… but a half A** attempt. Threw the net for crab bait and hopefully some fingers. Scored both, but it took an hour and appx 20 throws. I tried bottom fishing with live fingers in 2 fishy looking spots in Rantolowes or however you spell it. No bites on the incoming. Pulled the traps after 3 hrs. Appx 30 crabs, 22 keepers. I caught a few shrimp in the net, they seem to be a couple of weeks early, no surprise.
Good luck, O.C.
Threw the net for crab bait? Never heard of that, what are you using? I tried chicken backs today with about 3hrs soak time also and had 3 dadgum crabs. That’s the second time in the Ashley with bad luck on the crabs. What am I doing wrong? Should I drop in a particular spot (in channel, shallow, etc).
I’d like to know where he dropped a trap and kept 22 crabs after 3 hours. I would drop a hand line with chicken and catch more. What part of the Ashley were you in?
1720 KW 110 Johnson
16’ Bonito 65 Johnson
The only crabs I’ve ever caught casting have been new borns on a low low tide.
Real skiffs have tillers :o)
My greatest catch was also a release.
I throw the net to catch fresh fish. I have never seen a chicken in the river. I look for the deepest spots in slow moving water. Too much current will wash the bait out. I also look for spots that aren’t worth accessing by the crabbers. 22 keepers in TWO traps by the way. I have found that the crabs in the area will be attracted to the bait within 4 hrs. Any more time that that and the bait will be gone and crabs will start to find thier way out. A 24 hr. soak rarely increases my catch. My record is 72 keepers in 4 hrs. that was in the fall of course. 3 crabs per trap in the Ashley is about par in my experiences. Try fish though. It will help.
Good luck!
“Junk always sounds best.”
No chicken in the river…I get that…but I’ve used chicken necks, backs (anything cheap) all my life in many different rivers and it works just fine. It worked great in the Stono but Ashley doesn’t like me.
Agreed. Crabs are opportunistic feeders. They’ll eat the ass of a dead cow if you give em’ a chance.
Real skiffs have tillers :o)
My greatest catch was also a release.
I’d try somewhere other than the Ashley. Chicken works OK, but an oily fish like mullet works better. I’ve had the most success in or near the mouths of small feeder creeks. Good luck.
Jack Taylor