One of the greatest aspects of crabbing is that despite the weather you can generally find a tucked away creek where you can throw a few pots either from the boat or off the bank and get yourself a feed of these succulent locals.
There are number of pots on the market and a few decisions need to be made before you purchase one. Look for sturdy construction because bigger tides generally work better for chasing crabs. Light duty pots can be easily picked up and carried away. Home made pots can catch just as many crabs as bought pots and often cost considerably less. Dillies are an option that are suitable if you continually check them and are ideal to throw out while you are having a fish.
Big full bucks are what crabbing is all about!
There’s an old saying that states any month with an ‘R’ in it is good for chasing crabs. Seasonal changes over the years have no doubt influenced catches in both positive and negative ways and several of my own best crabbing adventures have occurred during May.
There’s no black and white rule book on what month to catch muddies but regular crabbers will realise that that certain runs of spiders (undersized male crabs), jenny’s (female crabs – no take), floaters (male crabs with new shells and no meat) and rusty bucks (the reason we crab) occur throughout the year and nailing down the most productive time and tide is all part of the fun.
A small tributary provides a couple of nice crabs.
Chances are increased by using fresh bait and replacing it every tide if you’re in the same area for a few days. Mullet, tuna, catfish, chicken carcasses and reef fish frames all work well. Make sure the bait can’t be approached from outside the pot so the crabs have no choice but to enter for an easy feed.
Set your pots in deeper sections and gullies of the creek. Thick tangles of mangrove roots are ideal habitats. Keep your eye on the banks as the tide is falling for any indication of fresh diggings. This is a sure sign that crabs are active in the area and looking for food.
Kids love crabbing – let them pull the pots.
Captured crabs can be tied if you’ve got enough confidence or placed directly on ice to subdue them and ultimately put them to sleep. Avoid plunging several untied lively crabs into an eski or hessian bag as they will damage and crunch each other. Mud Crabs like most recreational species have a size and bag limit and the apparatus used to catch them must be identified. Check regulations if you’re unsure.
The creeks, estuaries, rivers and bays throughout the Mackay region are all suitable for crabbing. The mud crab distribution is wide although some systems consistently produce better results than others.
