During the summer, Long Island becomes a haven for crabbers, primarily because they’re allowed to catch a large number of crabs. Apart from that, they can enjoy the various fun activities on the Island, as well as the fantastic meals served in top-tier restaurants.
Possession Limits
The crabbing season in Long Island starts in June and ends in late August or early September. The waters are abundant in blue and horseshoe crabs. Each crabber is allowed to harvest a maximum of 50 blue crabs/day. That’s a lot of crabs. You probably know that there are both hard and soft shell blue crabs.
You can keep soft shell crabs if they’re bigger than 3.5” and hard-shell ones if they’re bigger than 4.5”. Crabbers are prohibited from keeping female crabs that have spawn or bear eggs. Females can be recognized by their red claws. If a crab’s claws are blue, it’s a male.
Horseshoe crabs aren’t much of a delicacy and are known for being poisonous, so you can’t cook them unless you’ve done it before and you know your way around them. Crabbers cannot keep more than 5 horseshoe crabs/day.
There are 4 main spots that crabbers flock to in June: West Sayville Docks, Captree State Park, Tanner Park and Mascot Dock and Marina. If you’re 16 years old or older than that, you will need to register at the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC).
The registration is free but the licenses are not. The good news is that you have plenty of options: 7 days of fishing, for example, will cost you only $12. A 1-day license cost $5. A lifetime license for both hunting and fishing can cost between $65 and $765, depending on how old you are.
For more info on the regulations in vigor in Long Island, feel free to access https://www.longisland.com/fishing-regulations.html. That’s where you’ll discover every bit of information that should pose interest for you as a crabber, fisherman or hunter.
If you’re a heavyweight crabber, then there’s really no better place for you to be than Long Island. On one hand, the piers are full of all sorts of fun activities you can participate in with your family; on the other hand, you’re allowed to catch an insane amount of crabs legally and by paying a symbolic fee that your wallet won’t even feel.