Thread: Catching crabs for bait?

Whats the best way to catch crabs for bait? We will be staying at a condo with a pier in Little Lagoon. Thanks

The little fiddler crabs can be caught at night by walking the beach. Under the pier is a great place. Blue crabs, tie a turkey neck to your pier net and drop it in the water and wait a while.. Chicken backs and other things work as well. I trap crawfish by tossing a fresh dead crow in, any meat should work fine as long as you can secure it.

A hunk of fish or misc. poultry parts on a string and a long handled dip net is simple and effective. Put out four to six lines pet net and you'll quit crabbing and start fishing before you know it.

What size crabs is the first question? And what are you fishing for?

are the fiddler crabs the ones the kids go out on the beach and see at night with a flashlight?

Originally Posted by javelin377

are the fiddler crabs the ones the kids go out on the beach and see at night with a flashlight?

No, those are ghost crabs.
Fiddler crabs are found on bay shorelines, marshes & docks.

No fishing with ghost crabs?

I have used them before for sheepies, they didn't seem to mind them. I would also recommend hermit crabs. I have had good success with them. Just keep a small hammer in your tackle bag. You can pick them up almost anywhere

I've actually never heard of anyone fishing with ghost crabs before.

Small blue crabs make ok redfish & great black drum bait.
Fiddlers and hermit crabs are great for sheepshead.

Other than that, small croakers, finger mullet & live shrimp are much better inshore bait.

Hey Carl, I want to go after some bull reds on the dixey bar. I've read on this forum that crabs are one of the top two or three baits to use it