Best Place For Crabin' in DE, What Bait, How to Prepare (Delmar: store, bars)

[rdlr]

Honeycrisp....Thank you so much for those great recipes!

[Honeycrisp]

Oh you're very welcome, Delly. Gotta say I enjoy all your informative posts even if some of the recent ones make me crave crab cakes when I really want to be practical and finish up leftovers and make a dent in the freezer, LOL. Soon, hopefully! (to all 3, crab cakes, refrig. and freezer although not necessarily in that order, LOL). (I really don't want to buy Mrs Paul's in a weak moment, LOL!)

[rdlr]

Originally Posted by Honeycrisp

Oh you're very welcome, Delly. Gotta say I enjoy all your informative posts even if some of the recent ones make me crave crab cakes when I really want to be practical and finish up leftovers and make a dent in the freezer, LOL. Soon, hopefully! (to all 3, crab cakes, refrig. and freezer although not necessarily in that order, LOL). (I really don't want to buy Mrs Paul's in a weak moment, LOL!)

Thank you so much Honeycrisp! I thought of this topic, because I'm writing my memoirs, which include many life experiences over my 67 years.....good and bad! I did a search on C-D and didn't see this was touched on, although I may have missed it. So happy to oblige! Speaking of Mrs. Paul's, I know of a local restaurant which serves them, and charges $12.95 each! They buy them at Sam's Club, and I saw them being purchased. Some, don't know the difference!

[rdlr]

Originally Posted by CaroleM

I've been crabbin for a long time.....I'm so old I used eels for bait and trout lines before chicken necks were in. Best crabs are caught in Aug and Sept. I use little water, vinegar, beer, coarse salt and old bay and steam them for 25-30 minutes (time depends on how many crabs are in the pot) Rack goes in the bottom of pot so the crabs are not in the liquid. We have our lines and pots ready to go as soon as the weather gets a little better.

Is the Leipsic Bridge on Rt. 9? We took a ride out there a month ago and looked around and saw a lot of old pileings in the water.

Hi CaroleM!
So you are an old Crab(er) ! There aren't too many around here anymore. I could never get the eel on my line, so I gave up on them. I like your recipe....the beer added. I do steamed shrimp that way. And, yes, I forgot to mention that rack to keep the crabs up out of the water. I was at Fowler's Beach the other day and saw some people crabbing from a bridge. I really wish I had more time for that! I envy you! I also was in South Bowers last week and passed a property having about 200 crab pots stacked up as high as they would go. Guess they are commercial crabbers. And, yes, Route 9 bridge in Leipsic.

[rdlr]

Originally Posted by Honeycrisp

Interesting link, Delly. Will have to make crab cakes one of these nites. Found a few recipes - the last 2 are Weight Watchers but Im not sure how many points/calories. Anyway, here they are - can't personally vouch for (yet!) but they sound good -

One of my mother's 'secret' (not any more, I guess) ingredients was a tablespoon of heavy whipping cream......she said, made them light and fluffy. And, of course, she only used the finest crab meat. I would go with them to local restaurants to deliver them to the back doors, and my mom's famous crab cakes were well known.

[rockky]

Geesh! You mean there is still somewhere to actually get many crabs?!? When I was a kid (yeah, ya knew that someone would havta use that phrase ), we would pull them in by the bushel. Now we just sorta go and play in the water. Most of what we snare is too small to keep.

The last time we went, we were using the good, ole', stinky chicken parts. Gerald Hocker packs em' up specially for crabbin'. Anyway, I pulled in a bucket we had in the water and found a huge eel in it. Ugh!!! Nasty thing! I do have an eel skinner tool that I found at a flea market. I never intended to skin any eels, but it makes for a rather interesting conversation piece.

I don't think you need a license to crab in tidal waters. We've never secured a license anyway. Perhaps if you use pots and are commercial you would need one.

We usually go to the wild life/bird sanctuary near Bayard on the Assawoman Bay. Just not may big, ole', fat "crabes" as they say in lower slower.

[Laural]

Is there a best time of day to catch crab?

[rdlr]

Originally Posted by Laural

Is there a best time of day to catch crab?

Well, the crabin' has to fit around my schedule, which explains why sometimes the crabs are small, and I throw them back. I've heard 'early in the morning' and i've heard 'dusk'. So, I don't know. Part of the total experience is sitting in my folding chair, and dozing off to the sounds of seagulls CarolM would probably know. She's more experienced.

[Laural]

Where do you buy crabbing supplies to catch crab? I guess not at your local Walmart.

[dsdumpling]

Just this year DNREC started requiring licensing for clamming, crabbing and any fishing...including salt water. We sell the license at ACE.

Delly, the crabs are big down here by the Delmarva Power Plant...it's all that hot water that comes out of it.

I haven't been crabbing in years. Sounds like something I need to take hubby to. He's from S. Illinois so not much crabbing there, lol.