While trot-lining for crabs is generally considered the almost efficient method of harvesting a bushel handbasket full of cranky crustaceans, running a trot line besides requires a certain amount of skill – and a whole lot of work. The baiting procedure lone can take an hour, de-baiting the line is virtually as tedious, and showering yourself with chicken neck juices during the experience is not exactly delightful. Still, if there'south any one activity worth missing a few hours of line-fishing for, it'south crabbing. Those southerners tin can have their shrimp and those northerners are welcome to their lobster, because in Chesapeake country in that location's simple nothing we love more than than sitting downwards to a pile of jimmies steamed over beer and vinegar and loaded up with One-time Bay. (If you lot're shaking your head "no," nosotros officially banish you to N Dakota). Pull traps, as opposed to trot lines, are quite like shooting fish in a barrel to bait and operate, and crave much less of a fourth dimension-investment. To get some trap-pulling insight we spoke with Jim Bieler, of Marty's Bait and Tackle, who uses pull-traps in addition to trot lines himself.

catching crabs with pull traps
These pictures say it all – can you think of a better reason to get a bunch of pull-traps and head for the Bay? We didn't think and so. Photograph courtesy of J. R. Whitsell

"I use traps early in the flavour and belatedly in the season," he explains, "when you don't really know merely where the crabs will be and you do know yous'll have to search a chip. Yous tin prepare a few in each different depth range and every bit you lot catch a crab here or there, shift all the others into the productive surface area. With a trot-line, you'd take to pull the whole thing in to re-position it. Just a lot of people use traps all the fourth dimension, regardless of the season, simply because they're easy to use. You tin can buy a batch of traps and grab a batch of crabs all in the same 24-hour interval, without a whole lot of learning or preparation."

In one case the season is in full swing, it's unremarkably best to concentrate between five and 7 feet of water. However, however, savvy crab-trappers will fix a few test-traps in different depths simply to be sure. Weather and tide tin sometimes drive the crabs to congregate in depths that you lot hadn't necessarily expected. Also wait for cuts and creek mouths, which venereal tend to congregate near, and identify your traps outside of them. Underwater humps and confined can be very productive too.

Jim says that when gearing up you should consider using topless traps, because they can be stacked for much easier storage and won't have up nearly as much room on the boat. He suggests using a bungee cord to secure the traps in each stack together.

"Don't worry nigh the crabs pond out," he says. "They swim sideways and downwardly when they're scared, and as long as you requite a quick pull at the start to close the trap's doors, then pull in the line briskly, they almost never swim out the top."

What about hoop traps, which accept a pair of rings combined with cotton netting? While they work on the same primary are can exist constructive, Jim notes that in his experience, they deteriorate rather quickly. Plus if an angry crab clamps a claw effectually the netting, it can be tough to get the feisty critter out without causing harm. Topless pull traps, on the other hand, volition concluding for years on finish.

All other factors aside, perhaps the best affair about using pull-traps as opposed to running a trot-line is that your kids can get involved. They won't merely be riding along, as might happen when trot-lining, but tin can play an agile function past pulling in the traps. Even four or v year olds tin can pull up a line (though you'll probably want to grab the float and make the initial tug,) and they'll be thrilled beyond words each and every time a trap breaks the surface with a crab scuttling effectually in the lesser. That'll give them a serious sense of accomplishment – and it'll give the entire family the best meal on the face of the planet.

crabs from chesapeake bay
It's two large united nations-pinched thumbs up for Jake Fleischut, showing off a full bushel basket of Tred Avon success. Photo courtesy of Jeff Fleischut

five Top Pull Trap Crabbing Tips

  • Depending on the current, one side or the other of a point may be significantly more productive at any given fourth dimension. When in search manner, it's always a good thought to set half your traps on ane side of a bespeak and the others on the opposite side. After a couple-few rotations pulling all the traps up, you should know which side to then focus all your try on.
  • Rig about 12 feet of line to each trap. It's rare you'll want to crab in water deeper than 10 feet, and when crabbing in shallower water, you tin always leave some of the line wrapped around the float.
  • Stick with craven necks for bait. They're easy to secure in place, last a long time, and the venereal love 'em.
  • Don't give the traps a ton of soak-time. Pulling each one merely takes it out of action for a moment, and if a crab is in there while you wait, information technology'll just tear up the bait. When y'all have a dozen or more than traps in the h2o, y'all should be constantly pulling one after the next.
  • Try running your traps early in the 24-hour interval and late in the mean solar day. Only like fish, this is usually when the crabs are most active.