How to catch crabs - the most effective fishing methods. Crab fishing in the Bering Sea Crab fishing

There are only two interesting species of Black Sea crabs: mason crab And grass crab. The names of these crabs speak for themselves and it is not difficult to guess their habitats. However, they differ from each other and have their own characteristics. Mason crab is larger in size compared to grass crab, but grass crab is slightly tastier and easier to eat and get to its meat. The mason is much more difficult to eat, since without a tool, such as a hammer, its meat is difficult to reach.

There are also other types of crabs in the Black Sea; they either live deep or are very small and are quite problematic to use as food.

Catching a few crabs, for example, for dinner, is not that difficult, the main thing is to know where exactly they live. If they are found in the Black Sea, this does not mean that they are everywhere.

To catch crabs, you can use the following options:

This is the main method of catching crabs, and you just need to purchase a spearfishing kit and learn how to use it, since diving with a mask and fins is not at all easy, but you can dive to considerable depths.

To hunt crabs, you should choose places that are located at a considerable distance from noisy beaches and recreation areas. As a rule, crabs hide under stones, including grass ones, if there are algae nearby. For convenience, you should use gloves, especially since they will protect you from crab bites. Seafood needs to be collected in a special cage, but a regular plastic bag is not suitable for this.

This operation is similar to catching crayfish, as is the fishing tool. A crab catcher consists of a metal rim on which a mesh with a slight slack is stretched. A bait is placed in the center of the crab trap, which can consist of a piece of fish, meat, bone, etc. The device is lowered with the help of a rope to a considerable depth (several meters), after which a pause lasting 20-30 minutes is maintained. After this, the crab catcher rises sharply. If crabs live in this place, then the catch is guaranteed.

You can catch crabs with your hands, just like crayfish, by probing the bottom of the reservoir, but you should remember that a crab can pinch very painfully. In late spring and early summer, crabs gather near the shore at shallow depths. At this time, you can notice how individual specimens crawl ashore. This usually happens in the early morning or late evening, when there are no waves on the sea, otherwise it will be very difficult to catch crabs.

Unfortunately, this method cannot be used everywhere, but you need to know the places where they gather. You can learn about this from local residents, who certainly know about it, but will not always tell about it, especially to visitors who suddenly want crabs for dinner.

Catching crabs in a mask - Video

Crab fishing is called the gold rush of the Far Eastern seas. Kamchatka crab is found in the cold Seas of Okhotsk and Bering and fishermen, risking their lives in stormy conditions, go to this fishery because gourmets from all over the world are ready to shell out a lot of money for white tender crab meat. The profession of crabber is one of the most dangerous in the world.

Jill Periman, captain of a crab boat: “Some people are jealous of us, thinking that our work is a kind of fun. They don’t even suspect about the rain that never stops for a minute, waves three times tall and a hellish wind that knocks a person off his feet. In the thirty years of my career, there has not been a single case where fishermen went ashore unharmed. During one of the fishing seasons, my ship lost four guys,” Periman continues. - They were never found because they sank at a distance of 150 - 200 miles from the coast. Marine predators gnawed their bodies within a few hours.”
The most common cause of death among fishermen is falling overboard. Even if a person is a super swimmer, he cannot cope with giant waves.

Despite the fact that the earnings of fishermen in Alaska reach $100 thousand a year, there are not so many people who want to fish. “Our job is like a roller coaster ride,” says fisherman Neil De Bary. - You enjoy the first twenty minutes, and then you want to get out of there as quickly as possible. Real fishing is three days on a roller coaster without a minute's break." Death has long become commonplace for professional fishermen. In terms of risk, the work of these specialists is comparable only to the activities of the military in hot spots.

