# Blue crabs out of control in POC



## Trouthappy (Jun 12, 2008)

Blue crabs everywhere around POC. After about 40 in a row get on your live baits, you start wondering where Bin Lee went to. Blue crabs everywhere. It's like the 1960s again. These crabs won't even turn loose of your bait, you don't even need a net. What's up with that? Time for a *serious* crab boil. Help! Bring chicken necks this weekend.


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## tbaker (Dec 20, 2004)

Don't even need bait. Fished Matagorda a few weeks ago and my kids were scooping them up with dip nets. Didn't keep any....but could have had a bunch.


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## Sgrem (Oct 5, 2005)

What are the rules and best way to take care of them? What size do they need to be? How many can you keep? How to care for them till you get home? How to clean and package them etc. Im in for getting a bunch of crabs. 

Same thing in Rockport.


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## 22'baykat (Aug 15, 2011)

Went floundering in POC last weekend, crabs were definitely everywhere, but so we're the flounder. My buddy had a few crabs grab his gulp and wouldn't let go. They didn't touch my down south lures covered in procure though.


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## mjz (Jan 11, 2008)

Just boiled 2 dozen for good measure. Left a LOT in the water. All males also, no females and no sponges. Several getting ready to molt, but not "soft shell" quite yet.

I would guess all the rain we had has something to do with it...?


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## aggiefishinDr (Sep 1, 2005)

I have never seen so many myself. As stated above Rockport is covered with them as well. We could have caught as many as one would want!


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## Kyle 1974 (May 10, 2006)

why are you using bait like a primitive meat hauler? you should be using environmentally friendly non scented lures.


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## steve holchak (May 18, 2012)

Trouthappy said:


> Blue crabs everywhere around POC. After about 40 in a row get on your live baits, you start wondering where Bin Lee went to. Blue crabs everywhere. It's like the 1960s again. These crabs won't even turn loose of your bait, you don't even need a net. What's up with that? Time for a *serious* crab boil. Help! Bring chicken necks this weekend.


Turkey necks work better. We have 2 gallons of crabmeat from last 3 weekends in Sargent. A lot of undersized ones, we kept 30 out of 70 last Saturday, all males, 6" or better.I think 5" is the required length. Best year in a long time, last year was non existent.


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## Its Catchy (Apr 10, 2014)

Trouthappy said:


> Blue crabs everywhere around POC. After about 40 in a row get on your live baits, you start wondering where Bin Lee went to. Blue crabs everywhere. It's like the 1960s again. These crabs won't even turn loose of your bait, you don't even need a net. What's up with that? Time for a *serious* crab boil. Help! Bring chicken necks this weekend.


Blue Crabs again like the 1960's! What new piece of regulation made this happen? It's amazing what a little fresh water will do for our bays.

I also notice that Mickey Eastman and others have been commenting on just how good the Galveston bay trout fishery is this year and just how many quality trout have been caught. Many are saying its the best in years.

It must be the new 5 trout limit.

Oh I forgot that does not apply to Galveston Bay.


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## Smackdaddy53 (Nov 4, 2011)

Its Catchy said:


> Blue Crabs again like the 1960's! What new piece of regulation made this happen? It's amazing what a little fresh water will do for our bays.
> 
> I also notice that Mickey Eastman and others have been commenting on just how good the Galveston bay trout fishery is this year and just how many quality trout have been caught. Many are saying its the best in years.
> 
> ...


Cedar Bayou thread all over again. 
If you think the 5 trout limits are not helping you are oblivious to simple arithmetic. 5 is less than ten...yes, the rain helped but only people like you would think that killing half as many fish per day would not help the fishery. You must just like being "that guy".


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## AaronB (May 15, 2010)

We were catching them crabs regularly on artificials 3 or 4 weeks ago. It's been crazy. That fresh water got'em doped up or something.

On the trout thing, it's been a good summer for trout fishing in Lower Galveston bay and East bay. The fresh water from trinity river and from the upper channel moved the fish down to us. It has nothing to do with limits.


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## Its Catchy (Apr 10, 2014)

Smackdaddy53 said:


> Cedar Bayou thread all over again.
> If you think the 5 trout limits are not helping you are oblivious to simple arithmetic. 5 is less than ten...yes, the rain helped but only people like you would think that killing half as many fish per day would not help the fishery. You must just like being "that guy".


I am pretty good at math. And 5 is less than 10, simple arithmetic. But 2 is less than five, one is less than two.

And I don't think zero would "help" the fishery it would shut it down.

