Soft Shell Crabs

[billblack]

This is my first post. Thanks in advance for reading and giving your thoughts./

I will be in the northern part of the bay on my boat this weekend, specifically on the Bohemia River.

I've eaten but have never caught a soft shell crab. I looked up at the sky last night and noticed a near full moon and remembered that it has something to do with when the soft shell crabs are around........what exactly I don't know.

How do you find and catch these guys? I'm in a 17 ft Arima Sea Pacer and I'll be putting some traps out. In the meantime, I'd love to go looking for softshells...........but I really don't know where to start.

My wife (pain in the ass) and kids (absolutely wonderful) are away for the week and I'm looking forward to noodling around on the water all weekend, crushing some beers, soaking up some son and stars and hopefully catching something good to eat.

Any advice would be appreciated.

[longestjd]

The best way I have found to catch some softshells is in a shedding house and I usually use a few greenbacks (money) as bait. Hardshells are a lot easier to catch yourself.

[BIG EYE]

Find some 1 to 2 foot deep, clear, sand bottom with grass cover near by, wade with a dip net, you will see all sorts of cool stuff, I like to do it at first light, if conditions are right, you might see some of the largest jimmies ever, doing some kind of fighting or something. I read a book a while back that said that this is the only way to catch the real monster jimmies. If you spend the time necessary, you will get some softies too. It is kinda hard to tell that they are soft before you net them, but I've netted some whales before by just wading. give it a try, I really enjoy it.

[SteveL]

Welcome to Tidalfish!

Like Bigeye said, wading in a shallow sandy area is good, I like to do that at night with a light. Sometimes when you find a good spot at the right time you can find a lot of them.

[Burchbeer]

Good Replies.
Here is my way, although I hate to say and am dissapointed that I have not waded for softies in a while.

I find an area with grass that I can wade during low tide.
Typically it has been when the sun is high. These conditions have worked well for me.
With the sun at your back and softcrab net with a roller in front or a soft neted dip net, I wade the grass beds peering into the water through a pair of decent sun glasses.
You will see the soft crabs in the grasses as they move about. Also, you will see green hard crabs wanting to either mate with the females or eat them.
There will be busters to find too.
You dip toward your quarry and will find that the slower moving crabs are soft and the fast darting crabs are hard. Lift your net frequently and at time you will be surprised that you have netted a crab without knowing.

The you will find out how fun it is to chase a quick darting jimmie. Sometimes you will win and other times they will escape. This will bring the kid out in you fast!

You can tie an inner tube with a bushell basket in it to your waste to place your catch in. I prefer an inflatable toy boat better because it has less resistence than the basket. Fill the bottom with seaweed and lay a light layer of seaweed on your caught crabs.
I have a cooler with ice on the boat anchored somewhere to use as home base and take the catch back to be culled.

I am getting aroused writing about this. I really am. Excuse me while I .....................Boom!

Oh thats better.

Keep crabbing as long as you can but make sure you dont have anything on the "base" that is not legal. You know what I mean!
Know the regs and have fun.

I should be out this weekend but need to get ready to go to Smith Mountain Lake in a week.
One year while on strike from Ma Bell my first wife and I caught 8 doz softcrabs in 4 days.
Yes, 8 doz!

Hope this helps some!

Dave

[billblack]

Thanks so much for the info. I spent some time reading up on the molting stages and I understand the process these crabs go through start to finish. The catching tips are great!