Crab is a valuable biological resource. On an industrial scale, its catch is subject to quotas, and all seas are divided into various fishing zones, clearly defined geographically. Scientists constantly monitor the percentage of females, the growth of young animals, the state of the food supply, and so on. If there is a threat to the population, the crab catch is forcibly limited. For a long time, king crab was practically prohibited from being caught in the Sea of ​​Okhotsk due to barbaric fishing in the late 90s. In those years, poaching (of our own and others) flourished in the Far East. In the end, the Far Eastern fishing zone was closed, realizing that they simply physically could not control this process. Now production has resumed again. All decisions on the permitted volume of fishing in Russia are made by the Ministry of Agriculture (Rosrybolovstvo), since crab fishing is the same as fishing, and fishing is agriculture.

The Kamchatka crab is one of the largest representatives of craboids in the Far East. Its weight ranges from 3 to 5 kg (the largest female and male caught weighed 5.25 and 12 kg, respectively. The length of the male’s legs reached 1.5 m). The king crab fishing season begins in October, but due to the biological characteristics of this species of crustaceans and market demands, fishermen often have to wait until January to begin fishing. Crab fishing ships go to sea with a license and a list of possible fishing areas. This distinguishes industrial fishing from coastal fishing, which is allowed to fishermen for their own consumption in the same way as fishing.

Crab fishing vessels can range in size from 17.5 to 50 m in length (most are 36.5 m in length). The onboard crew consists of a captain and 3-9 sailors. The captain is responsible for everything, including the catch. But the sailors catch the crabs, the processing is managed by the technologists, and the boatswain coordinates the process. The bulk of the crab processing takes place on the ship. The limbs are separated from the carapace (the dorsal part of the shell), cleaned, washed, boiled, cooled, frozen and packaged in large boxes.

The crabs are caught using 400-kilogram metal traps, and herring, sardines or cod are used as bait. On small crab fishing vessels the number of traps does not exceed 40 pieces, but on some large crab fishing ships their number reaches up to 250. Crab fishing is done at the bottom, at a depth of 120 m.

The crabs cannot be found using radar; their migration takes different routes every year. Therefore, when catching crabs, the captain can only rely on his own intuition and experience. When entering the fishing area, crabs are caught until the vessel is completely full. Typically this can take three days. If fishing is poor, it can last for eight or nine days.

In fact, there are few ways to catch crabs. One of them is when the trap is installed on a dump pan. Bait is hung inside it, the trap is closed and thrown into the sea. A cable with a buoy is attached to the trap. The cages are displayed on an area of ​​up to 100 square meters. kilometers in the so-called order, from several tens.
Another method of catching crabs is radio fishing. Several ships form an alliance and disperse to different points, setting up orders of traps. Then the captains transmit to each other by radio the necessary data on crab exploration, using code words, without naming the names of the vessels and coordinates.

After some time, the crab catchers raise their traps. To do this, team members cast a grappling anchor with a cable attached to it in the direction of a buoy floating on the surface of the sea. A free-floating trap is attached to the buoy. Having hooked the cable with an anchor, the buoy is pulled to the lifting device. A cable is placed on the drum, which, when wound, lifts the trap. Then the trap is lowered onto a tray, where the catch is collected.

Fishermen are only allowed to catch adult male crabs. Young crabs and females should be released back into the sea. Adult male crabs rarely live near females, even if their habitats coincide.


If a crab dies in a ship's storage facility, the toxins released from its body after death can poison other crabs. One dead crab can cause the loss of your entire catch. The causes of death of crabs can be fresh, warm or polluted water. At the same time, being in stagnant water, the crab dies faster than if it remained on the surface without water at all.


From the holds of the vessel, crabs are unloaded onto fishing mother ships or to fisheries receiving crabs on the shore. The hatches open and cages are lowered into the holds. Between such a cage and the crane hook there are scales. The cage is filled manually and weighed as it is lifted. The count is carried out by both the ship's crew and the plant workers. The king crab then enters the production line. The spiky giants are spread out on the tape, their limbs secured with metal clamps. The tape goes to the knives. The crab's life ends here.

During the fishing season at sea, fishermen experience sub-zero temperatures, winds reaching 100 km/h, and storms with waves as high as a 4-story building. At the same time, they manage to sleep only three to four hours a day.

