Stone Crabs, Lobsters and Southeast Florida – The Guide You Need
Florida has managed to give its spiny lobsters and stone crabs a lot of hype, and it’s needless to say, they deserve all the hype. There is nothing more satisfying than going to Fort Lauderdale, Deerfield Beach, Hollywood Beach, Lauderdale by the Sea, Pompano Beach, or even the Florida Keys to take a dive and pluck stone crabs or lobster from the reefs. It doesn’t matter if you want to sell them or want them for recreational purposes; they are always ready to be harvested ... or better yet, get them at a local fish market or restaurant because it can be challenging and there's regulations regarding size, techniques, seasons ... oh, and licensing too.
Stone crabs and lobster have the sweetest meat, but they can be a challenge to pluck and eat, especially if you don’t want to deal with tickling them out of their holes. In addition, stone crab claws are extremely strong, and no one wants to get their fingers cut or crushed, right?
So, if you are in Florida for a vacation and want something other than shopping, we are sharing all you need to know about catching the stone crabs!
The Best Place To Catch Stone Crabs
Stone crabs are pretty easy to find in rocky and shallow locations because they can thrive in depths ranging from only knee-deep to 60 foot deep reefs. However, the experts recommend looking for them around inshore inlets, seawalls, bridges, rocks, and pilings. There are stone crabs throughout Florida’s water bodies, but the majority of them are in Southeast Florida.
In addition, you can visit Southwest Florida and the Florida Keys. The same locations have a lot of lobsters as well. On the other hand, if you only want stone crabs, you should look for reefs with broken shells and rocks with holes because this indicates a stone crab burrow. Also, you can tickle the stone crabs with a coat hanger but make sure it’s not bent more than 90 degrees.
The Right Way Of Catching The Stone Crabs
Fortunately, stone crabs don’t move very fast, which means it’s convenient to grab them from over the claws – just grab them by the body and make sure the claws are pointed away or down. Keep in mind that the claw size regulations. In addition, you should remove only one claw to make sure the crab can feed itself and regenerate another.
The stone crab will be able to regenerate its claw after about a year. In some cases, people dive to catch the stone crabs, but it’s also possible to purchase a trap from bait and tackle stores. Ideally, you should set up five traps and set them in the sand around the rocky structures. As far as the bait is concerned, you can use fish heads.
Last but not least, you can also drive to the best waterfront restaurants, and they will have the stone crabs for you and prepared to perfection. Find the best places in the Beachside Directory.
The Bottom Line
On a concluding note, stone crabbing is an affordable, easy, and fun activity – it’s a great activity for the entire family. So, are you ready to explore Florida and its crabs?