We are quickly reaching the point where the inshore fishery is going to mimic the snapper fishery. And we all know what a cluster that turned out to be.


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## spurgersalty (Jun 29, 2010)

sgrem said:


> What are the rules and best way to take care of them? What size do they need to be? How many can you keep? How to care for them till you get home? How to clean and package them etc. Im in for getting a bunch of crabs.
> 
> Same thing in Rockport.


5" point to point. Cooler with a good bed of ice to put them in. If you're going to cook them right away, I always leave the shell completely intact. If I'm going to store them(rlfreeze), I take the top shell off and rinse the innards out with a hose. Keep as many as you want, no limit.
Just keep them cold so they don't spoil.


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## Drundel (Feb 6, 2006)

If they eggs, you have to release them. We've caught SOOO many on gulps the last few weeks. I've been looking for a cheap crab trap to put and put out when we first get to our spot.


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## LouieB (Jun 7, 2005)

Its Catchy said:


> I am pretty good at math. And 5 is less than 10, simple arithmetic. But 2 is less than five, one is less than two.
> 
> And I don't think zero would "help" the fishery it would shut it down.
> 
> We are quickly reaching the point where the inshore fishery is going to mimic the snapper fishery. And we all know what a cluster that turned out to be.


HAHA...you got called out for being "that guy" by mentioning what you heard on the radio. Of course you were called out by..."THAT GUY" LMAO:rotfl:


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## troutsupport (May 22, 2006)

Sounds like the new term for croaker fishing is now... crab fishing...lol. 

I had one hold onto my chatter rattle the other day. Good to see a comeback and it'll help the reds for sure.


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## Its Catchy (Apr 10, 2014)

Drundel said:


> If they eggs, you have to release them. We've caught SOOO many on gulps the last few weeks. I've been looking for a cheap crab trap to put and put out when we first get to our spot.


There is a guy in Friendswood who builds them and sells them cheap. Send me a PM.


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## barronj (Sep 30, 2013)

I was planning to take my girls (5,7) fishing and crabbing at the same time. It's crazy, and they would love it.


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## Smackdaddy53 (Nov 4, 2011)

LouieB said:


> HAHA...you got called out for being "that guy" by mentioning what you heard on the radio. Of course you were called out by..."THAT GUY" LMAO:rotfl:


Yeah, the radio is always spot on when it comes to conservation. TPWD has a radio show now?


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## spurgersalty (Jun 29, 2010)

Smackdaddy53 said:


> Yeah, the radio is always spot on when it comes to conservation. TPWD has a radio show now?


sure do. as well as a tv program
https://tpwd.texas.gov/newsmedia/radio_news/


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## gjhamiltom (Jul 27, 2010)

We were in Surfside a couple weeks ago. We caught so many kids were tired of catching them. Fed 15 people and still had some left over. We're pulling them up.2 and 3 at a time 

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk


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## chicapesca (Jun 7, 2004)

sgrem said:


> What are the rules and best way to take care of them? What size do they need to be? How many can you keep? How to care for them till you get home? How to clean and package them etc. Im in for getting a bunch of crabs.
> 
> Same thing in Rockport.


This is from TPWD:
https://tpwd.texas.gov/regulations/...fish-regulations/crab-and-ghost-shrimp-limits

We just put them in the ice chest, or bucket if we are crabbing. Keep them in the fridge til the end of the day and clean some to bbq the bodies and boil the rest.

Google crab cleaning for cleaning and packaging ideas.


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## crawdaddct (Sep 14, 2011)

Boil um, fry um, and put um in a gumbo. Cant get enough crabs... With the moon getting bigger should be full of meat in about a week. Don't use ice, they will drown if it melts. Use soda bottles with frozen water in them crabs on top and wet burlap over them. They will be fuly alive when you get home. Don't wont no dead unes...


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## chad (Sep 7, 2006)

Our catch last Sunday. We love catching and eating blue crabs. We get them almost every weekend and eat them all week long in toppings, dips, crab cakes, stuffing, and so on. Nothing better than fresh blue crab. We catch them with nets, hand lines with chicken necks, or crab baskets baited with chicken necks..... and yes we have been catching some lately on salt water assassins!

Blue crab regs:
have to be 5" tip to tip
no possession limit
illegal to possess sponge crabs


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## Bocephus (May 30, 2008)

I remember "That Girl"

You young whipper snappers probably don't though..


