According to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, as of 2013, there were approximately 635 boats in the Bering Sea crab fleet. This number has likely changed in the past six years, but this gives you a general idea of the size of the fleet. The vast majority of these boats are under 40 feet long and catch crabs using pot gear, which is a type of trap. A smaller number of larger boats use trawl nets to catch crabs.