Crabs as bait

soupcan

New member
This weekend I went digging for wonderworm, and it was neap tide - which means it was a total failure... 

I did discover a large number of brown crabs, and it got me thinking - crabs make great mussel cracker bait - what else would take a crab?  I've heard of a surprise Galjoen, but they obviously prefer redbait.

Please would you help produce a list of fish that you have regulary caught using crab, something like this:

Fish Species, Type of Crab, Location, any other detail.

So, I'll start:

Mussel Cracker, Brown Crab, George, Southern Cape - 5/0 hook to match the size of the crab and lots of cotton.  Hook through the hole where I removed the back legs.

Please feel free to add and I look forward to your crab catches.
:)
 

ysie

New member
I’m not sure what type of crab it is but I’ve caught a few bronze bream and black tail on the small brown crabs that you find in rock pools. On a small bait holder type hook or a daiichi #7 with a bit of cotton
 

soupcan

New member
Ah haa - and how do you catch a ghost crab - with a stocking and some fish bait? I think I might have had a run in with a few whilst digging for white mussel - but they are far and few between.

DD
wrote:
Ghost crab = big steenie
Excellent posts gents - thanks for your input thus far!  Please let's hear of more species that you can target on crab?
 

Blikkiesvis

Sealiner
I caught a Gallie in Bettys this year that had a whole big red crab in its belly. When I say whole I don't mean in one piece but rather a couple. All the pieces was there though, he even swallowed the legs.
 

SPARRABOS

Sealiner
Rooi rots krap heel of half.........poenskop.....roman....mosselkraker.....galjoen....yellowbelly rockcod........bruin krappies in buitenste poelietjies....galjoen....hottie's....mosselkraker.....wildeperd....stompneus......sandkrappe.....stenie...galjoen....mosselkraker...stompneus....kabeljou....


Rooi rotskrap en sandkrap....duckbills....hounds...gullys
 

Houtarm

Moderator
Ek sien op Youtube die Amerikaners (Fishaholic ens) gebruik gereeld krappies wat soos ons klein, bruin "poel krappies" lyk.

Hulle breek gewoonlik al die bene en knypers af en gebruik net die liggaam van die krap.

Hulle vang daarmee "Sheapshead" (Lyk presies soos ons Wildeperd), Taugtaug en Black Drum (Lyk soos Belman, maar raak baie groter).

Net vir interessantheid ;)
 

Enigma

Moderator
Ghost Crab in KZN I've got Small Poensies, Pompano, Stumpnose and Grunter

White sand Crab in Transkei and False Bay, Steenbras, Smoothound, Gullyshark and Musselcracker

Red Rock Crab, Smoothound, Musselcracker, Octopus

Small brown rockpool crab, BIG Galjoen, Wildeperd and Stumpnose.

Whole crab is always a great bait when the small typewrites are there stripping you hook clean of soft baits
 

soupcan

New member
Thank you gents for your replies, much appreciated!  Would you say that it's only a backup bait, or first choice for species other than Cracker?

Also, whats your preferred method of collecting them? I have had success with ambushing a small crayfish bag filled with old fish bait tied to a rock in shallow pools and left for 10mins.  Also heard of a deep tin pushed level into beach sands with bait inside too.
 

SPARRABOS

Sealiner
Rooi rotskrap vang jy snags met n skerp lig en n seekat om hul uit te jaag......hou in perlemoensak lewendig.....oornag in seepoel.....8/0 of 9/0 Kendal vir Groot krap ......7/0 vir kleiner krap....5/0 Kendal vir halwe krap........ek het n 3.8 kg galie op 8/0 Kendal en heel krap gekry.....
 

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SPARRABOS

Sealiner
Sandkrap vang is maklik saans met n skerp lig......eers vat jy jou rotstand.....bind n butternut sakkie vol sardyne aan dit vas.....druk dit in sand in op sandbank.....kniediep water......hulle kom vreet daar...gryp hulle...hulle knyp seer....sit in emmer op suurstofpomp of Vries......
 

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SPARRABOS

Sealiner
Die Klein krappies in die agterste seepoelietjies is n verassing.......my broer ons stukkend gevang op ystervarkfontein met hulle.......jy kry hulle in rivier walle en grasse ook.......galjoen...hottie...bonties.....stompneus.......dink terug aan kompitiesie wat ek en skoonpa gevang het.....kom by see.....het niks Aas.....vang daai Klein krappies....wen kompitiesie......Groot Kraker....Groot galjoen....nog jonger Kraker en galjoene ook......op daai krappies...


;)
 

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Marthin

Sealiner
KRAP  asie as die vis bietjie traag byt... wikkel die boonste dop mooi los, en draai met fyn latex n net bo-oor...

Les 1, moenie met swak hoekies, knope of traces gooi as jy met krap gooi nie... maak nie saak watter spesie optel nie, dis gewoonlik een wat gaan boks....
 

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jb2

Sealiner
Hi

My first edible fish was a little Cape stump in the Keurbooms on those little brown crabs that run into tunnels.

I have also caught nice roman on sand crab. I put the hooks through the holes where the legs go in and cut the shell in half.

I think that the shell keeps the pickers away and allows the roman a chance to get to the bait.
 

soupcan

New member
Beautiful, I'm really enjoying these inputs - thanks for making this a worthwhile thread with your contributions.

If you have a crab technique that works for you, please lets hear it here!
 

soupcan

New member
Has anyone tried cutting the legs off and just using the body?  I see quite a few of the US based YouTube blogs do this when bottom fishing. They don't break the legs off - they trim them off with bait scissors, so perhaps this leaves a little bit of tasty crab meat sticking out the snipped stubs and adds a bit of scent to the crab bait.

I see all the SA pros present the crab whole for cracker - so just wondering if gallies, steenbras and roman might be happy with trimmed bait.  Must be a reason they cut off all the legs and pincers.
 

Marthin

Sealiner
there is a way of threading segments onto the hook and up the line...

But i don't think the US boys have ever seen what a school of blacktail can do to pieces of crab hanging about...
 
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