I may be mistaken, but I think crabbing is only legal dusk to dawn unless using handlines. The rules may vary if you own a dock.

 

you can crab 24 hrs a day from a pier, or from a boat with handlines & dipnets,

B. Recreational. Except for handlines and dipnets, a person may not set any recreational crabbing gear or catch crabs for recreational purposes from a boat during:
(1) May through September between:
(a) 5 p.m. and 1/2 hour before sunrise in the main Chesapeake Bay; and
(b) Sunset and 1/2 hour before sunrise in tidal waters tributary to the Chesapeake Bay;
(2) April, October, November, and December between:
(a) 5 p.m. and 1/2 hour after sunrise in the main Chesapeake Bay; and
(b) Sunset and 1/2 hour after sunrise in tidal waters tributary to the Chesapeake Bay.

 

What about using aa light to attract? Ever heard of it?

Striper1

 

call dnr ask them

 

Grew up catching crabs at night with a light ,it was great. don't. think it is still legal

 

I use to do it as a kid, shine a light just in front of them and they will follow it right to you. I caught bushel after bushel that way...I haven't seen it done like that in over 20 years though...

 

Call DNR to find out, but then again what do they know??? LOL Here's an idea call 2 or 3 times and talk to differnet reresentitves. Atleast that way you can get a census of interpretations and formulate your own conclusion.

 

WHo is going to stop you from using a light just do it or find a pier with bright lights.. Come on people get your panties untwisted and just go out and do it. Crabbing a night is fun. It is quiet, calm, productive.

 

Wal Mart used to sell a floating light that hooks to a battery. I ve used in the ICW in NC to attract shrimp fish and eel, no crab but i,ve heard it works. N1

 

Striper, I used to do it off a pier at night when I was a kid. The light does attract them. If you are using handlines and a net, it is legal at night from a pier. Like one of the posters mentioned it can be quiet , but last time i did that, I remember being too darn busy netting and pulling lines with my buddy to relax. Of course that was when the tide was rolling in and they were hitting like crazy. We didn't use a light, but the floodlights from the pier attracted them.

 

My son and I crab at night in the summer and have a blast. It is cooler - the crabs hang onto the bait well and after 11:00 pm - there are almost no boats running by to give you wakes. We often get 2/3 to a bushel and our culling stick is cut 1/2 inch big. I use the boat's spreader lights as well as a floating green light. The lights do not seem to directly attract crabs but the lights do draw a lot of bait which brings in the crabs. We sometimes net free swimming crabs that swim into the baitfish. We crab until about 6:00 am - then run back to the ramp.

We will bottom fish while crabbing and get 15-20 Spot that we use to catch some Rock in the morning on the way back.

Can't beat crabs and fresh Rock and on the trailer by 8:00am in the summer.

 

Thats one night shift I woldn't mind working!!!

 

It's a lot of fun and very simple to do. We will sometimes use fresh cut Spot or White Perch as bait as well as chicken. It's easy to move around if a certain spot is not producing.

 

Think I'll give it a go one summer night. Got a pier and lights, why not

 

call dnr give up

 

From what I gatheres you can appearently handline in the dark from shore or on a boat. Nothing about lights though. But if the lights are a fixture I dont see where any issue can arise.

 

I very much doubt crabbers using handlines and/or lights will hurt the crab population.

Years ago I ran a 1,000 foot trotline at night in the Chester. Most runs I would get a bushel and I only kept crabs over 6 inches. It is so peaceful out there at night- especially from about 1am until 4 am.

I checked with DNR and handlines are fine from a boat at night. I never asked about the lights but common sense tells you some type of lights will be used to see the crabs.

 

I plan to try this again for the first time. Since 196???.

Lets see, a nice August evening, cooler full of chilies, some nibblies, a little Oldies R&R to listen to. Oh I can do this.

Who wants to join me?

Get home mid morning, chill the crabs, steam around 2pm and consume mass quantities 3 or 4 hours. Start the fire pit around 630, sip, BS, burn some burgers and dogs on the grill around 730. Party till Midnight.

I cant find a problem anywhere except when Ill have time to make this all happen.

Ill make it happen!

DB

 

Shiiiiiiiizzzzzzzzzam that sounds good.