Crabbing

This weekend, joined by Todd and Kari, we took a trip down to Buzzards Bay in search of blue crabs. Seeing as though none of us had ever crabbed before, we consulted the internet for crabbing advice. YouTube and bluecrab.info proved to be our most useful sources. They suggested we use eel, chicken necks, or bull lips as bait. After searching all over the city of Boston for eels, chicken necks, and bull lips, the best we could find was eel for $9.99/lb in a Chinatown grocery store. With eel so expensive it defeated the whole purpose of using it as bait. We decided to make one final trip to a shady butchershop near Haymarket. They didn't have chicken necks, but they did have about 300 lbs of turkey necks! We decided turkey necks would do and now had bait.

Excited to begin our day of crabbing, we zipped out of Boston in our Hypnotic Teal Scion xB Zipcar early Saturday morning. We arrived in Buzzards Bay an hour later and made a quick stop at local sporting goods store for rope and nets. Armed with our turkey necks, crab rope, and nets, we descended into the murky waters of Buzzards Bay in hopes of capturing crabs for dinner. After about 15 minutes the first crab was successfully pulled from the water! In a couple hours we had our cooler filled with over a dozen crabs, all over 4 1/8 inces long in accordance with MA regulations. It was a fun experience. What we learned: 1) crabbing is best at low tide, 2) crabs are slower and easier to catch than we thought, 3) crabs are agressive and can deliver a painful pinch, and 4) crabs are attracted by turkey necks. With our hunt successful, we left Buzzards Bay for Boston. We enjoyed a crab bake that night complete with Old Bay seasoning. There were more than enough crabs to share with friends.