Florida rec blue crabing

[Robert]

A couple weeks ago I took the family camping on Shell Key. Getting ready I had stopped by Bass Pro and they had a fold up fish trap. It looked cool so I bought it. I tied it to the boat and left it over night. The next day it had blue crabs in it. My kids enjoyed catching crabs to rest of the weekend. They had so much fun we would like to go and do it again. I keep the FWC reg pdf in my phone. It says 10gal whole per day. 5 traps maximum. Trap requirements apply. See page 24. The pdf is only 2 pages long so I can't read page 24. I have gone to myfwc.com and found three different places that say three different things. I want to be legal but that is becoming difficult to know for sure. So here are a few question I have:

1 It says on the package fish trap which is what I was originally wanting to catch. If a crab walks in does that make it a crab trap and have to follow crab rules?

2 One place it says you can use the fold up traps then in another it says they have to be made out of wire and have 1 1/2 mesh. One place says must be less than 1cf and another says les than 8cf. Would something like this be legal in Florida? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Blb6gNB9NNQ

3 We are thinking of putting out 3-4 traps by walking out in 1-2 foot of water. Sticking a post in and tieing the traps to the post. One place said the traps need a 6in buoy and another said it does not need a buoy if tied to private property. Would the post I buy be considered my property?

Thanks or any information. I have a lifetime Salt Water license and would not want to do any thing to lose it. If the traps are not legal what would the fine be? I seen where traps are not suposse to be in any marked channel. Every time I go out I am dodging traps in the channel so are traps something they just don't bother much with?

[sparse grey]

Good questions. I'll be looking for someone's answers--I hope.

[HuntressJax]

This is another example of the liberal NOAA totally out of control or organized. Go crabbing and enjoy yourself. If you are ticketed take the information available to the judge and hope for conservative common sense.

[fish_stix]

I suggest you confirm the laws first. I got ticketed once while shrimp trapping because I was 35-40' away from my traps, even though my son was sitting right on top of them. Guy wrote me up for unattended traps because my name was on them and not my son's name. The judge laughed and threw it out, no fine, but it was still a PIA to go to court.

[Art Vandelay]

I suggest you confirm the laws first. I got ticketed once while shrimp trapping because I was 35-40' away from my traps, even though my son was sitting right on top of them. Guy wrote me up for unattended traps because my name was on them and not my son's name. The judge laughed and threw it out, no fine, but it was still a PIA to go to court.

Good to hear the judge had some common sense in the matter though.

Go crabbin'! the main thing is not to harvest more than you are permitted to and you should be fine.

[GreyRider]

Link to all saltwater fishery laws:
https://www.flrules.org/gateway/Division.asp?DivID=348

Link to Blue Crab Law:
https://www.flrules.org/gateway/Chap...Chapter=68B-45

Recreational traps for blue crabs (folding type)

This part of the blue crab regulations makes a reference to gear that is tied to a dock or used by hand. Subparagraphs 1. - 6. are for stand alone traps that need a buoy.

68B-45.004 (1) 7.
"7. Subparagraphs 1. through 6. shall not apply to any trap used to harvest blue crabs for other than commercial purposes, which trap has a volume of no more than 1 cubic foot and is fished from a vessel, a dock, or from shore.
(b) Dip or landing net.
(c) Drop net.
(d) Fold-up trap.
(e) Hook and line gear.
(f) Push scrape.
(g) Trotline


Fold up traps no more than one cubic foot in volume can be any size mesh.

Hope this helps

Grey Rider out

[Fear Knot]

This is another example of the liberal NOAA totally out of control or organized. Go crabbing and enjoy yourself. If you are ticketed take the information available to the judge and hope for conservative common sense.

there are some liberal judges that will do the same.....

[HuntressJax]

there are some liberal judges that will do the same.....

especially in your section of the state but what ever, cant live life inhibited by the bs going on with our regulations, try to follow the law and hope for the best.

[SHELLFISH]

I would not think that the stake or post would be considered private property. They meant something like a dock or boat.
You also have to affix your name to any trap you deploy. I would also attach a bouy with a "R" on it to any trap you move away from.

The fold up traps don't need the 1.5 inch wire mesh and they are not a trap until you pull them up to close the doors. Same as the hoop traps.
I think only the commercial style crab traps need to be made out of the 1.5 inch wire. In those style traps you also need the escape rings for small crabs.
Hope this helps and have fun!