Sunday Funday: Pulling Stone Crab Traps

Stone Crab Fun Day Catching Dinner

A lot of my fishing charter customers ask me what I like to do for fun.  Usually, my first answer is “Fish!.”  Which is normally followed by a chuckle.  But then I tell them that it all depends on the time of year.  And since it’s in the middle of January Stone Crabs are a once a week activity for my girlfriend and I.  Sometimes we do really well and sometimes we only have a couple claws.  But it’s all about getting on the water in the middle of the winter and have some fun. 

In the state of Florida recreational anglers with a valid Saltwater Fishing license are able to have 5 Stone Crab traps per person.  So between my girlfriend and I we are able to have 10 traps.  After setting them up correctly we try to find and area that has a rocky bottom.  That’s because Stone Crabs like to hide from predators in these rocky areas.  We bait the traps with Pig feet and any fish carcases I have saved from recent fishing trips.  Crabs love smelly stuff because they are the bottom feeders of the sea.

Facts obtained from the FWC website:

Stone Crab Claws must be 2 3/4 measuring from the tip of the bottom claw to the first joint.  Recreational anglers are allowed 1 gallon per person or 2 gallons per boat whichever is less.  Stone Crab Season runs October 15 to May 15.  If you have any questions about setting up your very own recreational Stone Crab traps feel free to drop me an email.  Or if you’d like to book a fishing trip I’d love to have you.