Questions on crabbing regulations

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  • aray

    Ultimate Member
    Jun 6, 2010
    5,294
    MD -> KY
    Weather cooperating, my wife and I are going to take our pontoon boat out at least part of tomorrow, do a little light fishing in-place, and toss some collapsible crab traps over the side.

    This is the first time we've tried crabbing, and I have a question about regulations. I got a boat license for crabbing. On page 40 of the DNR "Maryland Guide to Fishing and Crabbing" it states: "It is illegal for a recreational crabber: ... to possess an egg-bearing (sponge) crab or any female hard or peeler crab." Yet on the very next page is states: "Minimum size limits: ... mature female crabs - no minimum size."

    These two statements seem 100% contradictory with no way to reconcile them. What am I missing? Can we keep females or not?

    Related - how would I know the difference between an egg-bearing (sponge) crab versus any other female crab? How the heck would I know she's pregnant?

    Thanks much to those of you more experienced in this than me, and who are willing to help out a newbie.
     

    dannyp

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Oct 30, 2018
    1,464
    there's no minimum size because you are not allowed to keep females . been that way for a few years for rec's . her apron will be down and the eggs look like a sponge, doesn't matter anyway , can't keep them .
     
    there's no minimum size because you are not allowed to keep females . been that way for a few years for rec's . her apron will be down and the eggs look like a sponge, doesn't matter anyway , can't keep them .

    This^^.

    Not bashing Watermen/commercial,the state regulates females by the bushel for them but won't give us recs a few dozen here and there since we're so detrimental to the population.:sad20:
     

    marko

    Banned
    BANNED!!!
    Jan 28, 2009
    7,048
    Yeah and I knew a comm crabber out of VA who would tear the sponge off the crab so he could sell it.
    Silly people, the 'tragedy of the commons' wins again.
     

    hobiecat590

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Feb 2, 2016
    2,434
    All females should be illegal for anyone to take. There is no way to know if a sook is preggers prior to her showing. Then watch the crab population explode. I even leave doubler's alone.
     

    aray

    Ultimate Member
    Jun 6, 2010
    5,294
    MD -> KY
    Understood.

    Second question if I might: how long do folks typically let the traps soak before you pull them up to check? I’ll be deploying multiple collapsible traps around the sides of my boat.

    Thanks again!
     

    marko

    Banned
    BANNED!!!
    Jan 28, 2009
    7,048
    Not too long, Aray, or (if they are there) you will get cleaned out!
    20 minutes or so. Might want to chicken neck a bit on the side.
     

    Mack C-85

    R.I.P.
    Jan 22, 2014
    6,522
    Littlestown, PA
    Not too long, Aray, or (if they are there) you will get cleaned out!
    20 minutes or so. Might want to chicken neck a bit on the side.
    ~20´ of light twine/cord tie a 3/4 - 1 oz. weight on one end. Pull a slip knot in the line just above the weight. Cinch a chicken neck in the slip knot. Toss overboard, but remember to tie the other end off on your railing!!!! (Don't ask!!!). You'll need a net of course, preferably with chicken wire net. (Less tangles). Watch the string, when it pulls taunt, slowly hand over hand the string up until you can see the crab, dip in net. Handlining (aka chicken necking) is a lot of fun.....and yes, been there, done that, on a 20' pontoon boat.

    Sent from my LG-G710 using Tapatalk
     

    CBo

    Member
    Feb 11, 2018
    50
    Columbia
    these new regulations are ridiculous, in order to prevent "misgendering", you have to ask each crab what their preferred pronoun is, and whatever they identify as is what determines if it is a male or female. if you dont, dnr might fine you for a hate crime
     

    bigmanindc

    Active Member
    Nov 3, 2018
    463
    DMV
    ~20´ of light twine/cord tie a 3/4 - 1 oz. weight on one end. Pull a slip knot in the line just above the weight. Cinch a chicken neck in the slip knot. Toss overboard, but remember to tie the other end off on your railing!!!! (Don't ask!!!). You'll need a net of course, preferably with chicken wire net. (Less tangles). Watch the string, when it pulls taunt, slowly hand over hand the string up until you can see the crab, dip in net. Handlining (aka chicken necking) is a lot of fun.....and yes, been there, done that, on a 20' pontoon boat.

    Sent from my LG-G710 using Tapatalk

    Without a crab license handlining is the only way allowed to go crabbing and with a 2 dozen limit?
     

    StaFrosty

    Active Member
    Feb 20, 2011
    326
    Not in MD anymore!!
    All females should be illegal for anyone to take. There is no way to know if a sook is preggers prior to her showing. Then watch the crab population explode. I even leave doubler's alone.

    Usta be this way when I was a kid, crabs were soooo plentiful and large back then, look what has happened to the population now. I moved from the waterfront when the seaweed/underwater grass disappeared, wasn't any need for a pushnet anymore.
     

    Devonian

    Ultimate Member
    Apr 15, 2008
    1,199
    these new regulations are ridiculous, in order to prevent "misgendering", you have to ask each crab what their preferred pronoun is, and whatever they identify as is what determines if it is a male or female. if you dont, dnr might fine you for a hate crime

    This made my morning.
     

    aray

    Ultimate Member
    Jun 6, 2010
    5,294
    MD -> KY
    We went out, but the weather was sketchy: cold and threatening rain scattered around the area. So no crabs, this time, but we did get to sail this flag past some uber-rich liberal waterfront homes:
     

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    j_h_smith

    Ultimate Member
    Jul 28, 2007
    28,516
    Just for informational purposes, this is a sponge Blue Crab.
     

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