hoop net crabbing from SC...is it possible?

want to head out of sc this weekend for late season ling. I never see any kayak crabbing from SC. is this because it doesn't work or because there are better spots up the coast?

Dirk


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Anything is possible!    But I think it's just not worthwhile crabbing in SC.  Of the wharf I can say i've caught some small dungies, few odd spider crabs, and rock crabs.  But never anything I was going to eat basically.  From what I know the crab are out there but very deep, and it's just too much effort for too little pay out.  Personally, I feel like HMB is the closest place I'll crab from a kayak.  And it's fairly worth it, i've always been able to get some dungies in HMB during the early season.  It's also been a ghost town compared to other places this year due to the regulation changes.

Another way to put it is I did a Crab and Fish combo last year around this time out of Monterey.  For the 10 anglers on board, we all got one crab after pulling 10 pots from like 200fow.

I haven't tried it, but I do see a few boaters (and maybe a few kayakers too) go for rock crab in the 50 fow range, and they seem to have some success. But, I've always heard that the dungies are out in 160+ fow, which is far out (man)...

really too far south to be too productive. most drop in 250 feet. rock crabs are another story, can be good, but dungie are not often as prolific down there

I've done that grind before. Entire day hoop net, got one keeper (only crab) at 180fow near Davenport. Granted it was a huge crab but probably not worth it compared to going somewhere else

Agree with the general consensus, 90-200’ is the range to find them. Heard a little birdie say something about good reports not far north of SC… 200’…

I haven't tried it, but I do see a few boaters (and maybe a few kayakers too) go for rock crab in the 50 fow range, and they seem to have some success. But, I've always heard that the dungies are out in 160+ fow, which is far out (man)...

We got 20 rock crab just outside the mile buoy one day and the next was maybe 4.
The traps along sound rock down past natural bridges belongs to some local commercial guys. It's not a great haul from what we've seen them pull up when we're close by fishing.

well. the advice seems pretty consistent. save the rope pulling for farther north.

thank you all for saving me the trouble of learning it the hard way!

Dirk

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