Alright, let’s talk about them crabs, you know, the ones you catch in the water. Folks been askin’, can you keep the lady crabs ’round here in Delaware? Well, lemme tell ya what I know.
Now, see, with these crabs, the fellas, they gotta be a certain size, like 4 and a half inches, before you can keep ’em. That’s from one pointy end of their shell to the other. But the ladies, they’re a bit different, you see. If a lady crab has a rounded kinda apron on her belly, like a U shape, you can keep her, no matter the size. It’s like they’re tellin’ you, “I’m a grown woman, you can take me home.”
- But hold your horses! If that lady crab is carryin’ eggs, you gotta put her back. They call ’em sponge crabs, ’cause they got all them eggs stuck under their apron. It’s like a mama carryin’ her babies, you don’t wanna mess with that. Just let her go, she’s got important work to do.
- And don’t go thinkin’ you can catch a bunch of ’em. If you’re just crabbin’ for fun, you can only use two pots. Don’t get greedy now!
Now, some folks get confused, they see them eggs and they don’t know what to do. Remember this, if you see eggs on the outside, like little berries, you gotta let her go. The law says so. And don’t you try keepin’ the little ones either. They gotta grow up big and strong, just like everything else.
If you’re just crabbin’ for fun, you don’t need no special paper or nothin’. Just go on down to the water and toss your pots in. But make sure you know the rules, you don’t wanna get in trouble with the folks who watch over the water.
Them blue crabs, they can get pretty big, up to 9 inches across. The fellas got blue claws with red tips, fancy lookin’ things. But the ladies, their tips are red too. You gotta look at their belly to see if it’s a U shape or not.
Some folks think the ladies gotta be 5 inches, but that ain’t always true. If they got that U shape, they’re good to go, even if they’re smaller. They stop growin’ when they’re ready to have babies, you see.
Now, if you’re usin’ them horseshoe crabs for bait, don’t go puttin’ a whole bunch in there. Just half a lady one or one fella one, that’s all you need. Don’t wanna waste nothin’.
Makin’ babies and layin’ eggs, that’s two different things for these lady crabs. Any one you catch, she’s already done her part in the makin’ babies department. So don’t you worry ’bout that.
If you’re one of them folks who go out with them big boats and drag nets, well, there’s rules for you too. Gotta make sure you’re followin’ the rules, they’re there for a reason.
So, there you have it. Can you keep the lady crabs in Delaware? Yep, you can, as long as they got that U shape on their belly and ain’t carryin’ no eggs. Just follow the rules and you’ll be fine. Now go on, get out there and catch yourself some crabs!
Tags: Blue Crabs, Delaware Crabbing, Female Crabs, Crab Regulations, Delaware Fishing
