Killing crabs

Can anyone advise me on the quickest/most humane means of killing a crab before peeling it?

All I seem to find in books or online is "a quick stab between the eyes....blah blah blah", however in my experience this either leads to a mangled bait or the poor crab writhing in agony.
Love using the little buggers for bait but I don't want them to suffer for the sake of my hobby!

Would really appreciate the help

Cheers

Cut them in half or peel them really quickly...there's not many alternatives



1 Edit DD.

I stab them through the flap on their underside, near the point of the flap right in the middle of the crab. I find that kills them straight away and there's no horrible writhing of legs or claws when I'm peeling them.

Cutting them in half would, I'm sure, do the same job.

I stab them through the flap on their underside, near the point of the flap right in the middle of the crab. I find that kills them straight away and there's no horrible writhing of legs or claws when I'm peeling them.

Cutting them in half would, I'm sure, do the same job.

Would a filleting knife on baiting needle be your choice


1 Edit DD.

What about the Gulp peelers, heard they perform pretty good and you wouldn't have to worry about a conflict of conscience. Never tried them myself, maybe someone here has more experience? An idea would be to combine them with something natural eg. mackerel, squid or wormbaits to impart a more attractive flavour? Might be worth a thought.

What about the Gulp peelers, heard they perform pretty good and you wouldn't have to worry about a conflict of conscience. Never tried them myself, maybe someone here has more experience? An idea would be to combine them with something natural eg. mackerel, squid or wormbaits to impart a more attractive flavour? Might be worth a thought.

Thanks but, one of the main advantages of fresh peelers is it stops crabs in estuaries stripping the hooks quite so fast.
Exactly why i need to use them at some marks.
Worth a go in the future though

Absolute scrap IMHO and not even a distant rival to fresh peeler I'm afraid Martin. Only gulp product I have found to be any use is the gulp ragworm/sandworm. Even then its a poor enough bait fished statically although I have had wrasse and pout on it.

A knife is my instrument of choice! I have found a baiting needle or grip wire to be less predictable - obviously there's some vital organ in there but it appears that it's sometimes missed with a needle or similar. The knife works every time.

Thanks for the warning Pete, proper advice from an expert comes always highly appreciated before one parts with his hard earned dosh, they are fairly pricey items anyway, by all means.

If you get the knife in the right place I wouldn't worry about the jumping about, the crab isn't aware of it.



1 Edit DD

Off my own topic...... Stephen8wood, where did you get a tuna?

A small bit of editing and deleting had to be done here.
I’m willing to let it go off-topic than let the topic go the way it was going

why not freeze your peelers with the shell on ? defrost before your session,the slight expansion in the freezer makes em easier to peel aswell and before everyone says fresh is better ask yourself one question,was the crab you froze pretty well knackered before you froze it?or was it prime, juicy, orange entrailed drippin down your elbows peeler?

Just pull off all the legs quick and pop his shell its only a crab don't feel sorry for them

live data just checked ok
i have sacrficed 8 crabs tonight to prove a point to my self and ye
a bucket of cold fresh water put them in over night seemed to be the best way to kill them they dont feel a thing
freeze them straight a way and there ready to go they are nice and plump
i tired the knife and the fast peal but they are still alive if it was a fish.ie bass would you leave it to die
i caught bass and gilt head on frozen crab just as good as fresh i think

it was geniside but it was for a better plan

Just pull off all the legs quick and pop his shell its only a crab don't feel sorry for them

my thoughts exactly....this is a ridiculously outrageous comical post. man come on if you feel like your hurting these crabs dont use them go hug some trees instead... what about lovely big rag or lug worm when you poking a really sharp hook up its arse or down its throat and the big fishes mouth that you've skull dragged up the beach.

what a post....i love it



bru

Just pull off all the legs quick and pop his shell its only a crab don't feel sorry for them

my thoughts exactly....this is a ridiculously outrageous comical post. man come on if you feel like your hurting these crabs dont use them go hug some trees instead... what about lovely big rag or lug worm when you poking a really sharp hook up its arse or down its throat and the big fishes mouth that you've skull dragged up the beach.

what a post....i love it



bru

here ya sick- i wont say it, crabs have feelings too you know, you tellin me this shlippery customer doesnt have feelings either?

You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.

mr crab is a boll*x doesn't give bob a minute and hes on minimum wage

Just pull off all the legs quick and pop his shell its only a crab don't feel sorry for them

my thoughts exactly....this is a ridiculously outrageous comical post. man come on if you feel like your hurting these crabs dont use them go hug some trees instead... what about lovely big rag or lug worm when you poking a really sharp hook up its arse or down its throat and the big fishes mouth that you've skull dragged up the beach.

what a post....i love it



bru

here ya sick- i wont say it, crabs have feelings too you know, you tellin me this shlippery customer doesnt have feelings either?

Ud get 4 juicy baits out of him

mr crab gets things done.