In addition to the terrible weather, thousands of liters of water fall on the ship every minute, which instantly freezes as soon as it touches the side. To prevent the ship from capsizing, sailors have to stop fishing and carefully clear the ice from the deck. In such conditions, sailors often suffer from hypothermia, which is accompanied by chills, poor coordination, slurred speech and decreased attention.

By the way, the high prices for crab limbs in the world are not due to their exotic nature, but to the too labor-intensive fishing process.

There's a reality show on the Discovery Channel.

Crabs are caught in the southern and northern seas. Depending on the type they are small and large. Kamchatka crab is considered the largest and most delicious crustacean.

They also catch crabs on the Black Sea coast. Of course, they are smaller than their northern counterparts, but they are also tasty.

The easiest way

Before choosing one of the methods of catching crabs, you should consider that some are listed in the Red Book. Therefore, some species are caught in a certain season, while fishing for others is completely prohibited. Before you catch a crab, you should know where they live. You should not catch for fun, remember, many species are becoming extinct.

Several ways to catch crabs:

• Crabs like to hide under rocks away from crowded places. Grab your fins and mask and go fishing. Before diving, you must wear gloves; crustaceans have sharp claws and can easily injure the enemy. You should catch it in a net; a plastic bag can be easily bitten through.
• This method is more suitable for those who like to fish from the shore or boat.. A trap is prepared from a mesh and an iron rim. The mesh is attached to the round rim so that it hangs down. Bait (fish, snail, chicken meat) is tied into the trap and lowered into the pond. After a while, the crab catcher is lifted and the animal ends up in the net. This is how crayfish are caught.
• Method of catching crab on the shore, you need a place with a rocky bottom; they crawl ashore in the morning or evening. You have to appear at the right time, in the right place.
• Fishing with a stick– take a branch with a forked end in the form of a slingshot, lower it into the water in front of the crab’s claws. The animal thinks that it is being attacked and grabs the stick with its claws, at which point it is pulled ashore.
• Sometimes vacationers walking along the Black Sea beach, notice crabs in shallow water. At this moment they are caught, you need to lower your hand and take it from the side of the tail. In this position, the crustacean will not be able to injure.

Catching crabs using a pot

Crabs are caught in different ways, such as using a pot. You can buy it or make it yourself. The main condition is lightness and maneuverability. It’s not worth buying professional pots that weigh a lot; they are intended either for sport fishing or for commercial activities.

The pot is a box with wire sides and an entrance hole.

The bait is taken and attached so that the crab can approach it, but cannot feast on it. Once the crab is in the pot, quickly pull it out, using thick rubber gloves to pull the animal out of the trap. The trap should be left overnight; crabs are nocturnal creatures.

The trap should be marked so that it can be found in the morning without being confused with someone else's.

To catch crabs well, you need to choose the right bait. You need to conduct an experiment by planting various baits in the pot. Crabs love chicken necks, frozen fish, eel, various shellfish and just raw meat. They rarely refuse food, but sometimes it happens.

It is better to use bait that the animal often encounters in life.

When the crabs are caught, they should be placed in a container with ice. They are eaten within 24 hours, then they die. Eating dead animals is dangerous.

Catching crabs using trot

Trot fishing can take time, but the catch is always good. You will need skill and the necessary tools.

You will need:

• net
• buoys 2-5 pcs;
• bait;
• thick gloves;
• boat;
• hooks;
• anchor;
• rope;
• fishing line
• ice box.

First of all, you will need a boat; installing a rope from the shore will not work. They are installed at a shallow depth, you need to take two buoys and connect them with a fishing line, its length is 1 m. Then, another line with an anchor is attached to one of the buoys. Hooks with bait are attached to the fishing line.

Crabs are active in the morning or late evening and should be collected during this period. Take a net and carefully remove them from the bait, using gloves. Install several trots using different types of attachments.

After the crabs are caught, they are placed in a box of ice, which must be taken to the boat. In this state, crustaceans live for 24 hours, then die. Therefore, you should prepare them in time to avoid poisoning.

