Crabs Full ???

[Butch Miller]

Seems like a lots of folks are catching crabs,all over,i am offshore and go in on the 4th ,And i am planing on going .well no one is saying if the crabs are full,i hate to catch a limit and they would be empty..I think it's a waste when that happens,i can't find out if there is a way to tell,by the moon,ect

["W"]

Butch,

Crabs have a lot of myth about being full or empty due to moon but that is far from Truth

Crabs are scavengers who eat 24/7 on the bottom, crabs are tidal movers and usually feed with the tide moving. If you have good tides you will more likely catch more full crabs due to great movement which allows them more food as to a few days of weak tide and having to swim and work for food.
Most marsh crabs are full all the time, I would say you get one empty per 7 or 8 full. Lake crabs are big water crabs seem to be less full.

Never base your trip on if someone says crabs are full or empty because this could be location or time of day.

I got this info from an old crabber who has been fishing crabs all his life, always listen to the old timers

[Duck Butter]

Originally Posted by "W"

Butch,

Crabs have a lot of myth about being full or empty due to moon but that is far from Truth

Crabs are scavengers who eat 24/7 on the bottom, crabs are tidal movers and usually feed with the tide moving. If you have good tides you will more likely catch more full crabs due to great movement which allows them more food as to a few days of weak tide and having to swim and work for food.
Most marsh crabs are full all the time, I would say you get one empty per 7 or 8 full. Lake crabs are big water crabs seem to be less full.

Never base your trip on if someone says crabs are full or empty because this could be location or time of day.

I got this info from an old crabber who has been fishing crabs all his life, always listen to the old timers

Great info, thanks for sharing

Seems to me the term 'empty' is kinda misleading also when I hear people talk of that, if they just molted then they were too large for that shell and the new shell is just not filled out completely, but their is still plenty of meat in there its certainly not empty

[truebluelsu]

Crabs we caught this weekend were very full and surprisingly easier to peel than I remember.

[AceArcher]

If you wan't full crabs don't keep the one's that look like a shiny new penny. You want to keep those that have a little moss and algae growing on the shell.

Also you can distinguish crabs that are getting close to their next molt (which is when they are going to be fullest) by looking for white / pink / or red sign on there last swimming fin.

Basically you look at that very edge of that last fin in the back of the crab... if it looks just uniformly blue/green then it in the beginning / middle of the molt cycle.

if it has a white line on the outside edge its about 2 weeks away from molting and going to be very full.

if it has a pinkish or reddish line along the outside edge its 2-4 days away from molting and is going to be as full as its ever gonna get in that shell.

you can see that progression on the bottom of this set of pictures from left to right. green , white sign, pink sign, red sign.

[swamp snorkler]

Originally Posted by AceArcher

If you wan't full crabs don't keep the one's that look like a shiny new penny. You want to keep those that have a little moss and algae growing on the shell.

Also you can distinguish crabs that are getting close to their next molt (which is when they are going to be fullest) by looking for white / pink / or red sign on there last swimming fin.

Basically you look at that very edge of that last fin in the back of the crab... if it looks just uniformly blue/green then it in the beginning / middle of the molt cycle.

if it has a white line on the outside edge its about 2 weeks away from molting and going to be very full.

if it has a pinkish or reddish line along the outside edge its 2-4 days away from molting and is going to be as full as its ever gonna get in that shell.

you can see that progression on the bottom of this set of pictures from left to right. green , white sign, pink sign, red sign.

This. C
Crabs also need current to molt to help get rid of it shell and to help the new shell harden.

[duck enticer]

Originally Posted by "W"

Butch,

Crabs have a lot of myth about being full or empty due to moon but that is far from Truth

Crabs are scavengers who eat 24/7 on the bottom, crabs are tidal movers and usually feed with the tide moving. If you have good tides you will more likely catch more full crabs due to great movement which allows them more food as to a few days of weak tide and having to swim and work for food.
Most marsh crabs are full all the time, I would say you get one empty per 7 or 8 full. Lake crabs are big water crabs seem to be less full.

Never base your trip on if someone says crabs are full or empty because this could be location or time of day.

I got this info from an old crabber who has been fishing crabs all his life, always listen to the old timers

Good comment.

[Frank Buck]

That is interesting about the paddle colors....I've always looked at the shell near the point on both ends. If there is a distinctive white circle or faded white circle near the points on the ends of the shell they are full....no discernable white circle, they are empty....That method has not failed me yet. Good information here....

[goldenrod]

^^^ works every time