Recreational crabbing is often done in conjunction with other outdoor activities. Over one-third of fishermen combined crabbing with either fishing or camping. As temperatures rise in March and April, catch rates begin to increase before peaking from June through September. In warmer weather crabs are more active, feed more aggressively, and move into more accessible, shallow water habitats. Very good catches can be obtained from Gulf beaches in July and August.
Crabbing effort parallels the trend in catches.
Crabs can be caught at any time of the day, but there are some factors that may influence catches. First, crabs may be more active early in the morning or late in the afternoon during hot weather. Second, tides may influence the feeding behavior of crabs. Catches are often better on a moving tide. Some fishermen prefer to fish the last few hours of a falling tide because crabs move out of flooded shoreline vegetation into open water.