Dumb question Re: bait crabs

[onefishtwofish]

Where do I get them?

I have set my pinfish trap and caught a few. I want the smallish ones, but bigger than fiddlers. Am I dumb for thinking this? Have plenty of spots to get fiddlers, but I am thinking with some larger baits I will get less little fish picking the crabs.

I know about stones, but what about blues? Do I need to learn to ID the females and toss them back?

[bman]

Most of the seafood places in panacea have them live-- Mineral Springs is my favorite.
Also - you can trap them on the flats in a crab trap - just be sure to pick it up

[onefishtwofish]

Good, thanks Barry. About 3-4 years ago I stopped at a couple and asked and they acted like I was asking if they had any Sasquatch dung or Unicorn snot.

[rockyg]

A friend of mine has a long family history in the Blue Crab business in Willkillya County. He recently explained to me that the increase in Redfish populations along with reduced mullet catches brought on by the net ban have almost destroyed the commercial crab business. According to him the Red's eat up all the small crabs severely reducing the population. Bait for the traps became a problem when the mullet catches were reduced. He said there were so many Mullet caught back then that they were virtually free by the thousands of pounds for crab bait.

When you asked for "bait crabs" to go fun fishing it may have brought up some hard feelings.

Or maybe they just didn't like you. lol

[onefishtwofish]

A friend of mine has a long family history in the Blue Crab business in Willkillya County. He recently explained to me that the increase in Redfish populations along with reduced mullet catches brought on by the net ban have almost destroyed the commercial crab business. According to him the Red's eat up all the small crabs severely reducing the population. Bait for the traps became a problem when the mullet catches were reduced. He said there were so many Mullet caught back then that they were virtually free by the thousands of pounds for crab bait.

When you asked for "bait crabs" to go fun fishing it may have brought up some hard feelings.

Or maybe they just didn't like you. lol

Probably did not like me. I had cash in hand. Maybe I should have had liquor!

[Salty Gator]

Maybe I should have had liquor

Or maybe a nice gamecock