Crabbing

Crabbing at Janes Island

A package of "chicken necks", a washed out old joint compound bucket, some string, and a few nets; stir in some friends, and you can have a great time on the Chesapeake! At Jane's Island, the Daugherty Canal is only a short walk from our campsite. From late morning to about 3pm, we caught about 30 or more crabs. Most were too small, but a few would have been size-worthy for the pot! But, we were here only for catch and release. The method is simple, and for the girls more fun than fishing - Tie a chicken neck to a length of string, then drop it into the water. Watch to see if the line seems to start "walking away" then slowly pull it in. As the piece of chicken rises, (hopefully with a crab handing on) someone helps by positioning a hand net under your catch. And crabs seem to be greedy little fellows! The girls were quite entertained, filling the buckets - then releasing on the grass and watching the crabs run for the water. I was entertained at least!

K and L were deemed as winners of the "Biggest Crab Contest" - And when this size, they do have some beautiful coloration of Blues, mixed with cream and green. And watch out for those claws!