Alright, let’s talk about the best bait for catching them crabs, you know, the ones that scuttle sideways and taste so darn good with some butter. I ain’t no fancy scientist or fisherman with a big boat, but I’ve caught my fair share of crabs, and I know a thing or two about what they like to munch on.
First off, chicken necks. Yeah, you heard that right. Them ugly, bony things you wouldn’t feed your dog. Well, crabs, they love ’em! I don’t know why, but them chicken necks, they just work. Maybe it’s the smell, maybe it’s the texture, who knows. But I tell ya, you stick some chicken necks in that trap, and you’ll have crabs crawlin’ all over each other tryin’ to get a bite. And the best part is, they’re cheap! You can get a whole bag of ’em for a few bucks at the store.
Now, some folks like to use fish heads. Them stinky, slimy things. And I gotta say, they work pretty good too. Specially them oily fish heads, like salmon or rockfish. Them crabs can smell that oily fish from a mile away, and they come runnin’. But fish heads, they can be a bit of a pain to deal with. They’re messy, and they can attract all sorts of critters you don’t want, like seagulls and them pesky seals.
Then there’s meat. Any kind of meat will do, really. Leftover steak, chicken, pork, whatever you got. Crabs ain’t picky, they’ll eat just about anything that smells good. But I wouldn’t waste good meat on crab bait, you know? Save that for your dinner table. Use the scraps, the stuff you’d normally throw away.
- Chicken Necks: Cheap, easy to use, and crabs love ’em.
- Fish Heads: Smelly and oily, which attracts crabs, but can be messy.
- Meat Scraps: Anything will do, but don’t waste good meat.
Some fellas, they talk about using fancy crab attractants. Stuff in a bottle that smells like, I don’t know, dead fish and seaweed mixed together. They say it makes the crabs come from far and wide. Maybe it does, maybe it don’t. I ain’t never used the stuff myself. I figure, why spend money on fancy smelly stuff when good old chicken necks work just fine?
Now, how you put the bait in the trap is important too. You don’t just throw it in there willy-nilly. You gotta secure it, so the crabs can’t just steal it and run. Use some bait clips or cages, or even just tie it down with some string. And don’t over fill the trap, or the crabs can’t get to the bait and get themself caught . You want them crabs to have to work for it a little, but you don’t want ’em to be able to get away with the goods neither.
And don’t leave them traps in the water too long. Couple hours, maybe overnight, that’s all you need. If you leave ’em in too long, the crabs will eat all the bait and then they’ll just leave. Plus, you might end up catching other things you don’t want, like starfish or them little sea urchins that sting you if you step on ’em.
So there you have it, my two cents on the best bait for catching crabs. Chicken necks, fish heads, or meat scraps, take your pick. Just make sure it’s smelly, secure it good, and don’t leave them traps in too long. And you’ll be eatin’ crab for dinner in no time.
Oh, and one more thing. Don’t go crabbin’ where you ain’t supposed to. There are rules and regulations, you know. Get yourself a license, follow the rules, and don’t take more than you need. We gotta protect them crabs, so we can keep catchin’ ’em for years to come.
Now, go get yourself some bait and get out there and catch some crabs! It’s a whole lot of fun, and nothin’ tastes better than a fresh-caught crab, boiled up with some spices and dipped in butter. Yum!
Tags: [crab bait, chicken necks, fish heads, meat scraps, crabbing tips, best bait for crabs, how to catch crabs]