Using the Line Throwing Method

Casting a line is actually more difficult than it may seem. It is better to take a friend with you who will help guide the boat. When the boat is sailing forward, at this time you should lower the buoy with an anchor into the water, and carefully lower the lines. It is necessary to ensure that the lines do not get mixed up and do not touch neighboring trots.

When the lines are immersed in the water, you need to lower the second buoy with an anchor. Fishing at sea should be done in warm, windless weather. When the waves are big, you won’t be able to cast a trot.

To sink lines comfortably, you need to catch a good current. The boat should float towards the current, this makes it easier to cast lines. It is difficult to use only a boat; the current pushes the buoy away, making it possible to correctly install the reel.

When time passes, they begin collecting crabs. You need to act quickly; the crabs eat the bait and leave the hook. Try to collect against the sun so that the shadow does not reflect on the line; the crab may notice the danger and swim away.

To quickly collect crustaceans, you need to have a friend. One holds the line, and the other collects it with a net. After collecting the crabs, you should cast the line again.

Crab fishing on the beach

Several species of arthropods, such as the sand crab, are found on the sea beach. They live on the border between land and water, and are a favorite pastime for children and adults.

To catch you need:

• come to the edge seashore;
• define the coastal boundary;
• face the sea and start digging a hole (if for some reason you get scared and don’t want to catch it, the crab will swim away to the sea without any obstacles);
• you need to dig a hole with your hands 30 cm deep.

When dug, it will begin to fill with water, favorable conditions for the crab. He, not suspecting anything, crawls out of the hole, at that moment he is caught.

The sand crab has the color of sand or small multi-colored pebbles that are found near the seashore. Therefore, it is difficult to notice in sea waters. Sometimes they leave peculiar traces on the sand that are easy to identify.

When you notice a crab, hurry up to pull it out, it is a wild animal and does not like unnecessary attention. Having admired enough, release it into the sea.

How to get a crab from the depths?

To catch a large crab at depth, you need to buy a mask with fins and a snorkel. Practice swimming underwater, it's not as easy as it may seem.

After a short workout, you need to swim away from the shore of the beach and dive into the water. By making sharp movements with your fins, you can sink to significant depths. The deeper the sea, the larger the individuals.

Don't forget to take rubber, thick gloves and a crab net. Mittens will protect your hands from crustacean bites, and the net will preserve the catch. You should not take a plastic bag instead, the crabs will easily get out of it by making a hole in it.

To successfully hunt crabs, you need to choose quiet, rocky places, without vacationers and loud beaches. There they like to hide from enemies. If you are afraid to handle a large crab with your hands, take a slingshot stick. With its help, it is easy to lure the crab out of its hiding place; when it clings to a branch with its claws, it must be quickly placed in the net.

How to catch more fish?

1. . Attracts fish in cold and warm water with the help of pheromones included in the composition and stimulates its appetite. It’s a pity that Rosprirodnadzor wants to impose a ban on its sale.
2. More sensitive gear. Reviews and instructions for other types of gear can be found on the pages of my website.
3. Lures using pheromones.

Catching crabs on a crab trap

Crab fishing is somewhat similar to crayfish fishing. Take a round metal rim, attach a net and bait. The crab catcher sinks to the bottom of the reservoir for 20-30 minutes., and abruptly pulls out. If you pull out slowly, the crabs will escape.

Not only crabs live in the sea, but also other animals that love raw meat like crabs, then they also swim to the bait. Therefore, when hunting in the sea, attach a larger piece of bait so that the crabs also get it.

Experienced crabbers use a trick; they catch crabs from a boat, throwing a crab trap, and then apply a glass surface to the water and look at the crab trap.

When a crab is trapped, it is pulled out.

It is convenient to look under the water through the glass before the water gets to the surface, to prevent this from happening, take a small old aquarium with high sides. Then all fishing takes place under strict control, and you won’t have to be upset when there is no longer any bait or crabs in the crab trap.

