CRAB!!!!
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Dave Jolly
- SAI Hammerhead
- Posts: 282
- Joined: Fri Oct 27, 2006 11:29 pm
- Location: cork
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All crabs in the littoral zone tend to peel in two major moults one around march, and again towards the end of september. usually the males are the ones that moult at this time.
the females tend to moult over the summer, as they can only mate when they have peeled, and you will find them being held underneath large male crabs, hiding amongst the weed.
If the crabs are belly to belly, the female is a soft back, and if the crabs are back to belly the crab is a peeler.
the velvets and edibles tend to moult in deeper water, and i for one have only ever got one of these in peeling condition in 15 yrs collecting, and legally speaking, if you were collecting edible crabs, the commercial size limits would apply.
because the fish are not expecting to find crab around this time, other baits can actually be much better..
Dave
the females tend to moult over the summer, as they can only mate when they have peeled, and you will find them being held underneath large male crabs, hiding amongst the weed.
If the crabs are belly to belly, the female is a soft back, and if the crabs are back to belly the crab is a peeler.
the velvets and edibles tend to moult in deeper water, and i for one have only ever got one of these in peeling condition in 15 yrs collecting, and legally speaking, if you were collecting edible crabs, the commercial size limits would apply.
because the fish are not expecting to find crab around this time, other baits can actually be much better..
Dave
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EoinMag
- SAI Sea Dog!
- Posts: 528
- Joined: Mon Oct 30, 2006 8:07 pm
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Liamo
Dave,
Have you ever tried finding a spot down around Camden somewhere? Used to put a drop net down around the pier here sometimes and the amount of velvets that came up is amazing, always wondered if there wasn't someplace close by where they might peel... I have come across the odd edible peeler (again along with plenty of ordinary velvets) on the other side near white bay on the rough ground as you head towards Roches Point but on extreme low tides only; plus some odd very tough looking lugworm that we sometimes find right under stones down here???
Liam
Have you ever tried finding a spot down around Camden somewhere? Used to put a drop net down around the pier here sometimes and the amount of velvets that came up is amazing, always wondered if there wasn't someplace close by where they might peel... I have come across the odd edible peeler (again along with plenty of ordinary velvets) on the other side near white bay on the rough ground as you head towards Roches Point but on extreme low tides only; plus some odd very tough looking lugworm that we sometimes find right under stones down here???
Liam