Crab bait question

[Greybrd]

Would chicken parts that have been frozen for a long time be OK to use for bait or do I need to use fresh stuff? It was thawed and soaked overnight in Pautzke crab fuel. I dropped the pot in 60' of water yesterday morning and when I pulled it 1 1/2 hours later, no crabs! I was just south of the ship wreck, which I had heard was a good area for crabs.

There was a small piece of seaweed in the pot which I considered boiling in crab boil but decided that it just wasn't going to be the same as a crab.

Any advice on bait? Thanks.

[Nelly]

Great question G,
If the chicken was freezer-burnt, then it won't fish as well as freshly frozen bird.
Even soaking it in Pautzke Crab Fuel will have a minimal effect since the non-porous nature of the chicken will allow little of the liquid to absorb.

I'm currently finishing up the "CrabBlog" in which I explain the difference and effect of a "broadcast" bait and a "hanging" bait.

Next time you watch The Discovery Channel's "Deadliest Catch", take a close look at what the professionals bait their pots with! A one-two punch of "broadcast" and "hanging" baits.

They use a combination of ground, frozen herring which quickly spreads a scent (the "broadcast" component) and a whole cod which gives the crab something to eat (the "hanging" component).

For our purposes we can get away with older, frozen herring which is no longer suitable for use as salmon bait. Since we're grinding it and soaking it in Pautzke Crab Fuel we're getting the oils from within the herring's gut cavity and giving the Crab fuel something to soak in to.

The "hanging" portion of the bait keeps the crab in our pots longer. Make no mistake, when there is no bait or scent, crabs will find a way out of your pots!

I'll have the blog up soon so stay tuned for the words and pictures!

[Greybrd]

Nelly,
Thanks for the response, I appreciate it. The chicken did have some freezer burn so that was probably the problem. I did find a fish market where I can get salmon parts leftover from when they fillet the fish. No heads or tails, just the good stuff. I'm going out again tomorrow to a different area so hopefully the salmon will work!!!

[Eli]

I have used salmon pieces in my crab pots since I was a kid and it seems to wk great, another thing since you have a fish market near by see if the have any sturgon parts or skin, the crabs seem to love it.

[gstearns]

Crabs are funny animals. They have eyes but act as if they are guided by scent alone. They truly do "smell" their way into your trap. Your bait scent trail is the only thing that is attracting them. When it comes to bait the more the better and the fresher the better.

Also make sure you are allowing the crab to access the larger pieces of bait by using a bait container with large mesh or a bait hook. The crab that are in your trap are going to help you out by turning your bait into a puree while they dine which will create an even larger and stronger bait trail, attracting even more crab.

[Greybrd]

Thanks to everyone for the advice! The salmon worked great for my trip out this last Thursday, won't be using anymore freezer-burned stuff for bait.

[Sea Cradle]

We like salmon pieces works best .