New to Crabbing...need help with bait

When I was Salmon fishing earlier this year on a friend's boat, he insisted that all Salmon carcasses belonged to him if any fish were caught. I thought this was a really odd thing, but now that I hear that is the preferred crab bait, I now understand his rules. Last year I went once on my kayak and I caught a couple of sand dabs, hacked them up, stuffed them in, and it worked for one nice crab. (Yes, I counted them as part of my take count that day, but seeings how those do not have a limit...)

I crab in Santa Cruz, and in about 120 FOW.

What do you suggest I use as bait?

Any fish parts work well, but salmon is more smelly.  Other good smelly fish parts include mackerel, albacore, and herring.  I like to use at least 2 different baits in the pots, one of which is squid in a bait jar, the other is fish parts.

-Allen

Raw chicken works great! 

The first week or two of the season is a freezer cleaner. Throw anything you aren't going to eat in the pot. Everything works. Bring some back-up bait in case the crabs are spread out. One thing I learned from James is that there is no such thing as too much bait. As the season rolls on, save any table scraps and leftovers. I've caught crabs on week old beef chow fun.  Eventually after rockfish season closes and before trout season picks up, you may need to buy bait. Here are some options by price:

$.79-1.10/pound: chicken backs, turkey backs or chicken drumsticks or quarters. Chicken is very durable bait and can be presented caged or as a hanging bait. Bring some hand cleaner with you so you can clean your hands after handling raw chicken. Lucky's sell a 10# bag of chicken quarters for $8.

$1-$3/pound: squid, sardines, anchovies, mackerel, herring, salmon heads, tuna heads, tuna bellies. The oily fish work better. The 99 Ranch market sells these fish called pike mackerel for $2/pound. Cheaper than pacific mackerel and if you marinade them in fuel, they are a great hanging/sacrificial bait because they are over 12" long.

Cat food, I like tuna and white fish. Get it on sale and buy it by the case. I use it as a backup bait if things aren't going well.

Fish pellets, used a lot up north, harder to find in CA. I keep a small bag as back up in the canisters.

Smelly Jelly, I used this for many years but it is kind of pricey. I switched to  fuel instead. I think it creates a better/smellier chum slick for long soaks.

Surf and turf, sacrificial/hanging and non sacrificial and backup. I like to have chicken and some kind of fish, some bait caged, some exposed and something to backup or rebait.

I use those red plastic cups to freeze up my crab bait, which is mostly fish leftovers from the summer and squid.  I also add a good amount of Smelly Jelly to the two baits.  Then I pop them out of the red cups and put them in old nylon stockings.  Then into a Scotts bait jar.  The bait never seems to wear out.  I bet I've been using the same stuff for 2 or 3 seasons this way.  As the bait melts, it stays in the nylon and nothing can get to it.  What does leach out, I just add more when I put it back into red cups for the refreeze. 

You guys ever have problems with sea lions when you use salmon? 

Wow that's cool. A new use for beer pong cups with a kinky nylon stocking twist. Toga toga!!! 

Lots of good ideas here.  I go to Ranch 99 and in the chicken section they have chicken skins for like cheep  cheep cheep prices.  I use what most others use, except I throw in the skins also. 

Old chow fun-now that is creative.

Awesome. THank you all. I had thought I heard you could use chicken, so this confirms that.

Yea chicken and squid is our goto bait for crab, but now reading about all these different bait, I think next time when I gut a fish I will save all the other parts that I don't eat and freeze it as bait.

I use the cheapest, crappiest, almost expired, heavily discounted chicken that I can find. Usually a big flat of drumsticks for 4-5 bucks.

I got my limit in HMB on opening day using some crappy chicken that had been in the freezer since last crab season...




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I haven't crabbed in years but back then we used to use turkey drumsticks shoved in a nylon. We would also sometimes put them in without a nylon. I was planning to do the same this weekend but I may try chicken if I can get it for cheaper.

A quarter leg of a chicken and a large can of sardines works for me really good!!! 


Kiel

Wow that's cool. A new use for beer pong cups with a kinky nylon stocking twist. Toga toga!!! 

 


Great info guys! Thanks

Now I am not hungry