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(Cape May, NJ) – Time spent along the beach, or the shore — if you’re in New Jersey — is often filled with fun activities like swimming, boating, hiking, and fishing. A subset of that fishing pursuit is crabbing — tossing out the baited traps, waiting patiently, and hoping for a haul of crabs when they’re pulled back in.
As a kid in Lavallette, we’d use other methods as well. You can hook bait, tie it to a string, and slowly pull that in — while a partner waits with a net. Flashlights can even be used after dark — the crabs swim up to the light, also allowing for netting of the crustaceans.
But if you want to have the best success — watch the tides. Blue crabs are abundant along the New Jersey coast — and can be found in shallow, saltwater bays — from the Delaware Bay, up to the Hudson River. Using a small boat is typically advised in order to reach the best crabbing spots — but any bulkhead, bridge, or pier can suffice.
In slack water — meaning the time just before and after low or high tide — you can have a high level of success while crabbing. That’s because crabs are less likely to be carried around by tides, and they can eat more easily — so they will go for your bait! During high tide, crabs may move to deeper waters to avoid being moved around — so crabbing with traps from near shore is often less productive.
For that same reason, incoming tides are better than outgoing tides. You can look at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to determine the tide chart. Currents are also worth checking in terms of knowing how crabs may be moving in the water.
Crabbing season starts right around now, but later summer and early fall is considered especially productive. Some crabbers say good hauls can be had into November. And remember — you can’t keep every crab you catch — hard shell crabs must be at least 4 and 1/2 inches to legally keep — measured horizontally, point to point. New York and New Jersey follow those same guidelines. Happy crabbing!
And resist the urge to pull that trap too early — why not give it another five minutes? You’re relaxing along the beach — or, as a New Jerseyan — down the shore.
