Last year our friends Marvin and Joann introduced everyone to the catching of Stone Crabs and the placing of traps for that purpose. Once you have your fishing license in Florida you are legally allowed to put five (per license)traps out for the recreational catching of stone crab. Your marker has to be marked with a R and you need to mark it distinctively so as to harvest only your own traps.. One of the fisheries here offers a complete kit set of traps with ropes , buoys , and everything else you would need for $80.00 ....you just have to put everything together yourself.
One complete crab trap ready to go.
One complete crab trap ready to go.
The complete set put together and ready to go.At any rate, once you put the traps together with a cement bottom for weight you then place them with bait out and about in about 5 to 8 feet of water. The bait used can be anything from chicken pcs to hogs feet....yes hogs feet! Actually you can buy hogs feet cheap for this purpose at the fishery supply house. Once the traps are baited and set you wait about a week and hopefully you catch some crabs. Marvin and Joann this year have just collected their first round of crabs claws to the tune of about 5 Lbs worth which more than pays for traps at todays prices. Market price for Crab in the market is $18 to $22 a pound.
We haven't tried it yet (Marge is not too fond of crab) but some of the group is just about to put their traps out. I will keep you posted on the results.
