Keeping Green Crabs Alive - Crab Hotel

[Gerry Zagorski]

If you're like me you're probably chomping at the bit to start Blackfishing.

Although the regs right now only allow you to keep one 14 inch fish, it's nice to not have to wait until November 16th when you can keep 6. Nothing like listening to football game on the radio and catching some Blackfish in a tee shirt.

Most tackle stores will start stocking green crabs in the coming weeks. They are a fairly inexpensive and hearty bait and easy to keep, so when I find them, I usually buy more then I need for a days fishing (a full or half bushel) and keep them at the boat in a Crab Hotel.

Here is how you make a Crab Hotel.....

- Get a 5 gallon spackle bucket with a lid that is easy to take on an off and a stury handle.
- Get an electic drill with a 3/4 inch bit a drill holes all along the sides and bottom spaced 4 or 5 inches apart. These holes allow water to flow through the hotel.
- Tie a line around the handle and you are done.


Now for a few tips to keep your crabs alive. As mentioned above they are very hearty baits and if cared for properly will stay alive for weeks.
- You only want enough scope in the line to keep the crabs a foot or so below the water surface but not on the bottom. If they are in the mud they will die. Remember to account for low tide.
- Do not overcrowd the hotel or the crabs will die. 2/3 is full occupancy.
- If you are plan to keep the crabs alive for extended periods of time, you will want to through in a fish rack every 3 days or so to keep them fed.

Hope this helps some of you that are new to Blackfishing.

Can't wait to get our there and am headed to the garage as I write this to make my Crab Hotel where the crabs " can check in, but they can't check out"

[frugalfisherman]

Can the crabs make reservations on priceline.com?

[LeftyReeler]

A few cocktails and a crab hotel ... sounds like a good night Gerry.

[Salt]

Thanks Gerry, Good idea.

[Chico]

I make the same "hotel" for live mullet I catch with a cast net off the jetty. I cut the lid across about 70/30 and then using fishing wire to "hinge them together" I drill small holes in the lid for the wire. I keep my 3/4" holes about 4 to 6" off the bottom, so the baits always have some water, even when I pull the bucket out. I also have a "lead pancake" on the bottom so it won't float up. For mullet a day or two is max life time usually.

[Gerry Zagorski]

Update.... Went to the marina a few days ago (March 23rd). When I had the boat pulled last fall Nov 31st I was not there and had some green crabs in the hotel which were left tied up in the slip. Can you believe the crabs are still alive

[RussH]

You had crabs live for 4 months in a bucket with holes in it? Those are impressive critters.

[Gerry Zagorski]

Yep - pretty amazing Russ.

[giantfan]

They must be related to the Donner party.