Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-07-17
Crabs, Now Running Fewer but Larger on Bay,
Easy to Catch if You Have Know-How
BY CHARLES COVELL
Outdoor Editor

Der of the family can en-
Joy. You could call it a
diversion rather than a
sport if you wished. Mostly
its just plain fun. That's
grabbing.
You can see its devotees
on any quiet week end
dangling lines in coveS or
inletS. Whole families sit
patiently in boats. Youngsters,
tired of swimming, perch on
the end of piers. Old hands,
impatient of sitting, may work
a trot line.
When the first crab is caught
there'll be a scream from any
novice aboard at too close
proximity to these blue mon
sters." Gently dropped in a
bushel basket with boat
cushion for a top, everybody's
safe.
The experienced can handle
o big blue crab by grasping it
at the stern section between
the flippers, but they're wise to
wear a rubber work glove. A
crab fresh out of the briny is
IN nasty temper.
Running Big This Year
Monsters most crabs are
this summer. Not too many are
being caught but a dozen is
equivalent to at least a couple
of dozen of the usual run.
Down at Piney Point on the
Potomac, Swann's says the
grabbing is good. Harry Shorter
at Benedict on the Patuxent
says it's very good. Gus Berlitz
at Deale rates it slow. while on
South River it is said to be poor.
All agree, nevertheless, that the
crabs are running bigger than
they have seen them in many a
day. ,
Ed Hollis of Annapolis, Tide
water Fisheries Commission
biologist, gives this explanation:
Apparently the annual migra-
ton of the new year class" or
crop of younger crabs from the
lower portions of Chesapeake
Bay has not started.
Thus, the crabs being caught
are only the older and larger
crabs.
Life Span Two Years
A crabs life span covers no
more than two years. The fe-
male mates in the freSher wa
terS just before her last moult.
She then grows her egg sack
or sponge"
The young crabs are Matched
In waters of high salinity near
the mouth of the bay and after
successive mouths finally grow |
big enough to migrate to the |
upper bay. The 1858 crop of |
young crabs, for instance, will |
reach legal size about July or |
August of this year.
Hollis admitted the migration
was tardy this summer but !
could not account for it with
out more study. 1T might be
due to a late, cool spring" he
said.
AS to complaints that crab
bling in general is not nearly as
good as it was several years
ago. he added: 4
%There have been a lot of
fluctuations over the years, due
to many causes, but it is true
that there is a great deal more
grabbing today. Not only does
there seem to be hundreds of
crab pots everywhere but the
public is doing a lot of grabbing
off piers and boats, the amount
of which is impossible to eSti-
mate"
Big Crabs Worth Seeking
Whether you get bushel or
not. the big crabs now running
are worth going after. First of,
remember that any crabs you
do catch that do not measure
5 inches from one point of the
shell to the other must be re-
turned to the water. Secondly,
females may be taken but not
egg-bearing or sponge crabs"
For leisurely grabbing, equip
yourself with a net, obtainable
from almost any sporting goods
dealer and many hardware
stores.
Nets come in two sizes, long
handled for larger boats or
piers and short-handled for
smaller boats. They cost from
81 to S1.50. ...
Then you'll need cheap line
several lengths about Is feet
long and small sinkers. Eel pre-
served in brine is good bait and
can be found at most sporting
goods stores. Chicken necks and
backs, bought at the super
market for Is cents package,
are white and snowy in the
water.
Retrieve Carefully
Tie on chunk, throw over
board and wait for a strong,
slow pull. Retrieve the line ever
SO slowly and Mr.. Crab usually
will cling to the bait until he's
close enough to net.
That's where the fun comes
In, the swoop with the net that
the crab too often evades. Try
keeping the line well away
from the boat.
Best grabbing is just off the
@~%