Those who live on the eastern shores of the USA know that catching blue crabs is a big part of the summer activities. Almost as big of a part as for those who go to the west coast beaches. Cape Cod locals swear on this area’s capability of getting you the results that you wish for.
There are few things that can equal the feeling you get when you cook and eat a crab that you caught earlier. Cape Cod is apparently one of the best places to try and do just that.
When & Where Should You Go?
The crabbing season in Massachusetts starts at the beginning of May and ends in January, continuing to stay closed until the end of April. Experienced crabbers advise that you should go crabbing during the summer, as these months – June, July, August – offer the prime time for blue crabs.
That’s because it depends on the activity of these crabs in the Massachusetts waters, which is high during these months. Also, since we are talking about summer, then you won’t freeze if you decide to go into the water in order to catch them.
Try these locations:
- Waquoit Bay
- Crab Creek Conservation Area
- Craigville Beach Area
- Bass River Bridge in Yarmouth
- Herring River Bridge in Harwich
- Swan River Bridge in Dennis
What Should You Use?
You won’t need much equipment to enjoy it, and that’s what makes crabbing a fun activity for the entire family. You’ll just need a dip net (with a long rope, preferably), a bucket and some bait.
As for the bait, chicken parts work like a charm for blue crabs.
As long as you don’t have any intention of using a full crab trap, then you won’t have to apply for a special permit to crab in the Massachusetts area.
How to Catch Them?
The easiest way of catching crabs is to get into the water and walk slowly along its stream. When you see a crab, simply dip your net and scoop it up. A great tip that will help you is to try to become as stealthy as possible.
This translates into taking quiet steps and dipping the net as slow as you can because you don’t want to scare the poor guy. A neat thing to remember is that crabs go sideways, so you must keep this in mind if you want to anticipate their movement.
Another way that is as fun as the previous one (although this one doesn’t require much movement from your part) is to stand at the edge of a current flow and dip your net into the water. This way, the crabs will go into your net drifted by the current.