Just like fishing, catching crabs using simple gears is rapidly gaining popularity. In fact, it has gone from popular to phenomenal with most of the families living in tropical regions now into what appears to be the hottest craze during weekends.

Simple Crab Traps

But unlike fishing crab catching is a far cheaper hobby. As compared to the fishing gears, a hobbyist could have his own crab trapping device for as little as two dollars.

With so much less, crab-catching enthusiasts can make what is commonly known as crab traps. A crab trap, which is usually smaller and lighter in weight than a crab pot, is a boxed-type device made out of welded wires with collapsible sides, with each of its side tied with a cord. The sidings of the crab trap lies flat on the floor the moment it is dropped to a portion of a water surface. At the center of the crab trap is bait, which is normally a chicken neck, tied at the base of the gear.

While crabs are known to be omnivores, they tend to eat more meat than plants. There are many other possible bait forms such as fish parts and bull lips, but it would be advisable to make use of the chicken necks as bait because chicken bones could hold on to the welded wire-made device, making crabs to stay longer and allows a crab trap hobbyist more time to lure in another prey into the ?boxed trap?.

The moment a crab gets to the center of the crab trap (underneath the water), the cord, which is attached to the top portion of each of the four sides, is pulled to allow the sides to rise and re-assemble itself into a box. Then the crab trap is pulled out from the surface of the water. Then what do we have — the poor crab is ready to meet his end and serve as among the sumptuous food for the family?s picnic surprises.

Crab traps are being used by hobbyists and families on a weekend day out in a park where freshwater crabs are bred and made available as recreational activity, or near freshwater bodies of water, such as rivers and lakes.

Crabbing Regulations

But while crab catching may have been rapidly getting everyone into it, there are Federal laws governing the hobby. Under such law are implementing rules and guidelines as to where these activities could be done. Crab trapping, which is of course far from being a revenue earner as the gear offers minimal haul, gets more leniency than that of crab potting, which allows bigger hauls. Crab potting has likewise been limited to privately-owned waterfront properties. Commercial crab catching has stricter guidelines — and stiffer penalties too, as provided in federal laws governing commercial crab fisheries.

Now, how would you like fresh crab catch for the picnic dish? Crabs are definitely sumptuous, but it would be taste even better if we get to eat crabs that we ourselves hauled into from the water.