One of the great pleasures in seashore living is catching blue crabs with a hand line.
In Southwest Florida this is not such a popular pastime since blue crabs are harder to find in the brackish waters they favor, and there are so many other options for catching fish and shellfish.
I found a special secret spot where I take the grandkids to learn this skill and engage the ferocious blue crab in "hand-to-hand" combat. Blue crabs are one of the most vicious creatures in the sea and will pinch you in a most painful way if allowed to do so.
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Isaac Dunson demonstrates the proper way to hold a blue crab and avoid painful pinches. Grasp one of the hind flippers at the base only and it is safe to hold the crab.
The hand-line technique involves tying bait, such as a chicken leg, to pieces of twine and throwing several into the water after tying them to a nearby bush.
When crabs are feeding on the bait the lines move and draw taut. Carefully pull in the line while a second person holds a long handled dip net for the crab - if you are lucky and skillful. You now have to remove the crab from the net, which requires the proper technique to avoid being pinched. Grasp one of the hind flippers at the base only and it is safe to hold the crab.
Male blue crabs (Jimmies) have mostly bluish claws and the belly has a narrow strip (like the Washington Monument).
Fact Box
William Dunson, Ph.d., professor emeritus of biology at Penn State University, splits time between Southwest Florida and his farm in Galax, Va. He can be reached at wdunson@comcast.net.
Females (sooks) have reddish claw tips and a broad "apron" under the abdomen, which is used to hold eggs during breeding season.
The blue crab is a masterpiece of engineering. It swims using back hind flippers and its two sharp points on the sides of the shell discourage predators. The crab's fierce disposition provides considerable protection as does its ability to swim fast sideways and burrow into the bottom.
We usually return the "beautiful swimmers," the actual meaning of the scientific name (Callinectes sapidus), to the water to maintain the population. Occasionally we will eat a few by boiling them until they become a bright red color, due to exposure of underlying astaxanthin pigments revealed by the cooking process. Then the hard work begins of picking the most delicious meat from the back fin area. It is impossible to pick fast enough to satisfy your hunger but those who have tasted crab imperial made with fresh blue crab meat know it is worth the effort.
Observe other interesting estuarine life while crabbing. We found a southern leopard frog in the same waters as the blue crabs although adaptation of this amphibian for low salinity waters are not well known.
I am a firm believer in trying to be as non-consumptive of our wonderful wildlife as possible. The chicken-and-string technique involves no hooks and minimal if any damage to the crabs, allowing you to enjoy their exquisite design and feisty behavior.
William Dunson, Ph.d., professor emeritus of biology at Penn State University, splits time between Southwest Florida and his farm in Galax, Va. He can be reached at wdunson@comcast.net.
