King or Spider Crab?
 

After watching ful-rac's and greg andrew's excellent videos on hoop'n for crabs, I decided to try to target one of those monster crabs.
After seeing that the really large Spider Crabs don't have to get inside of the conical nets because their claws are long enough to just hang on the top ring and reach inside, I decided to give the flat nets a try.

... It worked!!!

http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/c...derCrab-1.jpeg

http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/c...g/P1030784.jpg

http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/c...g/P1030790.jpg

This was a male
It looks like the smaller spider crabs are females

:cheers1:

Duuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuude

Holy SH*********************T!!!!!!!

That's huge!!!

Let us know how it tastes?

When using the flat nets, it is best to use the new bait boxes that insure the box is in the middle of the big ring at all times.


That way the catch has to go inside of the net to get to the bait.


If the bait box is attached to the small inside ring, the ring could sit out of center and closer to the edge of the big ring. That permits the catch to eat from the bait box while sitting on the outside of the big ring.

Very nice! Thats a huge spider for sure!

I had some spider crab last saturday, and it was exellent! So much meat...but so much work... If you dont mind breaking out the sledge hammer to crack'em...you will be rewarded. :cheers1:

Curious. What are the "new" bait boxes?
I do know that the inner ring of the flat nets can settle off center when it lands on the bottom

:iagree:
Yes, eating quality was very good
Different from the rock crabs... more like king crab... well, kind of :hmmmm:

Body cavity is loaded with "easy to get to" meat if you can get the shell off!

Thats a clean spider crab! Down in SD Bay they are covered in mud.. Very hard to clean. Great job!:cheers1
:cheers1::reel:

Hookem and cookem! here's an idea.

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Huuuuuuuuuge Crab. I had no idea we had crabs like that around San Diego. Looked sweet!

MASSIVE!!!!!! the meat on them taste real good too.

That is a BIG spider crab. I would get them that size on the goleta pier pretty often. But haven't seen one that size in a while. Great eats, but a lot if work

big boy and super clean too. :cheers1:

I believe he's talking about a bait cage suspender, and no they are not new. They clip to the outer ring, so no matter how the middle ring lands, the bait cage is always centered.

Holy Moly! That thing looks like it could take a finger off!

Very nice catch. :cheers1:

meat is soooo good.... but so hard to break open!!!!

wow! how did you manage to get that back if those pincher get you they probably break bone

I have thrown back at least a dozen of those. I always heard that they were not good eating. After watching the Anthony Bourdain clip, The next one is getting eaten! I believe that there in no season on them in the state of California either.

Sheep crab. Loxorhynchus grandis
A member of the spider crab family (Majidae).

That's proof that the aliens have visited Earth.

http://www.divebums.com/week/2007/Ju...andy-sysol.jpg

http://www.divebums.com/week/2006/Au...rry-strait.jpg

Watch your fingers!:eek:

That is one dinosaur crab!:farmer:

No way! That is insane! Way to go!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Sorry for the late response.
Thanks for the tip when using a flat hoop.
Will try to set a few bait cages this way.

Some of you have commented on how clean this Spider Crab looks, truth be told, I scrubbed it up under the garden hose and a nylon brush on the lawn.
It looked like all the other ones. Full of mud with the ugliest face only a parent could love! :biggrinjester:

Bait Suspender
 

As Tony/ful-rac said... "I believe he's talking about a bait cage suspender, and no they are not new. They clip to the outer ring, so no matter how the middle ring lands, the bait cage is always centered."
The bait suspender idea isn't new...the concept has been around for a while especially with some of the 'deep' home-made flat nets from San Diego Bay. The Promar Bait Suspender was designed for the 32" classic style flat net. It was not designed to be used with the conical style nets.
Here is a short video showing the bait suspender catching crab on a 36" Promar flat net.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1QJRB9nv6w
Jim / Saba Slayer

Not as big,but still crazy...Thank God they dont move as fast as those little crabs on the breakwall.

And yes they do taste good.