CRAB!!!!

Lads is any one getting any crab they seem to be thin on the ground.. Hav started a full time job and don't get the time to get out for bait as much alot to be said for being a waster. Would appreciate any thing from anyone round wexford...

Bad time of year for it padge, the big male moult is over until the autumn. Mostly just a few females under males in the weed

What about velvet swimmer crabs and edible crabs - when do they peel?

Sorry padge73, no crab going at the mo.

August they will start appearing agian. :o

My back is broke digging fecking lugworm!

All crabs in the littoral zone tend to peel in two major moults one around march, and again towards the end of september. usually the males are the ones that moult at this time.
the females tend to moult over the summer, as they can only mate when they have peeled, and you will find them being held underneath large male crabs, hiding amongst the weed.
If the crabs are belly to belly, the female is a soft back, and if the crabs are back to belly the crab is a peeler.
the velvets and edibles tend to moult in deeper water, and i for one have only ever got one of these in peeling condition in 15 yrs collecting, and legally speaking, if you were collecting edible crabs, the commercial size limits would apply.
because the fish are not expecting to find crab around this time, other baits can actually be much better..
Dave

Do you not need a license to collect edible crab?

Dave,

Have you ever tried finding a spot down around Camden somewhere? Used to put a drop net down around the pier here sometimes and the amount of velvets that came up is amazing, always wondered if there wasn't someplace close by where they might peel... I have come across the odd edible peeler (again along with plenty of ordinary velvets) on the other side near white bay on the rough ground as you head towards Roches Point but on extreme low tides only; plus some odd very tough looking lugworm that we sometimes find right under stones down here???

Liam

Got two dozen peelers and about the same in softies day before yeserday... not bad for a couple of hours..

Liam, did you find velvet peelers in White Bay throughout the summer or was it just in late July & August?