Storing blue crabs in the boat and overnight
 

Planning on catching blue crabs for our upcoming GI trip.
When we are on the water during the day, I plan to have a styrofoam cooler (and lid) with about an inch or so of saltwater and a small "bubbler."
Will keep a frozen Coke bottle with them through the day.
Also plan to crush the bottom part of their pincers.

At night I planned to put them in a large coated bait cage at the marina dock.

Is this the best way,or does anyone have better info/ideas?

keep them cool with some ice and you will be fine, if its just for the day that's all you need but if keeping overnight then they need oxygen so make air holes in the lid or near the top edge of cooler so the cold air stays inside.

Why are your crushing the pinchers?

All you need to do is keep them cool, hell crabbers run traps day and dont use any ice on them, just a burlap sack wet down with water. When you get back to the dock drop them in the bait cage. I would not drop ice cold crabs into water though, they will probably go into shock into with the sudden temperature change.

I wouldn't keep them cold and in water, they might drown. I would go with cold and dry.

Ice chest with drain unplugged, quarter filled with ice, burlap over ice.

burlap over ice, drained.

I place them in my cooler... then dump ice over them... keep them for days..