How to get crabs out of the crab pot

I find that crabs like to grab the bars of my crab pot with their large claws and their feet and hang on tight. I do a lot of shaking and bouncing around and pulling on them to let go. Sometimes, I give up and wait for them to start crawling on their own and try to grab them before they hold on again. Is there some technique that I am missing, to get a crab to let go of the pot?
-Jonathan
 

Patience. It's kind of like watching water boil....look away.

I normally set the trap down on my kayak and wait until the stubborn crab releases. Then I'll grab him or shake it out.

If you turn a crab over and rub its underbelly it will relax and let go of just about everything. Used to do that when I was a kid to get them to let go of the trap.
Doesn't work though if they clamp down on your finger though

Ask them nicely and invite them to dinner... should wear gloves, or Atleast I should of... one got me really good, was bleeding profusely ... even got some nerve damage... because my fingertip can’t feel a damn thing .

I have ambush hoops and the collapsable 632a's....I was thinking it was the netted pots that was causing this..seems the bar traps have the same problem...

If you let them grab ahold of an errantly placed finger they tend to let go of the trap to latch on with the other claw as well.   

The only real crab Trick I know if that if you grab them by the hind leg, flip them over so the top shell is facing down, and give them a side to side shake for a few seconds......they will retract all their limbs to a tucked in state and stay mellow upside down for a while.