Catching crabs by hand

Catching crabs with your hands is an interesting idea, but not safe. To fish, you need to know the habitat. In the summer season, they hide at shallow depths under stones, crawling out to the shore from time to time. To find out the habitat, you should ask local residents.

When a school of crustaceans or individual specimens are noticed, they are caught. It's better to do this during calm weather when there is no wave on the Black Sea coast. You need to fish near the shore, lifting small stones. You should take it from the tail side, otherwise it will pinch.

To catch, you need skill and determination. While you are thinking about which side to take it from, it will float away. When crabs end up on a sandy beach, it is easier to catch them by blocking their path to the water. You should fish in the early morning or late evening, when there is no wave on the sea, otherwise visibility is poor.

Crabs are excellent swimmers and run fast, and the waves help them speed up. You won't be able to catch it in big waves.

Types of crabs

Crab meat is one of the most valuable seafood for humans. However, we know little about its prey and the life of this animal. There are several types of crabs, some of them are listed in the Red Book, while others are not. The crab belongs to the crustacean family and has ten legs. Some of them are large, while others are small and unsuitable for consumption.

Types of crabs:

• Kamchatskycrab lives along the entire coast of the Far East, as well as off the coast of Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands. The length of the legs reaches 150 cm. They are red-brown in color. It is a favorite delicacy among local residents.
• Japanesespider crab is the largest species among other crustaceans. Its body length is 45 cm, and the length of its legs reaches up to 3 m. It is caught as a commercial activity or for decorating aquariums.
• Alluringcrab most often it has one large claw and a second small one. With its large claw, it scares away rivals and lures the female. There is no commercial mining.
• Snow crab This species has thin claws, hence the name. They are native to the Sea of ​​Japan and are fished commercially.
• Vampire crabs acquired this name for their unusual appearance. They have a purple shell with yellow eyes. It is not involved in commercial production; it is sometimes used as decoration for marine aquariums. It lives off the coast of India, Hawaii and Southeast Asia.
• Bigland crab lives on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean. It is fished commercially for its tasty and tender meat.
  By knowing the types of crabs, you can easily identify any species. You should not eat unfamiliar animals.

Stone crab

Several types of crabs live in the waters of the Black Sea, the most common being the Stone and Grass crabs. The stone crab lives underwater, hiding under rocks. It is often found on the rocky beaches of the Black Sea coast. The shell size reaches up to 10 cm, but sometimes larger individuals are found than usual.

They live at depths from 5 to 30 meters. Therefore, they should be caught with a mask and tube or with a crab hook from a boat. Several decades ago, the crab was considered a commercial species, but today its population has noticeably decreased.

Herbal crab

It lives on the sandy beaches of the Black Sea, hiding in algae or dense thickets. Runs sideways at high speed 1 m/s. Therefore, it is difficult to catch him. To do this, you need to block his path, and then lure him out of cover so that he runs towards the obstacle.

After some manipulations he is caught. The grass crab is cowardly, so it often runs away from its opponent. In the sea, various mollusks are often attached to it, which help it better camouflage on the seabed.

Where do they catch crabs?

Crabs are found in all seas and oceans, so there is a wide choice of fishing locations. They live both in shallow waters and in the depths of the seas. Small individuals often come out of the water to bask in the sun, but when they see danger they immediately hide under the stones.

At the depths of sea waters, they also hide in shelter. These can be stones, large shells and various debris that are suitable for a house. Wrecks are an excellent refuge not only for crabs, but also for small fish.

To fish at depth, fishermen use crab traps and trots. They are left overnight and the catch is collected early in the morning.

Is it possible to catch crabs?

You can catch crabs, but in certain places and at certain times. For example, catching Kamchatka crab is considered poaching, but catching a small crab on the Black Sea coast is possible.

Therefore, before fishing, you should ask where and when you can do this. Sometimes there are other restrictions, for example, you can catch only a few specimens with your hands, or buy a license to catch them.

