Catching Spider Crabs

[felipe felop]

nice one pav, they congregate in huge numbers to the right of the reef near bridport in dorset it seems bi annually dont ask me why bud ask neptune,but there some beauties there, scare the crap out of my kids when i bring them onto the beach i love it ,my dog used to like them too but a vet bill put paid to that,anyway bud stay in touch maybe we could hook up sometime so i can prove it to you

[foxfish]

Tasty little devils but I would only consider the bigger males.

[Mr. X]

Nice haul foxfish. Looks like our lunch today (I'll try to post an image later), we had a spider crab, a lobster & 2 mullet served up on a huge Turkey platter. Was hoping to BBQ but it has been bucketing down all day here. We had planned to be in Devon this week but a last minute hospitalization in the family put pay to that (ok now).

[podge]

Originally Posted by BennyB

If I ever get tickled on the arse by Pastor i'll know EXACTLY what he's up to...

A quick tickle and then it all gets wet and very hot…

[baldyfish]

oi, where u gettin all the lobbies?? scarce here around cork harbour. their either plentiful there or u guys are danm good! ive never even seen them, even on scuba. got pots but still only get one or two in every 10 pots. any secrets or would you have to kill me??

[ickledevil]

Secrets for lobsters... mmmm now thats expensive information.. I go with the find a likely area and search search search.. small torch is handy and leanting to spot antennae (sp?) is an art form.
Joe

[baldyfish]

ah........just as i suspected. you are wise my son.......my torch and I shall be going for a little trip to the seaside.

[Spaniard]

Originally Posted by felipe felop

nice one pav, they congregate in huge numbers to the right of the reef near bridport in dorset it seems bi annually dont ask me why bud ask neptune,but there some beauties there, scare the crap out of my kids when i bring them onto the beach i love it ,my dog used to like them too but a vet bill put paid to that,anyway bud stay in touch maybe we could hook up sometime so i can prove it to you

The early season congregations are mating groups, not sure if it is twice a year. I have witnessed this at Newhaven, hundreds of Spider crabs together - truly amazing spectacle!

[podge]

You’re right mate me and Jim bumped into a heap of spiders last year and there was a lot of love in that mass. Bit to pinchy for my taste though I prefer more of a one on one thing, or maybe two on one if she’s got a sister..

[Spaniard]

Originally Posted by podge

You’re right mate me and Jim bumped into a heap of spiders last year and there was a lot of love in that mass. Bit to pinchy for my taste though I prefer more of a one on one thing, or maybe two on one if she’s got a sister..

You'd better get a quick release opening for your wetsuit in case you're in the mood next time...

[podge]

Originally Posted by Spaniard

You'd better get a quick release opening for your wetsuit in case you're in the mood next time...

What around Portland you’re having a laugh mate, the water is colder than this bottle of Pinot Grigio I’m drinking

[Spaniard]

Don't worry, spider crabs aren't hung like donkeys anyway.... Ooops hijacking threads again whilst on the pop.

[podge]

Originally Posted by Spaniard

Don't worry, spider crabs aren't hung like donkeys anyway.... Ooops hijacking threads again whilst on the pop.

GOOD MAN

[Mr. X]

Originally Posted by baldyfish

...only get one or two in every 10 pots. any secrets or would you have to kill me??

Mine was caught in a cheap collapsible pot which I placed on the way out spearing & picked up on the return. My catch rate is about the same as yours. Don't know if it helped but I placed my bait (the skeleton of a filleted fish, wrasse I think, and a mackeral or mullet fish head) in a special bright orange plastic crab pot bait holder this time, for the first time. I found a couple of the bait holders washed up on shore some time ago. There was a feisty red-eyed crab in the pot too -- aggressive little b*gger, when I released it, it ran back into shore to attack my feet.

I suspect leaving the pot out overnight would increase yields considerably but I rarely get the opportunity. I think the pros have already vacuumed up many of the crabs & lobsters from the reefs, judging by recent activity.

[SurfnSpear]

This week on a secret offshore reef in about 8-10m of water I was hilariously having to move spider crabs to get a hand hold on the mussel covered outcrop and lie on top of the rest that would not move. I was chuckling how amazing it was as they literally were carpeting the reef. The nads were fine and it reminded me of the Gordon Ramsay king crab collecting below the ice.