# how long can blue crab survive out of water?



## twgarrett (Nov 8, 2008)

i'm going to net a some crab tonight... my question is how long will they stay alive in a cooler w/ a thin layer of ice in the bottom? or should i drop them off in one of my crab traps and collect them right before we cook? the plan is to have a crab boil w/ friends tomorrow night. thanks in advance.


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## FLbeachbum (Jul 17, 2008)

Blue crabs will live for a day or so on ice.


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## Hydro Therapy 2 (Sep 11, 2008)

keep some water in the bucket and the bucket out of the sun.


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## Orion45 (Jun 26, 2008)

If you decide put them in a crab trap overnight, make sure to put in some bait. Otherwise, they'll start eating each other.


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## sealark (Sep 27, 2007)

At the fish houses they keep them covered with a wet burlap in a wooden fish crate and they last for days.


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## J rod (Sep 21, 2010)

Orion45 said:


> If you decide put them in a crab trap overnight, make sure to put in some bait. Otherwise, they'll start eating each other.


 sure will, and they'll eat through bait pretty fast
I had about 50 on a big 40 gal pinfish pen and threw in one big mullet 4 days later had like 30 something with no sign of the others, either i got robbed or they ate one another


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