anybody been chicken necking or putting out pots lately? got some friends in town this weekend and gonna do a little of both…hoping for good enough numbers to feed a dozen or so of us Sat afternoon…
I know Penny’s dad has still been catching them so maybe we’ll ride up that way 
…
The Morris Island Lighthouse www.savethelight.org
saw a big male guarding a female in my bait creek yesterday, caught a big male in the cast net, then saw lots of males and females shallow while gigging your neck of the woods last night. stuck a few big rusty jimmies for the pot, should be a good time to catch some meaty ones!
good news b…we’ll be near your inlaws’ place…the little shack on the island 
The Morris Island Lighthouse www.savethelight.org
The wife and kids have been chicken necking them up at Edisto, brought 35 or so home last weekend. Big claws on them
Wicked fishing
175 CC Pioneer Bay sport
90 Yamaha 4 stroke
They are most definately still around. You are going to need a hell of a lot to feed 12 people…well at least 12 of my friends family. Good Luck
We crabbed old school (neck on a line) a couple of weeks ago and put 15 fat crabs in the cooler. Mmmm , crab rice.
“Apathy is the Glove in Which Evil Slips It’s Hand”.
This has typically been the best time of year for crabbing for me. 2 weeks ago I caught appx. 35 crabs in 3 hrs (4 traps) 26 were keepers, almost all males. My record is 72 keepers in 54 hrs in 2 pots in Joe and Ben Creek near Muddy Bay. Penny knows where that is… On the other hand, I caught only 4 keeper males in a 24 hr soak about 4 weeks ago. The males like the less salty water until the water temp really drops, then they go to the ocean for warmer temps. The Cooper and Stono are always good to me, but you have to find a spot that isn’t heavily fished.
Good luck!
“Junk always sounds best.”
Sorry, 72 keepers in 4 hrs.
“Junk always sounds best.”
thanks y’all…def looking forward to being on the water again…
The Morris Island Lighthouse www.savethelight.org
bonzo…we’ve been doing best in about 5-10 foot of water right off the mouths of feeder drains. lot of females around right now for some reason…big ones…maybe the males are hiding out a little being football season and all :)…friend said they got 27 the other day crabbing with drop nets from a dock and lines form the hill. If I were going to the village Id get you a bushel form daddy as they are only getting 20.00 a bushel right now for big females. Im sure no matter how many you catch…you’ll have fun at it
miss’n fish’n
212 SEAHUNT CC
Sea Squirt 16
thanks Penny but we have a good plan and will start with 4 pots on an overnight soak…then about 10 of us chicken necking, plus another half day soak on the 4 pots on Saturday…I appreciate the offer but I hope your daddy gets all his sold! He’s gotta be able to keep taking you out so you get us all those great reports!
oh and thanks for the shallow water clue…
The Morris Island Lighthouse www.savethelight.org
any advice on keeping them alive while fishing all day? I put a oxygeninator blow bubbles thing in it and they all died. Then a lot of ice but I think that killed some of them . though we didnt get sick. The first batch I was to scared to eat
Bryant
Tarpon 120
Bgardner@ncgs.com
quote:
Originally posted by BrGardany advice on keeping them alive while fishing all day? I put a oxygeninator blow bubbles thing in it and they all died. Then a lot of ice but I think that killed some of them . though we didnt get sick. The first batch I was to scared to eat
whatever you do, do NOT put them in anything with water…they will drown…put them in an empty bucket or pail and if it is hot just cover them with a life jacket…you can keep them in the crisper drawer of your fridge for a couple of days…but if they are dead when you are ready to cook them, by all means, throw them away and do not eat…
we ended up this past weekend with a nice plethora or bounty from the sea; blue crab, stone crab, oysters, clams and shrimp…man were they great!
The Morris Island Lighthouse www.savethelight.org
I have kept them alive for 3 days sitting on ice in a cooler. They go kind of catatonic. Just make sure to open the drain plug. Like Bonzo said, they’ll die in fresh water.
“Apathy is the Glove in Which Evil Slips It’s Hand”.
whatever you do, do NOT put them in anything with water…they will drown…put them in an empty bucket or pail and if it is hot just cover them with a life jacket…you can keep them in the crisper drawer of your fridge for a couple of days…but if they are dead when you are ready to cook them, by all means, throw them away and do not eat…
we ended up this past weekend with a nice plethora or bounty from the sea; blue crab, stone crab, oysters, clams and shrimp…man were they great!
The Morris Island Lighthouse www.savethelight.org
[/quote]
I didn’t think you could take Oysters and Clams this time of year?
october 1st was the 1st day of the season. eat em up!
http://www.dnr.sc.gov/news/yr2012/sept13/sept13_oyster.html
put a wet croaker sack on top of a bunch of ice in the cooler, then crabs. as DF said it melts through, and keeps them wet and cold without dying.
alternatively, a paper bag in the crisper is a great way to go.
freeze the dead ones for redfish bait.
They will stay alive all day long in a live well. An aerator will not work. You either have to have a constant flow of water or absolutely no water at all. The croaker sack over ice in the cooler works but just leave the drain plug out and you will be fine. I think the main thing is keeping them cool and a little moist. Good luck folks…I’m going after some crab this weekend if all goes well. Hope everyone catches a few.
BTW - Any kind of fish or just fish heads work way better than chicken necks. Fresh mullet seems to be the best bait for us.
PioneerLouie
Pioneer Venture 175, Johnson 90
Summerville, SC
quote:
They will stay alive all day long in a live well.
It isn’t nearly that complicated. They will stay alive for a week or more if kept moist and cool. Commercial crabbers don’t use live wells and ice to keep crabs alive. They put them in a wooden box or basket and keep them damp and shaded. That’s all. They have to sell these crabs live and the wholesaler has to sell them live, or cook and pick them.
I can guarantee you that Mrs. Penny’s Daddy, AKA Mr. Captain Buddy Sir ain’t never put a crab in a live well to keep it alive. That would take a dang big tank For a day or less they don’t even need ice. Just a wet croaker sack over the top of them.
I have a very good friend in the crabbing business in Hardeeville SC. He has a refrigerated truck that he stores the crabs in until he has enough to sell at a good price. He’ll crab for a week and them drive them up to Virginia or Delaware or somedangwhere to sell them where the price is the highest. They arrive alive, still packed in their cozy baskets. Just damp and cool.
Capt. Larry Teuton
Cracker Built Custom Boats
“Ships are the nearest things to dreams that hands have ever made.” -Robert N. Rose