Adviсe:

• Not all crabs bite, for example, sandy is absolutely harmless.
• Seeing a crab, hurry up to catch it, as they run quickly, moving sideways.
• Take a bucket with you to temporarily place the animal there.
• Beware of hungry seagulls, they can steal the crab from your bucket.
• If you fail to catch a sand crab on your first try, you need to dig another hole, or go knee-deep into the sea. Small animals often show interest in vacationers by stepping on their feet.
• When catching large specimens, use gloves and a net.
• For long term storage you need to have an ice chest.
• Do not forget that the shelf life of crab is 24 hours.

How long has it been since you had a really BIG CATCH?

When was the last time you caught dozens of HUGE pike/carp/bream?

We always want to get results from fishing - to catch not three perch, but ten kilogram pikes - what a catch! Each of us dreams of this, but not everyone can do it.

A good catch can be achieved (and we know this) thanks to good bait.

It can be prepared at home or bought in fishing stores. But stores are expensive, and to prepare bait at home, you need to spend a lot of time, and, to be fair, homemade bait does not always work well.

You know that disappointment when you buy bait or prepare it at home and only catch three or four bass?

So maybe it’s time to use a truly working product, the effectiveness of which has been proven both scientifically and in practice on the rivers and ponds of Russia?

It gives the same result that we cannot achieve on our own, especially since it is cheap, which distinguishes it from other means and there is no need to spend time on production - you order it, it’s delivered and you’re good to go!

Of course, it is better to try once than to hear a thousand times. Moreover, now is the season! This is a great bonus when ordering!

Find out more about the bait!

Crabs are higher crustaceans and belong to the class of arthropods. They can be found in many parts of our planet. Like all crustaceans, they have five pairs of legs, the first pair transformed into powerful claws. Most arthropods live in shallow marine areas.

Arthropod meat is widely used in cooking. It has an exquisite taste and beneficial properties. Every year a huge number of people go crab fishing. One of the places where you can catch arthropods is the Black Sea coast.

Arthropods of the Black Sea photos and names

A large number of arthropods live off the coast. Most of them can be found everywhere, some are listed in the Red Book.
The following types of Black Sea crabs are common:

• Marble.
• Violet (lilac).
• Stone.
• Hairy.
• Herbal.
• Sand swimmer.
• Arkovy.
• Six-toothed.
• Brown.
• Dutch.
• Blue swimmer.
• Leggy.
• Phalanx crab.

Most of them can only be interesting as fauna objects. They are too small or live at depth, and catching them will be problematic. Only grass and stone crabs are of interest.

Black Sea herbal crab

It lives underwater, where algae grows next to the sandy bottom. Very rarely found at depth. The shell of arthropods is green. It can reach 8 cm in width and 6.7 cm in length. The grass crab is fast and cowardly, therefore, when running away from its pursuer, it can reach speeds of up to 1 m/s.

But it gets used to it after a couple of minutes spent in human hands. It eats small fish and shellfish, and is not averse to eating small dead inhabitants of the sea. Many larger marine inhabitants willingly eat this arthropod themselves.

Black Sea stone crab

This Black Sea crab is the largest species in the area. The shell reaches 10 cm in width. It can live among rocks or small stones at a depth of up to 30 meters. It has powerful claws, thanks to which it easily splits the shells of snails and mollusks - its main prey.

For the fisherman, the main danger is the claws. If a crab grabs your hand, you will have to tear off the claw to loosen it. The meat has an exquisite taste, which contributes to the increased attention of fishermen.

How to catch a crab in the Black Sea

Catching crabs is not difficult. It is important to know the habitats of species, some features and a couple of nuances.
There are several types: Catching arthropods by diving into the depths.

This is the most common method. For it you need to buy fins and a mask, and learn how to use them, since diving with them is not very easy, but you can dive to quite a great depth. Crabs need to be caught away from numerous recreation areas and beaches. Most often they hide under stones, and grass ones next to algae.

