Spider Crabs!!!!

[steveoel]

Whats your ideas on spider Crabs??
Other than they are annoying bait stripping b*****ds!!!!
Does their presence mean that there is very little fish to be caught?? Do they mean only certain species are in the area???

Steve

[fenitbob]

yep very annoying you get them in tralee bay but I read somewhere that there are less of them in Brandon bay but I've caught them there too. there are things called crab beaters that are basically a float that holds up you bait I don't know if they work with spider crabs as their claws are so long!

I have found that they seem to be worse at certain stages of the tide.

I've always meant to try cooking one if i got the chance.

[steveoel]

Well the last two nights i fished fenit pier it was full of them so you'll have no problems getting some to cook

I think it might be no harm, cull the numbers!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[corbyeire]

tell me do they take hooks and cut your snoods - they can be complete feckers in salthill sometimes when they are in numbers for that

[steveoel]

They haven't cut my snoods yet.....
They just seem to get caught in the hooks and line when eating the bait.
Have to drag the B*****ds in and try get them off the line before rebaiting and casting out again

God i hate them Crabs.......nothing worse than a bad dose of crabs!!!!
Steve

[taz]

i like spider crab very tasty and good fun to eat i prefer the lump hammer approach

[fenitbob]

Well the last two nights i fished fenit pier it was full of them so you'll have no problems getting some to cook

I think it might be no harm, cull the numbers!!!!!!!!!!!!!

yeah I should have said when! yeah they can get pretty bad in fenit might try some sort of heavy duty float fishing to getaround them just hang the bait above the bottom and see what happens.

or just bring a gas stove and loads of water and sell freshly caught and boiled crab! crabby patties!

[gd]

try using red snoods