I can not believe that the Summer holidays are only a few weeks away. As ever the year is going so quickly. But the onset of the Summer holiday, long days and plenty of sunshine will normally mean one thing. The boys will request to go crabbing. It is a quintessential family pass time which we all really enjoy. If I find a great place to crab close to home, I always post about it here on Mudpie Fridays. But I am often shocked by how many people say they have never been crabbing. If you want to go crabbing for the first time, I thought this post would be helpful. As it will help you have great crabbing expeditions. It covers crabbing lines, crabbing nets, crabbing bait and crabbing on the beach. At the bottom of this post, I have linked our favourite crabbing spots in the UK.
Nothing beats a sunny day by the seaside with a bucket and fishing line in hand. For many coastal dwellers, crabbing is a favorite summer pastime. There’s something nostalgic about gathering around a pier and eagerly waiting to see what you’ll pull up. But the age-old question remains – what bait do crabs like best? Can you really use bacon to catch crabs?
I used to crab off of piers and rocky shores as a child, so I’ve tried a lot of weird bait over the years. And I’m here to put an end to the argument for good: crabs do love bacon! Read on to find out why bacon makes such great crab bait and get some tips for your next crabbing trip.
Why Bacon Makes Great Crab Bait
Of all the meaty things you could use, why does bacon work so well as crab bait? There are a few reasons why bacon is so popular as crab bait:
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Scent – Crabs locate food largely by smell. Bacon has an intense, savory aroma even when raw. The smell permeates the water and acts like a magnet drawing crabs to your line.
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Saltiness – Cured bacon contains a high concentration of salt from the curing process Crabs love salty foods, so the salty scent and flavor entices them.
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Oiliness – The fatty marbling in bacon gives it an irresistible oily texture. Oil-rich foods carry scent well in water, making bacon extra aromatic.
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Meaty Flavor – As scavengers, crabs feast on any meat sources they find. The rich, porky flavor of bacon resembles other meat crabs consume, triggering their predatory instincts.
So while chicken, fish and mussels all work well, bacon has the optimal combination of smell, saltiness, oiliness and savoriness. No wonder crabs find it so tantalizing!
Choosing the Right Bacon for Bait
Not just any package of bacon from the supermarket will do when crabbing. For best results, follow these tips:
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Go for raw, uncooked bacon – avoid pre-cooked bacon varieties.
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Choose bacon strips over bacon bits – the larger the piece, the better.
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Look for uncured bacon without lots of artificial ingredients or preservatives.
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Seek out bacon ends or pieces for a more budget-friendly option.
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Ask your local butcher for bacon trimmings or off-cuts to use as bait.
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Opt for fattier cuts like pork belly over leaner bacon.
The key is finding salt-cured, raw bacon that still has plenty of fat. This provides the signature bacon scent and oiliness crabs find irresistible.
Preparing Your Bacon Bait
To get your bacon crab bait ready:
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Cut bacon into long 1/2 inch strips so they fit in bait bags.
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Store in sealable bags or containers and refrigerate until use.
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For maximum aroma, let sit out for 30 mins before baiting up.
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Alternate bacon with other baits like chicken or fish for variety.
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Bring extra bait – crabs can nibble bacon away so re-baiting is needed.
Keeping bacon cold until right before use preserves the freshness. Letting it sit out briefly helps intensify the scent. Having extra on hand ensures you can rebait lines as needed.
Crabbing Tips & Tricks
Once you’ve prepped your secret weapon bacon bait, a few crabbing pointers will help you reel in the catches:
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Seek out crabbing piers or rocky shorelines where crabs congregate.
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Aim for 2 hours before or after high tide when crabs are most active.
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Use long ropes so bait sits firmly on the seabed below.
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Add weights to keep bait from drifting if currents are strong.
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Let kids reel up the lines – they’ll love the excitement of their catches!
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Use tie-on bait bags versus loops to prevent crabs from stealing bait.
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Keep catches in a bucket of seawater until ready to release or cook.
With the right gear, timing and technique, the tasty aroma of bacon will lure crabs straight to your traps. Nothing beats the thrill of reeling up line after line of feisty crabs!
Release Responsibly
A reminder when crabbing with bacon or any bait: always adhere to size limits, catch numbers and other local regulations. Never keep egg-bearing female crabs, and carefully return any undersized or prohibited crabs to the water. With responsible crabbing practices, we can protect crab populations so there are plenty of claws to go around next season.
Crab & Bacon Recipes
Once you’ve had your fill of crabbing fun, put
How do you crab off a pier?
When we crab off a pier we tend to use nets. You should try to find a pier that is long enough to keep you away from rocks or other sea defenses. As you want the net to lay flat on the bottom. When you throw your net over let off enough line so that it goes slack. This will help you to work out if the net is on the bottom. You have more chance of catching crab if this is the case.
Fill your bucket with some water to keep your catch in. We normally drop this down on the line first. By securing the handle to the net and lowering it into the sea. You may also want to add a little extra weight to your net after you have done this. We used large stones collected on the way to the pier to do this. Try an ensure the bait bag is placed above the stones. Don’t put too many in otherwise it will rip the net. To keep the net on the seabed, weight it down. This will make it less likely to be moved by the current.
What do I need to crabbing?
So the good news is that you don’t need much at all. A bucket, hand lines or a net and some bait (see below). The boys much prefer a clear bucket so they can see the crabs up close. Although you need to be more mindful of the sun with a clear bucket. Although any old bucket will do. My only suggestion is to make it a big one. Especially if you are hoping to catch lots of crabs.
Then the decision is whether to use a crab line or crab nets or even crab pots. A line is just that which wraps around normally a bright orange plastic handle. At the end, there is normally a little bag in which you can put bait in. It is usually more expensive to use a net with a bait bag inside it instead of a crabbing line. When you pull it up, the wire hoops inside make it look like a bucket. It was made to lay flat on the sea floor. There is normally a small weight inside the net.
Why Don’t They Eat Millions of Coconut Crabs in Japan?
FAQ
Is bacon good for crabs?
What bacon is best for crabbing?
What is the best bait for crabbing?
What should you not feed crabs?
What do crabs eat?
Crabs are omnivores and primarily feed on algae. They also eat other foods like snails and slugs, among other prey. Whatever is available, they’ll have a piece. Crabs have chemoreceptors (taste buds) that help them identify chemicals discharged in water by prey. A majority of the receptors are on the creature’s antennae.
Can you put Bacon in a crab cage?
Crab Bait: Usually on the ocean, you will find a bait shop that has the remains of fish that have been fillet. They will be frozen with a wire through them to hang from the cage. Turkey legs are great also. Finally, who ever said to put bacon in a crab cage should be very careful! Bacon goes on everything and is very popular to the human race.
What do hermit crabs eat?
Hermit crabs feed on their poop. Being scavengers, they will consume just about anything. The crab will feed on its poop, so it doesn’t lose the vitamins and minerals found in it. Crabs feed on dirt mainly to obtain minerals such as calcium that help grow a strong exoskeleton. What Do Crabs Like To Eat Most?
Are crabs picky eaters?
Crabs aren’t picky eaters. They will eat everything from dead and living fish to barnacles, plants, snails, shrimp, worms and even other crabs. They use their claws to grab food particles and put the food into their mouths. This is similar to the way humans eat using their hands or utensils.