From Dungeness to Blue Crab, you’ll need quality traps to keep these carefully selected crustaceans on your menu all summer long.
The answer to softening the shock of the seafood market stickers is crab pots. Dungeness crab was $25 a pound the last time I stood at the seafood counter, and a dozen blue crabs were over $50. Meanwhile, these adorable creatures prowl the ocean floor just a few miles from the seafood store. I realized that for the price of a family of my favorite crustaceans, I could buy a basket of crabs and keep the crabs flowing all summer long. The key to my plan is to find the crab trap that best suits my needs.
The easiest way to catch crabs is to plant a crab trap and leave it for a few hours. Return the pot and fill it with crabs. Open the big hatch and put the crabs in the best fishing cooler. Fill the removable bait cage and return the pot to the water. The Promar TR-55 is the best crab trap overall because it has all the benefits of a crab trap without the weight and bulk. The folding TR-55 folds up when not in use. In water, the TR-55 performs just like a full size pot. The crab enters the trap through the front door. Once the crab is inside, the door closes and the crab is trapped. Small crabs can crawl out through small life rings. The TR-55 was designed for blue crabs, but Promar manufactures similar traps for other types of crabs.
With durable stainless steel components and a rubber coated bottom, the SMI Heavy Duty Crab Trap is the ultimate Dungeness crab trap. Three entrance doors with raised ramps allow the crabs to easily climb in, but cannot get out. The complete kit includes a leader, buoy, bait box, crab sensor and harness. To facilitate the classification of crabs, the SMI trap has a large opening at the top to separate the keepers from dumping the crabs onto the sorting table. The rubber-covered rebar adds weight, allowing the SMI Heavy Duty to sink quickly to the bottom.
The American Blue Claw ½ crab trap set has the same trap design and is half the size of a traditional crab trap. Fill the basket with crabs and don’t take up too much space in the boat.
The American Blue Claw ½ crab trap set is half the size of the classic blue crab trap and is ideal for short soaks with multiple traps. Instead of placing one large pot in one spot, the half-size American Blue Claw allows me to place two pots in different spots for better coverage. The crab got into the funnel and couldn’t get out. The upper part has a door for safe and easy emptying of the pot. Small escape hatches allow undersized crabs to leave the trap, leaving more room for caretakers. If you’re planning on throwing a few traps, spending a day fishing or boating and then coming back for your prey, this is the best trap for blue crabs.
Crabs are fun for the whole family, as is evident at events such as the annual Patcong Creek Crab Championship Raid. Promar NE-111 is the best folding trap for any type of crab. For only $20 each family member can set up a trap to increase their catch and get everyone involved. To fill the basket, attach a piece of bait to a cotton net, drop it to the bottom, wait a few minutes and remove the net. With luck, a hungry crab will fall on the bait. Turn the net upside down, move the crabs to the bucket, refresh the bait, and cast it again. At the end of the day, rinse your crab traps with fresh water and lay them out before your next trip.
Hinged door steel crab traps are fast, efficient and deadly, catching crabs before they know what’s going on.
Power up your crab fishing with Offshore Angler’s Square Crab Trap to catch crabs quickly and safely. Tie a large piece of fish or chicken to a string at the bottom of the trap. Connect four wires to the main wire. Place the crab trap on the bottom with the door open and lay flat. When the crab climbs into the trap to examine the bait, pull the handle and the door will close. The crab was trapped and could not get out until the line was loosened. Using half a dozen of these cheap and effective traps, a group of family and friends can host a crab feast.
What could be more fun than eating crab with friends and family? Whether you are catching crabs from the shore, a pier or a boat, the best crab traps will make your crab fishing more efficient and fun. First, you need to think about how you plan to fish for crabs. Are you going to spend the day working in a small crab trap, or leave the crab trap for a few hours and come back for crabs? Before you buy the best crab trap, consider what species you will be targeting and what size trap you will need.
What crab are you targeting? Where do you catch crabs? Before you buy a crab trap, you need to answer these questions. Some crab traps, such as hanging nets or cages, can catch almost all types of crabs. But these types of traps require the crab catcher to sit patiently and wait for the crab to crawl into the trap. Crab anglers are busy checking the traps, refreshing the bait, and lowering it back to the bottom. Smart crab catchers use several traps and invite friends to help catch the crabs.
Crab traps, on the other hand, are larger and allow the crabs to drop the pot, let them soak, and come back a few hours later to pick up the crabs. These pots are designed for specific types of crab. Blue crab traps are very different from Dungeness crab traps. Dungeness crabs live on hard, rocky bottoms, so pots are larger, heavier, and more durable. Blue crabs prefer sandy or muddy bottoms, so blue crab traps are lighter and have smaller entry holes.
