Replies

• Salty Dawg44 Senior Member Homosassa, FLPosts: 1,391 Officer

  February 2020 #2

  Be sure that you don't get any juvenile Stone Crabs. They look similar to the Mud Crabs, and inhabit the same places.
  
  
  

  
  MY WORST FEAR......THAT WHEN I DIE MY WIFE WILL SELL ALL MY BOATS & FISHING GEAR FOR WHAT I TOLD HER I PAID FOR IT.......
  
  I may not always agree with what you say,
  but I will always respect your right to be wrong!

  1 · Share on TwitterShare on Facebook
• gotsnodooks New Smyrna Beach FlPosts: 129 Deckhand

  February 2020 #3

  Salty Dawg44 said:

  Be sure that you don't get any juvenile Stone Crabs. They look similar to the Mud Crabs, and inhabit the same places.
  
  
  

  Yeah...that has been mentioned and I've definitely checked as best I could when I gather them.  I have found some of the mud crabs with eggs and I make sure I put those back when I catch them.  I've checked the FWC site and just never saw anything about the mud crabs but I know someone on here would likely know.

  0 · Share on TwitterShare on Facebook
• Kokosing Lover Senior Member Posts: 1,180 Officer

  February 2020 #4

  FWC doesn't regulate mud crabs, eggs or not, though it's never a bad idea to put the gravid ones back.  The only issues you might have is making sure you don't get any juvenile stone crabs, which are fairly easily distinguishable to the practiced eye.  Juvenile stone crabs will be dark purple to almost black, have three very small white spots on their back and won't have any large teeth on the carapace.  The big problem you might run into is having a newbie trooper who can't tell the difference checking your bucket; they don't get the most intense training on the peripheral things like this.

  0 · Share on TwitterShare on Facebook
• tankered Gainesvill, FlPosts: 1,602 Captain

  February 2020 #5

  I highly recommend wearing gardening gloves and breaking the claws off before you put them in the bait bucket.
  

  0 · Share on TwitterShare on Facebook
• gotsnodooks New Smyrna Beach FlPosts: 129 Deckhand

  February 2020 #6

  tankered said:

  I highly recommend wearing gardening gloves and breaking the claws off before you put them in the bait bucket.
  

  Oh...I always wear gloves when going for them...I'm not sticking my hand down some small little hole after a crab and not knowing what else is down there half the time anyway.  lol
  
  

  0 · Share on TwitterShare on Facebook