Crab catching. Where, on what and how to catch crabs

Crabs belonging to arthropods are considered to be the highest crustaceans of the eponymous detachment. They are found almost everywhere on our planet. The sea crab has five pairs of legs, the first of which evolved into two powerful claws. The size of these short-tailed crayfish or Brachyura, as they are called scientifically, vary: they depend on the species. Usually the sea crab has a shell with a width of two to thirty centimeters, although there are also larger specimens.

Where do crabs live?

As close relatives of crayfish, Brachyura is different from its relatives, primarily by the absence of the abdominal tail. In fact, it is present in crabs, but it is very small and bent under the chest. Sea crab could not turn into a purely terrestrial arthropod. His life is closely connected with the water element, only in which he can multiply. In nature, there are about four hundred species of crabs. Almost all of them live in water and how fish breathe with the help of gills. Some crabs move more along the seabed, others float on the surface of the sea, and there are those who live under the rocks on the coast.

Many Brachyura are edible: their meat is highly valued. It is not only rich in proteins, but also contains very little fat. Crabs are found on stony European coasts, where they are caught in large quantities.

However, Kamchatka crab is already the best commercial species for a long time. It can be found in the seas of the Far East - Okhotsk, Japan and Bering. Because of the incredible delicious and tender meat, Kamchatka sea crab has become an object for industrial fishing. But now its stock has sharply decreased, therefore zoologists undertake attempts to breed it in artificial conditions. Crabs inhabiting the Black Sea are also diverse. However, they have no commercial value.

How to catch crabs

It must be said that fishing and capture of Brachyura are completely different processes. Nevertheless, crab fishing is no less interesting than pulling a trophy specimen of any fish from the water. There are several ways to extract these short-tailed crayfish. Sea crab hides under rocks far from noisy crowded places. Many lovers, wearing a mask and fins, sink to a shallow depth and, finding it, put in a fishing tank made of durable material. Such catching of crabs is more suitable for tourists, vacationers, for example, on the Black Sea. At the same time, you need to remember that Brachyura has sharp enough claws, so it's better to use thick gloves.

Using a pot

This special trap for crabs is a container made of wire. Practically it is a metal net stretched over the rims. The pot has an entrance called the "mouth". It is in him that the prey comes in order to regale the bait. The pot is designed in such a way that even hitting it. Crabs do not have access to it, besides they can no longer get out of the trap.

It is believed that the pot invented in 1920 by Benjamin F. Lewis. It is considered the most common method for catching crabs and is widely used all over the world. A pothead in the form of a pot with a rope descends a few meters in depth. If there are crab in this place, then after half an hour the catch is secured.

Catching with a trot

The hunter who chose this method of fishing, you need to know a few secrets. Crab fishing with the help of a trot, although it requires some effort and time spent, nevertheless it gives the chance to count on a rich catch. Let's consider this method in more detail. The trot is a line that is anchored between the buoys along with the bait. The installation process is quite laborious, but such crab fishing always yields good results. Arthropods grab bait while staying on the line. Crab catching on the trot requires not only skill, but also the necessary attributes. She will need: a boat, a fishing net, several buoys (two to five pieces), thick gloves, bait, hooks, an anchor, an ice box in which the prey, rope and fishing line are placed.

Features of catching with a trot

First of all, you need to go out to sea and set a trot on the boat. From the shore it will not work. For this, two buoys are connected with each other by a line approximately one meter long. Then, a line with an anchor is attached to one of them. Hooks with bait are attached to the line. Crabs are active in the mornings and late in the evening. It is during this period that they should be collected. For this, a fishing net is taken, into which the crabs removed from the bait neatly fold. Be sure to use gloves. Experienced crabs install several trolls with different types of nozzles.

The best time to install this gear is the morning, coming after a hot and stuffy night, as it is then that crabs are most active. Trot is removed in the first half, when the extraction is more sluggish and it is unlikely that it will be freed from the line when it is pulled. Experienced crab say that to install this tackle should be parallel to the shore in those places where the bottom is far lowered. Usually it is between the depths of five and twelve feet.

Selection of bait

Crab catching primarily depends on the properly selected bait. Usually, many professionals conduct an experiment, planting different baits in the pot. Crab loves frozen fish, chicken neck, various shellfish or raw meat. He rarely refuses them. Frozen fish fits most, because it quickly decays, unlike fresh, and this attracts prey. Commercial crab-eaters consider eel the best bait, however in our country this is somewhat expensive "pleasure".

Extraction by hand

Crab fishing in this way is best at the shore near the reefs, as well as under large stones, where these arthropods often creep. When there are no waves, it is not difficult to catch them. The best time for catching crabs by this method is considered to be the morning hours or twilight.

If a person decides to catch Brachyura in this way, he will need a folding knife. Finding the place where this arthropod is concealed, it is necessary to slip the blade there so that it grasps for it, and then sharply pull it outward. It is better to catch not alone, but with an assistant. In this case, one throws the crab with a knife, and the other immediately catches it in the net.

Industrial catching

Since 1994, experimental catching of crabs began in our country, and since 2004 it has been industrialized. Today the fishery is conducted mainly in the Barents and Norwegian Seas. According to expert estimates, in 2016 it amounted to thirty percent of the world catch for this type of production. Year on year the quota for capture changes. There were years when it was even banned. Crab fishing today, despite the danger of the process, is attractive to many fishermen. After all, the valuable meat of this arthropod is highly valued. Without difficulty, you can catch only those types of crabs that, for sale, are of no value, for example marble or purple.

Catching of rare species

In the Bering Sea, one of the rarest species that is a delicacy is inhabited. Its meat has a very high value. Red king crab is caught only for a very short time - only a week. This period is often called a "gold rush", because regardless of weather conditions, almost all fishermen go to sea hunting. Conditions for capturing the king crab are extremely dangerous, but this does not stop anyone. Every year catching crab in the Barents Sea during this season takes lives of up to ten or more people.

Recently, near the coast of Kamchatka, a new method of catching has been used. Some lovers catch a crab for the most common fishing rod. As a hook attachment, fresh fillets of cod or other fish are used. Kamchatka crab is a strong supporter of instincts, so it does not let go of the swallowed bait, even when the angler pulls him out of the sea. It must be said that such catching of crabs is carried out proceeding solely from sports interest. In most cases, the fisherman, who pulled the prey, immediately releases it back.