Crabs.........hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.
When you come to Ocean City, Maryland with your children, especially if its for their first trip, you just have to take them crabbing even if its just for a few hours. Crabbing in Ocean City is very simple task, it doesn't take any experience, and very little equipment.
                                           Dining, Crabs, Restaurants
Equipment for Crabbing:     Net,      String,   and Bait.
The Net: You can buy a very inexpensive net, at the Roses Department Store in the 94th street mall. You could even rent one at one of the local tackle shops. I've seen nets for sale at most of the grocery stores in Ocean City like Foodlion and Superfresh. The type of net you are looking for has a long pole 3 to 5 feet long and a resembles a basketball hoop. The net is to swoop them out of the water after you pull the crab in.

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The Bait for Crabs.
To catch crabs, one of the most common methods is a simple piece of string and chicken necks or chicken "backs", both very inexpensive, and sold obviously at grocery stores, but sometimes you can even find them at 7-11 stores. Often, some of the grocery stores will have nets and string, very close to where they are selling the chicken parts you will use as bait.
This next note is very important, especially on hot days at the beach.
We STRONGLY recommend that you place the bait in a cooler with ice. What we are trying to do is keep the bait from spoiling, and just like any other food product, it might spread disease and cause illness. So if you have children with you we suggest that a parent handle the bait in the process of crabbing.   Remember you are handling a food product.

The crab usually smells the bait in the water long before he sees it, and follows the scent trail in the water to find the bait. If the bait becomes old, which it does quickly, it won't give off a very good scent trail and the crabs won't find it or know it is there. Changing the bait often with fresh bait increases you chances... you'll figure this out as you crab because you'll notice only catching crabs on the freshest bait lines. Sometimes the bait will float because it has too much fat on it... either pull or cut the fat off or get another piece of bait. So you've got the bait, a net and string, and your keeping the bait fresh... cut off lengths of the string 8 to 10 feet long, and tie the string around the bait. That's about it except for tossing the bait into the water, and then tying the other end to something, or you can hold on to the string. Most people put more than one line in the water to increase their chances. How will you know if you've caught a crab.... sometime you won't know. Usually after you toss the bait in the water there will be some slack in the string... the crab will sneak up and start eating the bait, but usually the crab likes to take the bait back to his/her hiding spot because they don't like to share, or are afraid another bigger crab will come along and steal it away. Sometimes you will even catch two crabs on the same piece of bait, but usually those are only really small ones that you shouldn't keep. There is a legal size of crabs that you can keep, and they are measured "point to point", see below in the pictures.
 

Catching the Crab.
Once you see the line moving away or becoming taught because the crab has the bait, start pulling the string in very slowly. Often there will not be any resistance to pulling the line in, but there will be a crab on the bait. The crabs don't really get caught on the bait, they just don't want to let go. As the bait with the crab comes into your vision in the water very carefully slip the net under the crab and swoop him/her up.
A very good trick, and its good to have a helper for the net, is to put the net in the water first and below where the line is coming in with the crab, before you see the crab.. Using this technique the crab won't become scared when he sees you put the net in the water because it will already be there and he will think it is natural. Usually the crab will jump off if he gets too close to the surface of the water, so put the net as low as you can in the water, and pull the string in from as low an angle as you can. Remember, pull slowly on the string in a steady slow motion.

Where to crab.
Although often when swimming in the ocean the crabs will bite at your toes, and thus you know there are crabs out there, but your best bet will be on the bayside of Ocean City, known as Assawoman Bay. There is also Sinepuxtent Bay, on the south end of Ocean City, and Indian River Bay north of Ocean City in Delaware. Basically anywhere on the bay. Your best locations for catching crabs will be where the bottom comes up from a deep area quickly. This is opposed to a long flat sloping area. Areas that tend to have a grassy bottom, or mud type bottom are best as compared to an all sand bottom. This is because the crab likes to hide either in the mud or grassy areas from their enemies. Docks and piers are also good, and along bulkheads (manmade wooden walls along the bay). You can pretty much walk any where in Ocean City to the bayside and catch crabs.

Crabbing Locations:   
           126th St. Northside Park         41st Convention Center        Chicago Avenue Downtown

When to crab.
This is important. The best time to catch crabs is the incoming tide, near and after the high tide. Go to our TIDE CHART and print out a copy of the tides when you will be in Ocean City. But those will be Ocean tides, and you will be on the bay. And thus you will add an hour to the tide chart if you are in south OC, two to three hours if you are near 65th Street, and four to six hours if you are near the north end of OC 146th Street. You just don't want to crab at low tide, high tide is the best. The crabs move in and out (up and down the bay towards the ocean) with the tide. When the tide is going low they are moving towards the ocean, high tide up the bay away from the ocean. The higher the tide, the more of the land gets submerged, and the more area and food for the crab to feed. Tide Chart for Ocean City Maryland

Other techniques for crabbing.
Trot lines. This is basically one long line, with many shorter lines attached with bait. Usually you need a boat for this method. Laying the line out, and then going back and forth with the boat to check the individual baits and pulling the crabs in. Traps. Traps are good, but for the first time would probably be an added expense for the beginner. There are many types of traps, large professional type that you leave in the water for a day at time, and small collapsible traps that when you pull them up they close and the crab can not escape.
Crab Snares:
A new method and neat idea for catching crabs. You can use this crab catching devise with your existing fishing pole or with string. For more information about this neat idea click the link below. http://crabsnares.com

Picking and Eating crabs.
CLiCK on over to How to Pick Crabs

Male Crabs and Female crabs.
The most definite distinction is the underside of the crab. Crabs have a tab, or flap to their underside. The male crab's tab is long and skinny, the female more rounded and wide. As in many species, the female crab is less colorful.
                                                  

Legal size of crabs.
Five inches "point to point".
                          

Cooking crabs.
Please refer to your favorite cook book various gourmet cooking methods. Basically steaming or boiling the crabs for 15 minutes to 20 minutes, the crab will turn bright red when done. If you find that the crab meat, especially in the claws is very grainy and sticks to the shells, your cooking time is too long. Try shortening the cooking time on the next batch.

DO NOT EAT DEAD CRABS

Crab sizes point to point legal to keep.

Delaware Peeler 3 inches Soft-shell 3 1/2 inches Hard-shell 5 inches 
(except mature females) Crab pots may be used between March 1st
 through November 30th. Limit of one bushel per crabber.
 Maryland Peeler 3 inches Soft-shell 3 1/2 inches Hard-shell 5 inches
 (except mature females)

Crab Snares:
A new method and neat idea for catching crabs. You can use this crab catching devise with your existing fishing pole or with string. For more information about this neat idea click the link below. http://crabsnares.com