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Old 07-07-2019, 11:12 PM   #1
Billy Z
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Blue claw crabs

Do standard regulations apply while diving? I have been seeing hundreds of big blue claws lately. If so, does anyone make a basket I could tie to my float?
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Old 07-08-2019, 05:18 AM   #2
jersymudsniper
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Re: Blue claw crabs

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Do standard regulations apply while diving? I have been seeing hundreds of big blue claws lately. If so, does anyone make a basket I could tie to my float?
The ones you are seeing are most likely females. Mostly with eggs. You can keep them if they have no eggs. Same regs. Its tough depending where you dive and if shore or boat. Dragging a bag of crabs is like a sea anchor plus in my experience towing them in current kills them by end of dive. Get them at end of day if ur gonna drag them around shore diving. Jmo.
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Old 07-08-2019, 02:53 PM   #3
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Re: Blue claw crabs

I use a mesh laundry bag and hook it to my stringer. They are almost all females but after they’ve laid their eggs they don’t do so again in their life cycle so don’t feel bad about taking females.
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Old 07-08-2019, 06:53 PM   #4
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Re: Blue claw crabs

I run the Fun Time Crabbing charters outside of Ocean City, NJ
( FunTimeCrabbing.com )The only reg for crabs is the 4.5 inch possession limit.

While I have never picked them up while diving, what you may want to do is sink a bucket with a bunch of holes drilled in it (and a lid) and keep it near you. The crabs will always head for the bottom of the bucket so you can get it 3/4 full by they time they can crawl out. That would be about 4 gallons of crabs which is half a bushel (bushel being 8.8 gallons).
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Old 07-08-2019, 08:02 PM   #5
jersymudsniper
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Re: Blue claw crabs

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Originally Posted by StukNotAnchored View Post
I run the Fun Time Crabbing charters outside of Ocean City, NJ
( FunTimeCrabbing.com )The only reg for crabs is the 4.5 inch possession limit.
I thought they cant have eggs also?

Last edited by jersymudsniper; 07-08-2019 at 08:40 PM.
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Old 07-09-2019, 05:28 AM   #6
StukNotAnchored
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Re: Blue claw crabs

You are correct on the eggs. I was responding to what I thought was a question about limitations on harvesting methods. Long and short, no eggs, 4.5 inches point to point and no one cares how you came to possess them (whether by diving, or using traps from the surface or catch them from seagulls dropping them in the parking lot).

I am more amazed that the poster can catch a significant number by diving at all. Usually the vis in NJ not good and even a big crab is fairly small and blends well with the bottom. In the brackish water where we work we cannot even see the bottom of the boat from a full arms length away to scrape it when we are underneath.
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Old 07-09-2019, 08:01 AM   #7
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Re: Blue claw crabs

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Originally Posted by jersymudsniper View Post
The ones you are seeing are most likely females. Mostly with eggs. You can keep them if they have no eggs. Same regs. Its tough depending where you dive and if shore or boat. Dragging a bag of crabs is like a sea anchor plus in my experience towing them in current kills them by end of dive. Get them at end of day if ur gonna drag them around shore diving. Jmo.
Shit man, if the current doesnt kill them im sure that walk back in the heat will have them cooked up real good by the time you reach the parking lot
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Old 07-09-2019, 08:11 AM   #8
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Re: Blue claw crabs

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Originally Posted by StukNotAnchored View Post
You are correct on the eggs. I was responding to what I thought was a question about limitations on harvesting methods. Long and short, no eggs, 4.5 inches point to point and no one cares how you came to possess them (whether by diving, or using traps from the surface or catch them from seagulls dropping them in the parking lot).

I am more amazed that the poster can catch a significant number by diving at all. Usually the vis in NJ not good and even a big crab is fairly small and blends well with the bottom. In the brackish water where we work we cannot even see the bottom of the boat from a full arms length away to scrape it when we are underneath.
Could get hundreds they are laying all over in sand. Visability been steady 5 to 10ft.
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Old 07-09-2019, 08:56 PM   #9
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Re: Blue claw crabs

Once in a blue moon when the bay gets way to hot and dissolved oxygen plummets I've seen a certain inlet fill up with big males to the point of carpeting. I've only seen it twice but it lasts a little while when it does. Other than that it's all females about to broadcast eggs or just finishing up. When those females are done broadcasting eggs they are typically not in the shape where you want to bother going through the work to sit and pick meat from them. I can't stand picking crabs anymore but on the rare occasion I sit there with them I'm only messing with the meatiest ones. I don't know how I used to sit there eating bits for hours as a kid.
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Old 07-12-2019, 10:24 AM   #10
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Re: Blue claw crabs

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Could get hundreds they are laying all over in sand. Visability been steady 5 to 10ft.
Yup, any rock I dive just outside an inlet usually has a few half covered in sand around it
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