Crabbing question

[togzilla]

Thinking about trailering my boat with my kids down to Red Bank next weekend for some crabbing. Qustuion: is that area still producing and do you think I am better off crabbing up by the Molly Pitcher area or closer to the Oceanic Bridge?

[rumster]

Check out this website. You will be able to get more specific info.https://www.bluecrab.info/forum/index.ph

[june181901]

Not a very long distance between the Oceanic Bridge and Molly Pitcher. If one isn't producing boat on over to the other.
I would try the Oceanic first.

[togzilla]

Thanks

[Capt. Debbie]

Rum, you on that site? I am .

Originally Posted by rumster

Check out this website. You will be able to get more specific info.https://www.bluecrab.info/forum/index.ph

[Arbutis]

The rivers are loaded with large female sooks right now and have been for the past few weeks. The larger males are hard to find in good numbers. Difficult to say when or if this will turn around. Some say the best crabbing is yet to come (into late October) while others think the season is over.

I've been out the past 2 nights and I have never seen so many sooks (which I don't keep anymore). After doing some reading and research I learned that female crabs supposedly only mate one time when they are immature (Sallys). Then they molt for the last time in their lives and will continue to make egg sponges for a couple of seasons. That's why they don't continue to grow larger like the males. Males will continue to molt throughout their lives (about 3 years) although fewer and fewer times a season as they get larger.

Apparently the females will migrate out to higher salinity water each fall as part of this cycle but the males do not migrate. The males stay in their relative area for a few seasons burying in the mud during the winter months laying dormant. The females bury also but in different waters.

Still trying to figure out how this relates to the over abundance of females in our area this summer/fall. Hoping that if there are big males still around, they will start to show when/if the females move out.