It is better to fish with gloves and place it in a cage. The advantage of this method is that the crabs are constantly in front of you, they cannot run away from you into the water. Sometimes they hide in a hole in the rock, and you can get them out of there.

To do this, we tie a thin wire to a stick and attach bait to it - a small piece of fish. Then you need to slip the bait to the crab, wait until he grabs it with his claws and pulls it out.

Catching crabs on a crab trap

This method is very similar to catching crayfish. A mesh with slack is stretched over a metal rim - this is what the gear looks like. Food is placed in the center as bait. Then the device is lowered to depth. After half an hour, the tackle rises to land and if many arthropods have settled in this place, then the catch will be good.

Catching crabs by hand

To catch it with your hands you need to probe the seabed. Late spring - early summer is the best time for fishing. During this period, they like to gather in flocks near the coast and climb onto the shore.

It is better to fish early in the morning or late in the evening when the sea is calm, otherwise it will be difficult to catch them. The disadvantage of this method is that it cannot always be used. You need to know the places where crabs live. Local residents can tell you about this.

Fishing with trot

This method requires special equipment. Needed:

1. Boat.
2. Fishing cage.
3. Several buoys.
4. Gloves.
5. Bait.
6. Ice box for mining hooks.
7. Fishing line, rope.

Using a fishing line about a meter long, we connect two buoys together, attach an anchor to one of them, and attach hooks to the fishing line. It is better to place this structure in water in the morning, since at this time they are most active. You need to take the catch before noon, then the catch is sleepy and it doesn’t fall off. The trot is installed in those places where the bottom drops parallel to the shore.

Easy way

For this option you will need a plastic bottle. You need to cut off its neck about 25 centimeters. Then we use it to catch arthropods. Having lifted the stone, you need to catch the crab running away from under it.

If the crab is small, it will fit completely inside. You need to squeeze the eggplant from below, thereby cutting it off from freedom. If the arthropod is large, then it will be pressed to the bottom by the eggplant, and the claws will remain outside; you just need to carefully pick it up.

In order for crab fishing in the Black Sea to produce results, it is important to know how to catch it correctly. In defense, the arthropods of the Black Sea sit back and raise their claws upward - they take a defensive stance, which complicates the fishing process.

With one hand you need to distract attention, and with the other you need to press it to the bottom. You need to hold it so that four fingers hold it by the muzzle, and with your thumb press it from below. So the Black Sea crab will not be able to do anything.

When is the season crab fishing In what's being called the 21st century gold rush, the Bering Sea pits intrepid fishermen against bad weather, rough seas and dangerous conditions. The season is short and lasts only less than a week, and the competition is very high. Each year the Bering Sea claims the lives of an average of twelve fishermen, and crabbing is the most dangerous of all fishing methods, and perhaps the most dangerous of all dangerous professions in the world.

Why do people fish for crabs? And everything is simpler than ever - this is a profitable business. King crab, king crab, Far Eastern crab, snow crab, opilio, and snow crab are considered quite exquisite delicacies all over the world.

Alaska is the farthest border in North America. Most of those who come here for the short season crab fishing, they know in advance which crab catcher they will work on. The rest are looking for work locally. There is fierce competition among the few vacancies for deckhands, so you need to be quick so as not to be left behind. The crew of a crab fishing boat has its own approach to newcomers - they are called cabin boys. Many of them have no idea what they are getting into.

Crab fishing requires enormous physical endurance, which is why it is considered a job for young people. Some people come to Alaska for adventure - a kind of sea romance; others want to prove to themselves that they can overcome all the difficulties and cope with difficult working conditions. Many young men may have a passion for success, but crab fishing in the Bering Sea it will take more than a lot of desire.

By the way, for many Alaskans, crab fishing is a family business, where experience is passed on from generation to generation.

The crab fishing season officially opens; its period is not always the same and may be limited by catch quotas. So in 2005, government quotas amounted to 7,000 tons, and 25 years ago the quota was 45 thousand tons. In 2004, the crabbing season lasted only four days.

