This may seem as a silly question to some but I’m looking for some clearification on using blue crabs as bait… I’ve seen several posts with ppl catching reds with crabs and from my understanding blue crabs have to be 5" point to point to be legal…? Does that mean if using them as bait they need to be that size or larger? and if so, if I were to break them in half to use would it be ok to keep the other half on the boat??? Any help on the issue would be great…
The problem is circled (ford).
Yes, they have to be legal size to use them for bait. I usually use about 1/4 of the crab at a time. First pull the back completely off the crab, then cut it into quarters. Save the back with the bait pieces so you can prove the size if you need to.
Capt. Larry Teuton
Cracker Built Custom Boats
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GS10veecFOE&list=UUARcBkQnyJvBZftlguO_MaA&index=10&feature=plcp
Just put them in fourths and us a normal redfish rig thats not as big
The man has more things to do then check your crab shell LOL Still??? You never know what yahoo gets to carry a gun!!!
Stonoman
You’d think. But the question was “is it legal”. Answer is no. No more legal than using a 8" blackfish for cobia bait 
Do whatever you’re comfortable with. “I swear officer, this blackfish ate a whole whiting to get on this hook”
Capt. Larry Teuton
Cracker Built Custom Boats
At Ft Myers you buy small crabs in the bait shop.Walk along the surf with a basket and catch your own.
Stonoman
Yep, I’ve bought them in Charlotte Harbor for tarpon fishing. They are called pass crabs and don’t get very big, although they look almost identical to our blue crabs.
http://floridasportfishing.com/magazine/baitfish-profiles/got-crabs-will-you-be-ready-when-crab-crunchers-appear-within-casting-range.html
Capt. Larry Teuton
Cracker Built Custom Boats
I went to Crosby’s Seafood to get some crabs for bait. They had some frozen crabs. I thought to myself “oh that’s easier than dealing with the live ones”. Fished some bridge pilings hoping to stir up a black drum but no takers. Any body had luck with frozen crabs?
Dorado II
Carolina Skiff 25DLV
Thx for the info fellas, and yeah I’d hope they have better things to focus on as well… but better safe than sorry I guess
The problem is circled (ford).
quote:Did all of the 8" seabass swim in through your overflow into your live well too? That's how you get caught. It's when they roll up on you and you have 3 dozen undersized baits in your livewell. Usually, by the time you see them, it's a little late to start dumping baits over the side of the boat...
Originally posted by Cracker LarryYou’d think. But the question was “is it legal”. Answer is no. No more legal than using a 8" blackfish for cobia bait
Capt. Larry Teuton
Cracker Built Custom Boats
quote:
Did all of the 8" seabass swim in through your overflow into your live well too?
I didn’t just fall in the boat yesterday 
Capt. Larry Teuton
Cracker Built Custom Boats
I know. I’m just pointing out that “doing what you are comfortable with” might still get you in a lot of trouble if one does not think it all of the way through.
The DNR has checked out the crabs we caught before at the dock at Bushy Park. We also saw them check some of the folks that were crabbing on the dock there and we watched them pour out a bucket full of 3-4" crabs that a family had caught. The kids started crying because they had been playing with the crabs in the bucket…it was a scene…they were written a warning citation. They have checked our livewell before so I would not count on not getting a fine for undersized blue crabs. Don’t ever count on them NOT having time to check your baits…that IS what they do. It is always better to be safe than sorry, it is just not worth the fine.
PioneerLouie
Pioneer Venture 175, Johnson 90
Summerville, SC
quote:
it is just not worth the fine.
It sure isn’t! That’s why I keep the backs to my bait crabs in the cooler.
Capt. Larry Teuton
Cracker Built Custom Boats
Dorado…I use frozen crab. I wrap them in Saran wrap then vacuum seal…and I’ve had a lot of luck with them…
miss’n fish’n
212 SEAHUNT CC
Sea Squirt 16
Thanks Penfishn. I’ll give em a few more tries!!!
Dorado II
Carolina Skiff 25DLV
dorado, I plan on hitting the Folly River on Sunday, hopefully the fish want to eat
Bragging may not bring happiness,
but no man having caught a large fish,
goes home through the alley.
-Anonymous
If you take a fresh crab, throw it in the cooler on ice it will stun/slow it down to sleep. Then rip off claws and cut. I do this to make fresh crab cakes. Sounds barbaric but it works when we catch them in the traps and I have a 60 to clean. Ps wear gloves if you have a good amount to do they make your fingers swell, the insides are sharp.
Creek Girl
“Throw like a girl!”
www.HeatherJordan.com
coastal artist
dorado - if i only catch 2 or 3 blue crab when im fishing and drop a crab net on the base piers instead of eating just 2 or 3 crab ill quarter them up and save them in freezer bags as bait and still catch plenty of redfish on them when i use them later.
Your best bet for fishing with crab is going to be sight fishing. Toss that crab right out in front of the fish and let their noses take them to it. When the tide starts breaking the edge of the grass the fish will start working into it to feed. Lower tides you will see the nose of a redfish pushing a wake in the water. Resembles mullet running but on a lot larger scale. On the high tides you will see a lot of the same things but before the water gets high enough you will see the grass shaking/wiggling as the fish pushes itself through the grass feeding. Make yourself a Carolina rig with about 2 oz of weight and a circle hook toss it up in the grass where you know they are working/feeding. (I reccomend using braid for main line and mono or flouro for the leader) Stick the rod in the rod holder and forget about it. Sit back and wait they will find it. I refer to this as dead sticking. Works really well with cut mullet as well. Good luck!
2007 Scout 221 150 Yamaha 4 stroke