# Blue crabs for bait



## Sandal fishing (Jun 16, 2017)

My buddy and I fish Mid bay bridge, Rocky, Brooks..and many others around Destin, FT. Walton, and Niceville area. Our usually bait of choice is live shrimp but we have started bringing blue crabs with use because you don't have to really worry about pin fish eating a blue crab off your hook. Honestly the only thing I've caught on blue crabs are red and black drum and occasionally a large sheep will eat it so if that's what your trying to target then spend a few minutes at the boat ramp and collect a few blue crabs. Another plus is that they will stay on the hook very well. If you prep the crab and hook him just right you can drag him along under the bridge and not really worry about him falling off or snagging as much. If you can, get a crab trap but we usually just collect them with small hand nets. Obviously it pays to break the claws off before you throw 8 blue crabs in a live well bucket with 6 dozen shrimp. 

I hope this helps


----------



## kingfish501 (Oct 7, 2007)

Forget the reds and drum...eat the bait.


----------



## Simonj31 (Mar 6, 2014)

I fully agree, I can just never find bait sized crabs. They're always eating size.


----------



## NKlamerus (Jan 4, 2016)

Spot on, we always try to leave one hanging under a balloon or Cajun thunder. 

Redfish on the flats will eat them too, just take a little longer to crunch on.


----------



## Chapman5011 (Mar 7, 2013)

The small blue crabs would work great for bait, but to have small ones you would be breaking the law because they need to be a certain size to keep. So to have several small ones in a live well or bait tank would be illegal to possess. That's how I see this situation. I could be wrong


----------



## kingfish501 (Oct 7, 2007)

Chapman5011 said:


> The small blue crabs would work great for bait, but to have small ones you would be breaking the law because they need to be a certain size to keep. So to have several small ones in a live well or bait tank would be illegal to possess. That's how I see this situation. I could be wrong


There used to be a size limit, but according to the FWC site, no more size limit.


----------



## lettheairout (Mar 11, 2008)

No egg bearing 

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk


----------

