1st time recreational Stone crab fishing question

deweychop

I know murky water helps for getting stone crab, but with a pending tropical storm coming our way, should I pull my traps out of the gulf?

CaptJ

Duh?

Cap'n Mark

Be prepared to lose them if the surf gets too big and you don't have the boat to get out and retrieve them before they get washed.  Make sure they are weighted properly first of all and then time your drop, soak and pick up.  Losing traps is part of stone crabbing, cut buoys, theft and storms will eventually get you, just remember when it comes to weather a $50 trap is not worth your life or the life of a loved one.  Good luck and good eats....

deweychop

Cap'n Mark said:

Be prepared to lose them if the surf gets too big and you don't have the boat to get out and retrieve them before they get washed.  Make sure they are weighted properly first of all and then time your drop, soak and pick up.  Losing traps is part of stone crabbing, cut buoys, theft and storms will eventually get you, just remember when it comes to weather a $50 trap is not worth your life or the life of a loved one.  Good luck and good eats....

Thank you. Weather and seas look somewhat favorable this morning so we're heading out to retrieve the traps

Cap'n Mark

Hopefully they had some crabs in them.....

deweychop

Cap'n Mark said:

Hopefully they had some crabs in them.....

I did ok. 5 keeper claws (2 of them jumbo). Enough for the wife and I to have an appetizer. All the traps were loaded just predominantly small. Still promising and fun. Thanks again for the input Cap'n Mark

Cap'n Mark

You are welcome, the young crabs are a good sign for the future and the storm could get the big boys moving.  You never know what your next set will bring.