Crab snaring? Seeking information and advice.

[jbett98]

I saw a guy put a bell on the tip of his casting pole.
When a big crab would try to walk off with the bait, it would make just enough noise to alert him.
It probably wouldn't work on a windy day.

 

[Member 34319]

I saw a guy put a bell on the tip of his casting pole.
When a big crab would try to walk off with the bait, it would make just enough noise to alert him.
It probably wouldn't work on a windy day.

Maybe, I'm not that good enough to tell yet. Holding the pole, I am not sure if I'm feeling something walk off with the bait or the line getting whipped by a wave.

 

[jbett98]

The bell was cantilevered on a thin stick wedged under the tips eyelet. He kept a good eye on the pole and when he saw or heard some movement, he would grab the pole and run with the pole away from the bay up the sandy beach all the while cranking on the reel.
He told me that if you start winding in the reel without running with it, the crab could back off and his success rate confirm to me that he had it down pat.

 

[Flymph]

Maybe, I'm not that good enough to tell yet. Holding the pole, I am not sure if I'm feeling something walk off with the bait or the line getting whipped by a wave.

If it pulls back, it's alive.

I'm going to give this a shot in a week, always been a jetty guy and my GF would love being on the sand!

 

[rob1516]

Crab snares should only sit for 10 minutes max, no more. If you are letting it sit, waiting on a bell....your bait is being eaten and the crabs are more than likely long gone by the time you pull it back in.

Toss out, let it sit for 10'ish minutes, take up slack....reel it in as fast as you can. Do NOT let up or slow down, you will lose crabs that way.

 

[Member 34319]

Crab snares should only sit for 10 minutes max, no more. If you are letting it sit, waiting on a bell....your bait is being eaten and the crabs are more than likely long gone by the time you pull it back in.

Toss out, let it sit for 10'ish minutes, take up slack....reel it in as fast as you can. Do NOT let up or slow down, you will lose crabs that way.

I learned that the hard way. I was trying different lengths of time and let one cast sit for 20 or so minutes. Bait was gone, no crabs. I've been pretty lucky right at about the 12-15 minute mark using whole bits of chicken breast.

 

[rob1516]

I learned that the hard way. I was trying different lengths of time and let one cast sit for 20 or so minutes. Bait was gone, no crabs. I've been pretty lucky right at about the 12-15 minute mark using whole bits of chicken breast.

Chicken is a great bait (sea lions won't try to steal it), squid has been good luck. Fish is an excellent bait but it WILL attract sea lions.

Where have you been crabbing so far?

 

[cosmos mariner]

I learned that the hard way. I was trying different lengths of time and let one cast sit for 20 or so minutes. Bait was gone, no crabs. I've been pretty lucky right at about the 12-15 minute mark using whole bits of chicken breast.

Are you using raw chicken or cooked?

 

[Member 34319]

Chicken is a great bait (sea lions won't try to steal it), squid has been good luck. Fish is an excellent bait but it WILL attract sea lions.

Where have you been crabbing so far?

Just the coast south of Newport.

Are you using raw chicken or cooked?

Raw. So far the chicken has been the best I've tried. It stays put in the snare really well.

 

[jbett98]

I like turkey drum sticks. They're tough meat and weigh a lot, so you can toss them further.

 

[Flymph]

Gizzards and hearts are pretty good baits, i'm sure any fowl or poultry will do. They're tough meat, so the crabs really have to dig at it.

 

[rob1516]

Gizzards and hearts are pretty good baits, i'm sure any fowl or poultry will do. They're tough meat, so the crabs really have to dig at it.

Plus...they are cheap!

 

[40Garand]

If anybody is willing to experiment rig up something similar to this crab pot baiter and strap that to your surf gear. Stuff it full of mashed up skipjack and squid.

 

[Member 34319]

Apparently I need a new spot! Crabing the same area for a week attracts sea gulls. One stole a crab from my snare this morning! Yesterday I had seals camped out on the beach just watching me.

 

[cosmos mariner]

Apparently I need a new spot! Crabing the same area for a week attracts sea gulls. One stole a crab from my snare this morning! Yesterday I had seals camped out on the beach just watching me.

Good to know

 

[rob1516]

Apparently I need a new spot! Crabing the same area for a week attracts sea gulls. One stole a crab from my snare this morning! Yesterday I had seals camped out on the beach just watching me.

Seals are waiting/looking for fish or any seafood used as bait. Always poking their damn heads above the water watching.

 

[cosmos mariner]

Made it to the ocean. It was way to windy to sit on the beach this evening. We went back on the jetty of the Nehalem Bay to try and avoid getting blasted with sand. Kids had fun playing in the "lagoon" area. Plan to try snagging some crab tomorrow. I've never done it before, so we'll see. I'm guessing to go after high tide as the tide is going out if I want to have the best luck?

 

[Member 34319]

Made it to the ocean. It was way to windy to sit on the beach this evening. We went back on the jetty of the Nehalem Bay to try and avoid getting blasted with sand. Kids had fun playing in the "lagoon" area. Plan to try snagging some crab tomorrow. I've never done it before, so we'll see. I'm guessing to go after high tide as the tide is going out if I want to have the best luck?

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I found slack tide to be the best times to snatch them. After high tide, unless you walk up to your chest into the water and or can cast really well, your shore line will disappear on you. After low tide the weight of the snare is important as the current will bring your snare in. That's what I learned last week.

 

[Bam]

Always had good luck in Waldport, you can crab off the docks or rent a boat and crabbing gear and hit better spots in the bay.

They rent all the gear you need and sell chicken bait. They will even cook and clean your crab.