Thread: Blue crabs as bait?

I've been searching the Alabama site for crab regulations but it comes up, " page not available ". My question is, are the crabs I see along the rocky shoreline, ( ? blue crabs ? ) legal to catch and use as bait this time of year. Is there a size limit? I know females with eggs are protected in the summer.

It's under fishing regulations/recreational crabbing. Time of year does not matter.

http://www.outdooralabama.com/sites/..._Rec_Aug13.pdf

1. Individuals can use up to, but not more than, five (5) crab traps for taking crabs for personal, noncommercial purposes but must purchase a resident or non-resident annual or 7-day trip Saltwater Fishing License.

2. No person, shall take, catch, or possess blue crabs that measure less than five inches (5") carapace width as measured from the tip of one lateral spine to tip of the opposite lateral spine.

3. Crabs taken by licensed recreational shrimp boats in exclusive bait areas or in waters open to commercial shrimping for use as bait are exempt from minimum size limit (limited to no more than the number of crabs held by a one-gallon container per boat per day).

Carl will be the guy to comment to be sure, but I believe they allow all licensed recreational fishermen the one gallon of undersized (live?). (I usually have a recreational shrimp license so I don't worry about that)

If in doubt, call Dauphin Island at the number on top of the pdf at the link above.

I will have to defer to MRD on this one, the reg is not clear. I'd give them a call.

Also, there is no mention of no-take of females with eggs (that I have seen anyway), though most recreational guys I know throw them back.

I read it as licensed recreational shrimpers (not recreational fishermen) get an exemption from the minimum size(see below), from which they can collect a gallon.

The exception, as I see it, is in effect for shrimpers only. Otherwise, who would the rule (rule 2) apply to?

[2. No person, shall take, catch, or possess blue crabs that measure less than five inches (5") carapace width as measured from the tip of one lateral spine to tip of the opposite lateral spine. ]

thank you, frednic. I looked on line but it said page not available. I will try the link. I just wanted to try a couple for redfish bait.

While the rule does only specify "licensed recreational shrimp boats", officers aren't generally going to be concerned with a person who has small crabs in their live bait bucket because the rules do allow small ones to be taken for bait in the bait areas.


However, if you are crabbing and have a bunch of 4.5" crabs mixed in with your legal ones, that's a different story.

I have not hesitated to put 1/2" to 1" crabs I catch in my cast net into my bait bucket. Any bigger than that and they go back in the water.

I don't know that I have ever seen small "bait crabs" in a bait shop before. Has anyone else???

So what is the creel limit for legal size blue crab on a recreational saltwater license?

Originally Posted by chillinfish

So what is the creel limit for legal size blue crab on a recreational saltwater license?

I don't know of any limit. All you can catch in 5 legal traps.

I have always kind of been curious about putting a lively blue crab out under a float during cobia season. Heck, for that matter, a live Florida lobster might get all sorts of attention.

Originally Posted by Haywire

I have always kind of been curious about putting a lively blue crab out under a float during cobia season. Heck, for that matter, a live Florida lobster might get all sorts of attention.

You KNOW what would happen, Haywire! You'd put a live Florida lobster on your hook, toss it out there and BAM! It'd get smacked by a remora!