crabs and cold weather????

[keakar]

I know when it gets cold enough the crabs shut down but at what temperatures to they get scarce?

I guess im asking how cold does it need to get when the crab season catching em with lines is over and don't bother tryin? cant be far off I would think

[AceArcher]

I am not an expert on how it works here in louisiana, but i know in maryland you could catch fairly well through mid november.... after that it was gonna be hit / miss depending on how low the water temps got.

[AceArcher]

i have also heard folks say as long as water temps are around the 60 degree or above range you can catch....

[AceArcher]

also as far as catching them goes.. if they are in the area you can catch em on the line, you might want to give a little more soak time between checks as they will be moving a bit slower... but if anything when the water is colder they are not as skittish as they are in the summer and hold on even better.

[eman]

we catch a few in January on hand lines in the marsh

[keakar]

ok, thanks guys

I was always told crabs settle into the mud and hibernate in winter, hardly eating or moving. as with all things passed along that people "hear" and repeat, ya never know whats true.

just getting to the point of a coin flip on crabbing or fishing and I didn't want to waste time crabbing if it was expected to be a losing effort.

maybe it was the moon or something like that but last Wednesday when I went out, the crabs werent very hungry and didn't start biting until the water temp got to 76, before that I started at 74 then warmed to 75 and I caught 6 or 7 then right at 76 I started catching slow but steady and the tides were moving the same steady curve the whole time so I thought the temps had something to do with it. I mighta caught 2 crabs from 7am to 8am then from 8am to 9am I caught another 5 or 6 but then from 9am to 11am I caught three dozen

[keakar]

pretty late on the follow up report but I just wanted to thank you guys for reassuring me it wasn't too cold to continue to try crabbing.

I went back on 10/22/14 and caught 2 bushels of #1 crabs and some were hanging onto just empty bone or even a stringy little smidgen of tendon still stuck in the knot.

it was amazing how almost every single crab was a big large #1 and out of those 2 bushels there may have been only 10 or 12 that weren't wall hanger size.

haven't been back since though as other matters take up my free time right now but I hope this last bought of freezing temps hasn't shut em down early.

I was about to put the crab line in storage before you guys set the record straight that just cause its cold don't mean you cant catch crabs.

if I can find time to go try again next week, I may bring the radio next time (no im not going to be blasting music across the bayou lol) since I think I may need longer soak times with the temps so low lately. I just want a little music playing low so I have something to listen to and I think or at least hope it wont bother the crabs. I figure if the running motor doesn't bother then then some low playing tunes should be all right too.