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## Lone-Star (Dec 19, 2009)

The best way to keep them alive is to place them in a cooler, no ice at first, then cover them with a towel or burlap sack, and place a small layer of ice over the towel or burlap. Keep the drain open so the water can drain out. The melting ice will run over the crabs and keep them cool and wet. If you place the ice directly on them or let them sit in water they will die. I do this commercially and can keep them alive for several days with this method. If you're going to cook them right away then just toss em on ice.


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## eyef1shin (May 16, 2014)

I'm going to have to look into this. Never caught crabs or cooked them, but they sound good.


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## DA REEL DADDY (Jun 7, 2005)

10-4 on them not letting go of your bait.

My neighbor I made plans to go fishing a couple of weeks ago. I told him the crabs were notorious on were tearing up live bait. He said that was cool and brought his own bucket. We loaded that thing up about halfway full on no time.

When my kids get one on the line I asked them if they have a fish on. They just say no, Mr. Blue. Lol


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## Smackdaddy53 (Nov 4, 2011)

spurgersalty said:


> sure do. as well as a tv program
> http://tpwd.texas.gov/newsmedia/radio_news/


Well dadgum


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## artys_only (Mar 29, 2005)

chad said:


> Our catch last Sunday. We love catching and eating blue crabs. We get them almost every weekend and eat them all week long in toppings, dips, crab cakes, stuffing, and so on. Nothing better than fresh blue crab. We catch them with nets, hand lines with chicken necks, or crab baskets baited with chicken necks..... and yes we have been catching some lately on salt water assassins!
> 
> Blue crab regs:
> have to be 5" tip to tip
> ...


Nice catch!


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## TunnelVision (Aug 16, 2005)

*Surfside*



gjhamiltom said:


> We were in Surfside a couple weeks ago. We caught so many kids were tired of catching them. Fed 15 people and still had some left over. We're pulling them up.2 and 3 at a time
> 
> Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk


 Can you give any tips on location GJ? I would like to take the kids and grandma out there! Were you at the jetties or on the bay side?


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## chad (Sep 7, 2006)

I like to keep the crabs as fresh as possible so I keep mine in the live well. We have been catching so many lately I have been filling up both live wells because it becomes a cage match to the death when you put too many in there together.

I cook the crabs a little differently than a lot of people. I keep them alive right up until the time I'm going to cook them. Then I put them in an ice bath so they don't pinch you while you disassemble them. I pull the backs, teeth, gills, and aprons off of them and then gently rinse out the guts with a water hose. I have never been a fan of crab guts. Then we steam them. I put 50% water and 50% vinegar in the bottom of a large steamer pot, and then steam them for 10 - 15 minutes depending on how full the pot is with crabs. When the top crabs are done, they all are done.


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## LaddH (Sep 29, 2011)

chad said:


> I like to keep the crabs as fresh as possible so I keep mine in the live well. We have been catching so many lately I have been filling up both live wells because it becomes a cage match to the death when you put too many in there together.
> 
> I cook the crabs a little differently than a lot of people. I keep them alive right up until the time I'm going to cook them. Then I put them in an ice bath so they don't pinch you while you disassemble them. I pull the backs, teeth, gills, and aprons off of them and then gently rinse out the guts with a water hose. I have never been a fan of crab guts. Then we steam them. I put 50% water and 50% vinegar in the bottom of a large steamer pot, and then steam them for 10 - 15 minutes depending on how full the pot is with crabs. When the top crabs are done, they all are done.


That is the same way I do it but without the vinegar. I steamed about 25 Saturday . They were legal but most were on the smallish side but still got enough meat for 2 good meals of crab salad for two people. 
I am glad they have made a comeback. I have missed them the last few years.


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## chad (Sep 7, 2006)

My grandmother always said the vinegar makes them easier to peal. Oh, I also dust them with old bay or the seasoning of your choice.


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## steve holchak (May 18, 2012)

chad said:


> I like to keep the crabs as fresh as possible so I keep mine in the live well. We have been catching so many lately I have been filling up both live wells because it becomes a cage match to the death when you put too many in there together.
> 
> I cook the crabs a little differently than a lot of people. I keep them alive right up until the time I'm going to cook them. Then I put them in an ice bath so they don't pinch you while you disassemble them. I pull the backs, teeth, gills, and aprons off of them and then gently rinse out the guts with a water hose. I have never been a fan of crab guts. Then we steam them. I put 50% water and 50% vinegar in the bottom of a large steamer pot, and then steam them for 10 - 15 minutes depending on how full the pot is with crabs. When the top crabs are done, they all are done.


