I don't recommend getting in the way of two kids and two adults slinging crabs at the end of a pier. I sat down ONCE. Hubby said he didn't think the ole lady could move as fast as when my son's crab let go at my rear end!
We all laughed and had fun until well into the night several nights.
I know NOTHING about fishing at the coast, but that was fun.
Maybe next time we will try a crab pot! :D

They make a great dip also for crackers or toast..just make sure they are at least 5" accross as they will fine you heavily if the Marine Fisheries Officers will come by and check your coolers...and chicken necks are great bait ...we do put out a crab pot and attempt to get a few while we are down at the coast - we also were able to get our limit on shrimp with the cast net as well - nothing like fresh seafood cooked by the water