Last week was a great time to be on the water in search of crabs.
The Pointe-Aux-Chenes Management Area is a favorite location for most recreational crabbers this time of year. All a crabber needs are the basic and saltwater fishing licenses, dropnets, chicken leg quarters and catfish heads.
A fisherman can catch 12 dozen crabs per boat in the management area.
So my brother, nephew and I loaded up the Kenner VX and headed to Pointe-Aux-Chenes. Launching off of Highway 24, one mile west of Larose, we baited the dropnets with cut-up chicken leg quarters and catfish heads on the way out.
It was only a 10-minute boat ride.
The launch attendant told us that many people were catching crabs as soon as they entered the Pointe-Aux-Chenes Management Area. Commercial fishermen are prohibited from fishing in the management area, which makes the location a prime spot for recreational fishermen.
We started dropping the nets about 40-50 yards apart at around 8 a.m. When the crabs are plentiful, they will eat all of the bait on the first run.
Today was not going to be one of those days.
After our first run we counted 36 crabs. Two more runs and we had a total of 65 crabs. So we picked up the nets and moved toward the two dams.
We set the dropnets out again and immediately started catching crabs. After one run, my brother, Randy, wanted to try and crab from one of the earth dams. So, we dropped him off with three nets, some bait, and a long handled dipnet. My nephew Corey and I went back to running the dropnets.
After our run, we returned to the earth dam to check on Randy.
He had caught three dozen crabs and was very excited.
“I have never seen crabs crawling out of the water and staying on the banks,” he said. “I scooped these crabs in the grass.”
The water had a green tint to it. We guessed that the water was oxygen free and the crabs were caught behind the dam and were trying to get to a more stable place. We picked-up the dropnets on our final run and had 12 dozen crabs. We called it a day and decided to head home for a good crab boil.
Boiling method
•Add one box of salt, 1/3 of a 16-ounce jar of cayenne pepper in 30-quart boiling pot 2/3 full of water.
•Start the burner to heat the water.
•Cut-up two pounds of sausage and five pounds of potatoes. Bring to a boil for 10 minutes.
•Add the crabs and bring back to a boil for nine minutes. After nine minutes turn the fire off, add the frozen corn on the cob, and cool the outside of the pot with water.
•25 minutes later serve the sausage, potatoes, corn and crabs with plenty of cold drinks. Bon Appetite!
I been there love it but I want know about cast netting what are the hour