The key to maximizing profits is preparation, so before going to sea, traps and stacks are secured, equipment and devices are checked, and the captain carefully studies the upcoming weather conditions. In the Bering Sea, mistakes and miscalculations can have dire consequences.

When they leave the port, they feel like they are part of the history of this region. Fishing has been taking place in the waters surrounding Alaska for several centuries. The first people here were natives in sealskin canoes, but modern crabbing came in the early 19th century. Modern Alaskan villages have now become the main ports for the supply and processing of seafood, as well as the transportation of crabs to various countries around the world. But this status comes at a high price. Dozens of crosses look out over the water of the bays - a grim reminder of those who did not return. The Bering Sea is unpredictable and merciless. Storms here occur every 3-5 days. Severe storms arrive without warning, bringing hurricane-force winds, strong waves and deadly ice, so it's no wonder many crabbers are superstitious.

crab fishing boats

world's largest crab fishing boat

Small crab fishing vessels, with an average length of 35 m, face a long sea journey to the crab fishing areas. Some travel 650 km across the Bering Sea in search of crabs. Each crabber captain has his own strategy. No one knows how long the season will last, and during this time we must do the impossible - find crabs and ensure a decent catch. And all this under the most severe conditions. Working in Arctic waters dangerous, but on crab fishing vessels it is perhaps the most dangerous of them, since there are no safe places on deck.

crab fishing methods

Upon reaching the fishing area, ship captains complete the calculations of their strategies for crab fishing, the deckhands are ready to start setting crab pots, the cabin boy is crushing the bait, filling the trap bags with it. Every member of the team is looking forward to catching crabs.

When the National Department of Game and Fisheries signals the beginning of the crabbing season, the first thing crabbers do is dump crab pots with bait inside into the sea. On small crab fishing vessels the number of traps does not exceed 40 pieces, but on some crab catchers their number reaches up to 250.

In fact ways to catch crabs A little. One of them is when the trap is installed on a dump pan. Bait is hung inside it, the trap is closed and thrown into the sea. A cable with a buoy is attached to the trap. The cages are displayed on an area of ​​up to 100 square meters. kilometers in the so-called order, from several tens.

One more crab fishing method is radio fishing. Several ships form an alliance and disperse to different points, setting up orders of traps. Then the captains transmit to each other by radio the necessary data on crab exploration, using code words, without naming the names of the vessels and coordinates.

After some time, the crab catchers raise their traps, but first they must be caught. To do this, team members cast a grappling anchor with a cable attached to it in the direction of a buoy floating on the surface of the sea. A free-floating trap is attached to the buoy. Having hooked the cable with an anchor, the buoy is pulled to the lifting device. A cable is placed on the drum, which, when wound, lifts the trap. Then the trap is lowered onto a tray, where the catch is collected.

An important point when catching crabs is sorting. The law requires females and small crabs to return to the sea to reproduce. A male crab differs from a female crab by the presence of a plate on the inside of the shell where the eggs are located. A male for legal crab fishing must be at least 17 cm across the carapace. Sorting of crabs is carried out on a two-hundred-kilogram table, which can be moved to the side using a hydraulic device.

Crab fishing off the coast of Alaska

lowering a crab trap using a crane

lifting device

raising the trap

The crabs are shipped by several representatives of the crab processor, loading them into a basket that can hold about 1 ton of crabs. They manually fill these baskets one by one and send them on board to the recycler.

When catching 35 tons of crabs, each deck sailor will receive 16 thousand US dollars.

The crabs that people risked their lives for are being processed and ending up on dinner tables around the world. But few of those who enjoy the taste of Kamchatka crab will know about the severe struggle that several brave people enter into to bring them this delicacy.

more about crabs

king crab or red crab costs 11 US dollars per 1 kg. The quota is 7,000 tons, meaning the entire catch will be worth $70 million. Opilio crabs and snow crabs go at a price of 4 dollars per 1 kg, at stake is a catch of 36 million dollars with a quota of 9000 tons.