Venice area Blue claw crabs: Hi, I’m looking for information about where to go to catch blue claw crabs in the Venice area. I’ve tried a few places and so far have only caught one blue...

lorafa93 Loc: North Venice, Florida

Hi, I’m looking for information about where to go to catch blue claw crabs in the Venice area. I’ve tried a few places and so far have only caught one blue claw crab and one stone crab, both of which were too small to keep. Also caught a spider crab, lots of critters in shells, and quite a few small fish. I’m using folding traps. The kind where the four sides lay open when the trap hits the bottom and they close when you pull them up. I’ve read that the crabs are most active after dark so I’m going to try my luck one evening soon. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks 🙏

USAF Major Loc: Sea Bright, NJ

What kind of bait are you using? Up here in NJ chicken backs, fish heads and of course bunker aka pogies.

Wolf Bay Loc: Al Gulf Coast

Be sure the entrance is just large enough to let them in. Any larger and they will find a way out. I wasn’t catching in the spring and adjusted the trap entrances and started getting four or five over night in each trap.

Have used mullet for years for bait, but my neighbor convinced me to try chicken thighs. Got them at Piggly Wiggly for about $5.00 for ten pounds. They worked great, and I got two nights out of each thigh.

Finally, I have always used black traps until about two years ago. Two went bad so I got red. Caught more in red traps than black. Third black trap went south and when I went to net shop for a new red trap the owner convinced me to get yellow. I think it catches two to one over the red traps. Go figure.

Good luck.

JackM Loc: North East Florida

It's interesting that the color would make any difference. I have used black for some time now. It is in good shape, maybe I should paint it.
I've tried chicken and fish carcasses from the local fish market. I think crabs will eat anything, but I think the fish smell attracts them from further away.

Wolf Bay Loc: Al Gulf Coast

However you catch ‘um, nothing beats a cold beer, a few friends and and picking crabs. Hard not to eat it all when trying to pick enough for West Indies salad or a omelette.

lorafa93 Loc: North Venice, Florida

Chicken legs and ground fish chum blocks.

lorafa93 Loc: North Venice, Florida

I’ve been using chicken legs and thighs. Also used ground fish chum blocks. I’m planning on going in the evening one day next week. The traps I’m using are four door folding traps. I’ve been trying it during the day. I’ll let the traps sit for about 20 to 30 minutes and then check them out. I’m fishing while the traps are out. I’m hoping to get a skiff soon. Once I have a boat I invest in some traps that I can leave in the water.

bapabear Loc: Blaine, Washington

lorafa93 wrote:

I’ve been using chicken legs and thighs. Also used ground fish chum blocks. I’m planning on going in the evening one day next week. The traps I’m using are four door folding traps. I’ve been trying it during the day. I’ll let the traps sit for about 20 to 30 minutes and then check them out. I’m fishing while the traps are out. I’m hoping to get a skiff soon. Once I have a boat I invest in some traps that I can leave in the water.

I just posted a Crab How to inspired by your post. Take a look and don't get rid of those fold down traps to soon.
Best of Luck.

lorafa93 Loc: North Venice, Florida

Do you have a link to it? I’m not the best when navigating a computer.

bapabear Loc: Blaine, Washington

lorafa93 wrote:

Do you have a link to it? I’m not the best when navigating a computer.

I think this is a link. https://www.fishingstage.com/t-77472-1.html. I just went to main in fishing stage. I scrolled down a short distanced as I posted today "Crabbing how to" It might be in "location specific". At any rate, it is a fishing stage post.

oldOBXguy Loc: Tavares, FL

lorafa93 wrote:

I’ve been using chicken legs and thighs. Also used ground fish chum blocks. I’m planning on going in the evening one day next week. The traps I’m using are four door folding traps. I’ve been trying it during the day. I’ll let the traps sit for about 20 to 30 minutes and then check them out. I’m fishing while the traps are out. I’m hoping to get a skiff soon. Once I have a boat I invest in some traps that I can leave in the water.

I notice you asked where to try, not necessarily how or what techniques to try. My sister in law lived on Siesta Key in Sarasota and when visiting we used the pyramid spring traps from the sea wall near bridges. We always used chicken backs and tried to stay out of areas where the current was flowing too strong. That’s not Venice but probably similar locations could be found there. Mullet worked too and I think anything smelly would attract them. Night time was better for us.

On another note, my nephew is a commercial crabber in NC (small scale - 300 traps). He buys “flats” of menhaden to bait his traps with. There is something available at times where he buys his bait that’s basically just shrimp heads. He “sweetens” his traps sometimes with that. He lets his bait get pretty smelly before he baits his traps so scent definitely helps lol.

Elmhurst Loc: Ruskin Florida

Use can cat food poke holes in bottom and wire it to your trap.
Use GoPro to see what's at the bottom. Any pier or dock that is chummed regularly is your best bet. I pull in big blue crab off my dock when fishing shimp.
Tie strips of fish bite any flavor to trap and you will get tons of crab.
Inclosed trap is easier check every 8 hours.