Your Thoughts on Females

[Crabslayer]

No, not the 2 legged kind. I would like to know your thoughts on keeping female crabs.

[masterbaiter]

throw them back

[rgminer]

The orange crumbly stuff inside females are indeed undeveloped sponges (eggs) and they are great for making she crab soup. In Chincoteague bay most of the female crabs are baren by about mid August and we don't see any sponge crabs or even undeveloped roe. They turn their energy into eating to survive through the winter, and by mid september are nicely fat....

[Durado]

I didn't know that. I don't think I ever opened up a female crab and NOT seen that orange stuff. I'd have to question that. Like I said, I have never opened a steamed female and NOT seen that stuff.

[nalley1952]

I agree with Durado on this one.

[Burchbeer]

I like to eat female often.
I typically throw back the female crabs however. Right or wrong, Thats what I do.
This is a controvercial topic. I do keep and shed female peelers that are part of doublers.
The cow crabs, inmature females, I throw back.

[JB Crabs]

I perfer to keep to keep male crabs only though I have kept females on a slow day. As far as eating, I again perfer a Jimmy but have been know to eat a female. It's your choice!

[saltylady]

We throw them back regardless of their condition.

[BigWillJ]

We don't think about 'em. We throw 'em back. That's just the way we've done it over the years.

[crabby and son]

As a recreational crabber, there is nothing to think about. They go back. Even before the new regulations, I never kept females. That is the way I was taught since I was old enough to crab and that's a LONG time!.............Gary