[sam60]

Last time the wife and I were at the river in the "queen" we saw lots of little red crabs about the size of a 20 cent on the bank. We were using lures and did not have a rig for bait fishing or even some hooks to use. How would these crabs go as bait ? I have not seen any crabs in the salmon from the river but do salmon eat crabs? Next time we head up to the river we will try and catch some crabs and try them for bait. Any hints of keeping the crabs fresh ? and what is the best way to put them on the hook ?

 

[Peril]

Don't know about salmon, but bream and whiting love 'em. You can thread them onto a hook live after removing a couple of legs at the rear. Use them live.

 

[Dodge]

Shane

Know nothing about tha tastes of salmon and their diet.

But crabs are a great bait and you are generally not bothered by pickers when using hard body crustacians as bait.

Just break a couple of legs off and insert hook in one hole and out the other, you don't have to worry about concealing the hook.

Generally I've found it best to feed line when you get an enquiry by a fish, as they tend to nip off the legs before crunching the carapace where your hook is, then just lean on the rig when the fish moves off..

A victorian used to visit the GC and fanned out 3 blackfish rods with 4" alveys and using crabs got quality bream; I've seen him feed line for 3 minutes before hooking up.

If crabs are plentiful crush a few and mix with sand or chook pellets and throw some around as berley

 

[YakAtak]

Berkley make a soft plastic for this purpose too

 

[rawprawn]

Caught my biggest ***** off the beach with a ghost crab. I was too lazy to walk all the way back to the bate so I just grabbed the crab put it on the hook and cast it out. Next thing I have a good size ***** on the line

 

[Davey G]

big snapper love em too....

 

[Mushi]

I've found crabs are a killer on the ultra-shy docklands bream here in melb. Bust off the rear legs and slip the hook in one and out the other, as Dodge said.

As Rawprawn showed, sambos may well take em. I can see a school of them ripping into those larger swimming crabs that you sometimes hook when surf fishing. I'm pretty sure they'll nail the ones you've been seeing. Cut any bigger ones in half, the smell really oozes out

 

[PeterJ]

You would need a magnifiying glass to put em on the hook wouldn't you :shock:

Had to be said :lol:

 

[hairymick]

Hi Sam,

Try rigging them as mentioned, find a sheltered steep too bank and cast unweighted to structure and let slowly sink while drifting along with the current. Killer tactic on bream up here/

 

[PeterJ]

But being serious for a second .
Up along Altona Bay, Point Cook really there are crabs every where, in one of the small creeks you can see the cracked open shells on the bottom, something likes them!!

 

[Peril]

Loads of black crabs along the mangrove shores in Sydney Harbour. Unfortunately, the entire intertidal area is protected, including a ban on bait collection. A pity because the bream and whiting do like em.

 

[KieranBass]

when I was down Iluka way in NSW... I decided to place a live crab on my hook as I wasnt getting much luck with squid. next thing I know, I got the biggest bite and I mean it was a HUGE bite and the hole crab is gone... but I musnt have placed the crab on properly and its just came off, or the "monster" bite it just before the hook... now you can get sp crabs so they might be worth a try

 

[Blaen]

Berkley make a soft plastic for this purpose too

I can verify the Berkley ones work exceptionally well, have used them on Hobart Bream to good effect. When working the SP Crabs, I have found that rigging them so the business end of the hook is inserted though the head and out the backside (pointing up of course) works best.

The otehr secret to the SP version that most people miss, is using a very slow retrieve. I usually retireve about 1 metre of line every 30 seconds or longer, with the occassional small flick.

Painfully slow I know but try it it works well.

 

[Shoey]

Down in Westernport Bay, the Gummie Sharks love the sand crabs, especially on the full moon when the crabs are soft due to growing a new carapice. I never tried it myself, but an old local pro fisherman passed the info on to me.

 

[vuki]

Crabs are good, but nippers are better. If its all sand there, then take a walk and try look for little holes about the diameter of a toothpick. If those holes are there it would be worth grabbing a pump and trying to get some nippers. Down in jervis bay i've caught bream, whiting, shovel nose sharks, banjo sharks, black fish, sting rays, port jacksons, snapper, flathead and the stupid puffer fish.

 

[sam60]

We have not returned to NE river yet but when we go we will check the tides and if it is low we will catch a few crabs and use them as bait. thanks all for the info we will try a few as bait and let you all know how we went. I have a nipper pump somewhere but think it is in storage back on the mainland

 

[Scott]

Shane, nearly every flatchap I clean down here has either crabs or baby crays in their stomach.

Catch ya Scott