Teeth? LMAO! However, you are doing it right. I use liquid and powdered (Zattarains pro boil) Weve been doing so much lately, I use very little water, to save the spice for next time.


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## crawdaddct (Sep 14, 2011)

chad said:


> I like to keep the crabs as fresh as possible so I keep mine in the live well. We have been catching so many lately I have been filling up both live wells because it becomes a cage match to the death when you put too many in there together.
> 
> I cook the crabs a little differently than a lot of people. I keep them alive right up until the time I'm going to cook them. Then I put them in an ice bath so they don't pinch you while you disassemble them. I pull the backs, teeth, gills, and aprons off of them and then gently rinse out the guts with a water hose. I have never been a fan of crab guts. Then we steam them. I put 50% water and 50% vinegar in the bottom of a large steamer pot, and then steam them for 10 - 15 minutes depending on how full the pot is with crabs. When the top crabs are done, they all are done.


 You mean you don't crack them open and suck up all the innards? I use to hate crab boils as a kid, because all my family would eat those crab guts, always made me loose my appetite. I do them like you do. :dance:

Yes fresh is best. I don't eat crabs that are dead when I get home. After having Hep A from bad seafood and being laid up for a month, all yellow eyed and drinking 7 up. sad3sm Couldn't even hold down water. I'm very careful with any type of crab.


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## crawdaddct (Sep 14, 2011)

chad said:


> My grandmother always said the vinegar makes them easier to peal. Oh, I also dust them with old bay or the seasoning of your choice.


I use Old Bay as well, but my step-dad always says that its terrible and goes on about some seasoning that they don't even sell in Texas. Kind of irritating, I cant remember what it is. :headknock

I get my seasoning from some guy down in Louisiana. He sells it out of his garage, along with shrimp, crabs, and crawfish. It kind of weird driving into his back yard to buy stuff, but its always good.


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## eyef1shin (May 16, 2014)

chad said:


> I like to keep the crabs as fresh as possible so I keep mine in the live well. We have been catching so many lately I have been filling up both live wells because it becomes a cage match to the death when you put too many in there together.
> 
> I cook the crabs a little differently than a lot of people. I keep them alive right up until the time I'm going to cook them. Then I put them in an ice bath so they don't pinch you while you disassemble them. I pull the backs, teeth, gills, and aprons off of them and then gently rinse out the guts with a water hose. I have never been a fan of crab guts. Then we steam them. I put 50% water and 50% vinegar in the bottom of a large steamer pot, and then steam them for 10 - 15 minutes depending on how full the pot is with crabs. When the top crabs are done, they all are done.


 How do you disassemble them? I'm going to have to youtube that one. Yes I'm from the Midwest and know nothing about this stuff.


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## LaddH (Sep 29, 2011)

eyef1shin said:


> How do you disassemble them? I'm going to have to youtube that one. Yes I'm from the Midwest and know nothing about this stuff.


YouTube is your friend also http://www.bluecrab.info/.


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## Gottagofishin (Dec 17, 2005)

Mrs GGF has been racking up on the crabs this Summer off our dock in Jamaica Beach. Two traps are yielding 4 to 8 crabs per night. She cleans and freezes them every morning. About 80% blues and 20% stones. 

We are literally out of freezer room with all the crabs. Time for a crab boil. 

I haven't caught one on an artificial though. 

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk


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## pocjetty (Sep 12, 2014)

Trouthappy said:


> Blue crabs everywhere around POC. After about 40 in a row get on your live baits, you start wondering where Bin Lee went to. Blue crabs everywhere. It's like the 1960s again. These crabs won't even turn loose of your bait, you don't even need a net. What's up with that? Time for a *serious* crab boil. Help! Bring chicken necks this weekend.


That's the best post I've read in a long time. Great news. The crab population got seriously low, and I wondered if they were going to bounce back. They're a big part of a healthy bay system.

Thanks for the post, and green to you.


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## txbred (May 13, 2013)

Wading Cleveland Bayou last wknd they were everywhere. I pulled a few about 2 ft out of the water with a Vudu. I guess the procure is irresistible.


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## Its Catchy (Apr 10, 2014)

Went gigging Friday night. Water was too muddy to gig any flounder but we got a solid five gallon bucket full of Crabs.

The Crab boil on Saturday night was great!


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## poppadawg (Aug 10, 2007)

Wonder if the crabs are concentrated due to the fresh water run off? Are the crabs as thick in Trinity as they are in East Bay?


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