The only limits on how many crabs you can catch are the number of traps you have and your local bag limit. Unfortunately, flower pots take up a lot of storage space. But if you have the space, a full size crab trap can catch the most crabs with the least amount of work. Use multiple pots to cover most of the area for a better chance of finding crabs.
The next best thing is a compact or collapsible pot. Several jars from this review can be folded for storage. These pots make storage easier, but they are heavier and less durable. Another option is a half or three-quarter size crab pot, which works just as well as a full size crab pot with a limited soak time. If you’re going to be away from the pots for just a few hours, a few smaller pots will cover the same area and take up less space.
Crab traps are small and foldable, making them the easiest to use. You can stack a dozen crab traps in a closet and put them in the trunk of your car. Crab traps require the crab catcher to keep an eye on the trap all day, catching one crab at a time. Since you can carry six traps under your arm, you can easily use multiple traps to increase your catch.
Crabs are one of the most valuable marine delicacies and are easy to catch with quality traps. Once you have chosen the types of crabs you want to target, decide how you will be catching crabs and choose a crab trap that suits your lifestyle. Then you’re ready to go out and reap the rewards of the ocean using the best crab traps and fishing techniques in your area.
Attracting crabs is a science and an art. Commercial crab catchers use various superstitions and experience to attract crabs to their traps. To catch amateur crabs, all you need is a good bait. Some people try to use rotten chicken and crabs can eat rotten chicken, but using stinky rotten bait is disgusting. Carrion handling is a long list of potential health problems. The best bait for crabs is fresh fish. In second place are meat crumbs. Chicken is popular because it is cheaper and the bones attach easily to the trap. Treat the bait like meat you are about to eat: keep it cold and dry.
Once the crab trap is caught and ready, you need to know how long to leave it in the water. The answer depends on the type of trap. If you are using a manual crab trap, you may only need to leave the trap for a few minutes and then pull it up to retrieve the crab. Part of the fun of hand traps is being able to predict when to leave the trap before checking. The longer the soak time, the greater the chance of attracting crabs, but there is also the risk that the crabs will feed and move on. Large crab pots can be soaked longer. You can leave a full size pot for a few hours or overnight. Smaller pots limit soaking time to a few hours. Many anglers leave the crab trap on their way to fishing grounds and then return at the end of the day to add crab to a delicious lowcountry meal.
The crab traps in this review range from $10 to $250. For as little as ten dollars for a small hand trap, crab fishers can buy several to increase their catch. All you need is a crab trap, string, and a few pounds of bait to fill your bucket with delicious crabs. At the other end of the price range, a large crab trap costs more. However, the crab pot is more convenient. Just put the crab pot in water for a few hours and it will cook the crab for you. To survive in salt water and uneven seabeds, crab pots are made from durable, corrosion-resistant metal, corrosion-resistant plastic and rubber. Crab traps require longer, heavier crab lines and large foam buoys to mark their location. Crab traps may seem expensive, but given the price of crabs in the seafood market, this is a bargain.
The best crab traps make the sport easier and more fun. I chose the Promar TR-55 because it has all the features of a large crab trap: foldable, compact, strong and easy to use. However, the feature that puts the TR-55 at the top of the list is the Promar name. Since 2002, Promar has been manufacturing a wide range of crab and fishing accessories in Gardena, California. The company is inspired by commercial crab fishermen and anglers and is known for producing tackle that provides every possible benefit for the best catch.
Crab traps, like mouse traps, are rarely reinvented. The choice of crab trap depends on the quality. I’m looking for quality components, the most durable construction and simple operation. Wire mesh, strong fittings, strong latches and corrosion resistant materials keep crab pots in place longer. Salt water, sand, mud, and rocks work together to destroy crab traps. The crab traps use stainless steel, rubber-coated galvanized steel, corrosion-resistant bungee cords, and UV-resistant plastic to withstand harsh weather conditions. Small features go a long way in ease of use. I like the door to get the crab out easily. In addition, the large and easy-to-use bait cage makes it easy to care for the trap. Lines, harnesses and floats for crabs are just as important as traps. If you are buying a crab trap kit, make sure that the quality of the accessories matches the quality of the crab trap. Any crab trap will catch crabs, but crab traps make crab hunting more fun, easier, and more effective.
Articles may contain affiliate links that allow us to share revenue from any purchases. Registration or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service.