Utilizing Handlines to Chatch Blue Crabs from the Roadside

With the worth of blue crabs as much as practically $40 per dozen, the considered catching them by yourself sounds fairly good today. Jacob Sharkey (27) of Bristol TN, mentioned he’s been catching blue crabs each likelihood he will get. “Once I head house to go to household the very first thing I do is head all the way down to Lake Highway in Lacombe, LA,” he mentioned. The canal that runs alongside the highway is right for crabbing as a result of it is freed from bushes or grass. It stretches a couple of mile and spills out into Lake Pontchartrain. 

Sharkey made a visit together with his brother Jesse (11) to the crabbing hotspot just lately and mentioned it didn’t take lengthy for the crabs to begin biting. “I tied a rooster neck to the road and tossed it within the water and earlier than I may bait up my subsequent line I had a crab on the road,” he mentioned.

Sharkey’s setup is sort of easy as he ties a rooster neck to the tip of a skinny string after which ties it onto one of many many lawnchairs that he units up. The chairs act as an anchor for the traces when the crabs begin to pull. Nevertheless, one chair was no match for an alligator that grabbed the rooster neck and swam away. “Fortunately I used to be in a position to seize the chair earlier than it went into the water,” he mentioned. 

Jacob and Jesse stayed busy on today because the traces had been consistently straightening out and had been in want of being checked. “It was a busy day for us out right here however we find it irresistible,” he mentioned. “I attempt to eat boiled crabs each likelihood I get once I come down right here.”  

Whereas Jacob and Jesse work collectively to catch the crabs, Jacob says it may be carried out with one individual.“Once I see a line get tight I begin pulling it in slowly. I let the crab keep on the underside as a result of there may be much less of an opportunity that it lets go and swims away,” he mentioned. “Then when it comes into my sight I set the road down gently and step shut sufficient to take a scoop. The crab is distracted by consuming the bait so it’s very easy to scoop in case you are quick.” Jacob makes use of an overhand scooping technique and scoops straight down a couple of foot behind the crab. then he scrapes the underside ahead till the online is over dry land. When scooping, Jacob stresses velocity because the crabs can react shortly after listening to the online hit the water. Jacob and Jessie managed to catch over 2-dozen blue crabs after working handlines for about 3 hours. The crabs had been principally mediums that measured from 5.5 inches to six inches.

Jacob mentioned this can be a nice strategy to benefit from the day with household and it’s a bonus to go house and boil up a number of crabs with out having to go to the seafood market!

Keith Lusher

Keith Lusher is an award successful out of doors journalist that resides in Covington, Louisiana. He owns and operates NorthshoreFishingReport.com and writes a weekly out of doors column for the Slidell Impartial Newspaper. He additionally writes for the St.Tammany Parish Tourism Fee’s VisitTheNorthshore.com. He’s the previous host of The Northshore Fishing Report Radio Present and is on the board of the Louisiana Outside Writers Affiliation. Keith contributes to quite a few publications each on-line and in print and prides himself on selling South Louisiana’s distinctive fishery. To contact Keith e mail: keithlusherjr@gmail.com