BigBendFishing.Net

Can you set them out just like the guys that do it for a living, if for just personal use?

How long do they go between checking them?

What about stone crab traps, what depth do you set them?

You can. When I lived in Clearwater I would set out 5 traps. There is a limit as a recreational fisherman. I would check them every 4 days. Check the regs as they could have changed in the last 5 years.

http://myfwc.com/marine/regulation.htm

Thanks rascal.Where do you typically set traps for stone crabs?

Five traps per person and you need a license. Also need to put a 'R' on the buoy and attach your name and address to the trap. Those are main regs but I would read up on the others at the link Rascal posted.

For stone crabs, I put my traps in 15 - 25' and try to find hard bottom areas. There are a gazillion commercial traps out in these areas already. I keep mine well away from theirs. I don't think these guys are too bad to mess with other people's traps, but I'm still pretty sure mine have been checked a couple of times. I only work mine during the times of year when the grouper come into these depths. It's not the most recreational activity in the world, so I won't go too much out of my way or incur additional expense other than what I already had to put into the traps. Like most everything else we catch out there, it's probably much more cost effective to just go buy them and it's not like you get to enjoy a hard pull on the end of your line. But, you might enjoy a hard clamp on your hand if you're not careful It will hurt you bad but at least they're very slow so you ain't got no excuse for that happening.

Good luck if you decide to try it. Coming home with a grouper/stone crab claw dinner after a fun day on the water is good livin' in my book

Mmmm, stone crabs.

Could any of you explain how to properly break the claw off of the crab so that it will survive the encounter?