Weather trend and crabbing

[Tiderunner0315]

Hi Gang, Yes. Im bored out of my skull and cabin fever is already taking its toll even though I have managed some fishin here and there.

The question I have is, How will the current weather trend (if it continues) affect the crabbing this year especially in my stomping grounds in the northen rivers. Lilly (Phil) on the regular boad says that Late Jan and Feb will be cold. Time will tell.

Tim

[redbeard]

If the winter stays mild and we don't have an extended period of time with a hard freeze more crabs will survive the winter. For northern rivers we need a warm spring to warm the water early. In the end mother nature will rule.

[Crabbermanjl]

True- We are half way there... & let's hope for the best. And yes Mother Nature does rule.......

[dogbig]

2011 was the 1st time in my 30 yrs of crabbing that I've ever heard of cold weather killing crabs. If a crab is hibernating in deep enough water, you wouldnt think that temp would be much a factor. After all, land animals that hibernated (frogs, toads, turtles, etc) a few feet underground seemed to fare ok last winter.

Maybe the dead crabs they dredged up died from starvation. I remember catching an awful lot of whiteys that fall.

[Tiderunner0315]

Crabs have been migrating up the bay for a long time. You would think they could handle the cold while dormant without dying.

[redbeard]

2 things. 1 the crabs we lost last winter mostly died when very cold weather set in too quickly or before they had time to hibernate enough. 2, crabs die most winters depending on allot of different reasons, depth, condition, age ect. and varies with temps.

[dogbig]

2 things. 1 the crabs we lost last winter mostly died when very cold weather set in too quickly or before they had time to hibernate enough. 2, crabs die most winters depending on allot of different reasons, depth, condition, age ect. and varies with temps.

that makes sense, i remember the news reported that millions of juvenile spot were killed by an early december 2010 cold snap last year and that they were washing up all over the shores of chesapeake

[Tiderunner0315]

2 things. 1 the crabs we lost last winter mostly died when very cold weather set in too quickly or before they had time to hibernate enough. 2, crabs die most winters depending on allot of different reasons, depth, condition, age ect. and varies with temps.

I guess that does make sense. I recall speckled trout dying In NC after a quick cold snap.