Rock Crab won't let go!

Went out crabbing a couple days ago and pulled up a big Rock Crab with two huge claws. I've never eaten them so wanted to take that guy home, but he was not down with that plan. He got hold of the net and wouldn't let go. I tried a long slow pull, quick surprise pulls, putting the ring back in the water and trying to grab him when he let go to scuttle off... every time, he would just grab the net with those monster claws. I finally put the ring back in, waited until he was moving out and almost to the edge, then picked him up... and discovered they are a little more flexible than Dungies! He almost got my thumb, and when I tried to shift my grip, plop he went back home.

So... is there any trick to getting those things out of the netting? And are they worth the trouble?

(BTW, I did get a big Dungie in another ring, so we didn't go hungry)

I have needle nose pliers in my vest pocket. Sometimes I use them to coax a crab to let go. Sometime tilting the net will cause them to let go. Often it takes several tries.

Turn the crab upside down.

Get a metal piece(I use knife) knock several times on the tip of the claw. The vibration will let it relax the grip.

It works too in case it grab your finger and won’t let go.

And are they worth the trouble?

I find the claws of Rocks sweeter and more briny tasting than dungie meat.

Let them rest n relax and they will loosen their grip..

I give them a little poke in the eyes and they usually let go.

And are they worth the trouble?

I find the claws of Rocks sweeter and more briny tasting than dungie meat.

Likewise. I actually like them a little better than dungies, but they are a lot more work for the meat.

Be patient, with some coaxing they do eventually let go.  And yes be careful, they will draw blood if they get a hold of your finger.  Rock crabs boiled for about 20 minutes and then placed in the freezer for about 30 minutes taste excellent.  I usually just eat the claws tho and don't bother with the somewhat small stomachs.

Good tips, I was having trouble getting em out too. One kept my gf's glove until the end.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

Thanks for the tips. I will try the claw-tapping and maybe the eye-poking... I did try flipping this guy over, and gave him lots of time to relax, none of that worked at all. Basically my problem was every time I grabbed him, he grabbed the net.

Now I really want to get a couple and taste them!

Seriously, turn them over and rub their belly. It relaxes them and makes them let go

I've had a couple that were such a pain in the ass that I just opened the door to my trap and tossed it overboard hoping they would swim out.

Wish there was a way to grab them with the Fish Grips... I gotta admit that Rock intimidated me.

If they give you too much trouble you can always dismember them and reunite the parts in the pot