Thankfully, blue crabs top out in the 6- to 8-inch range and rarely exceed a pound or so in weight. If they got any bigger, you could forget going near the water during the summertime, because there is no meaner animal that lives in saltwater.
Few animals taste better, either, so it stands to reason that blue crabs make appetizing baits for plenty of saltwater species such as redfish, black drum, cobia and even tarpon.
Soft-shell crabs are a bait unto themselves, but they are difficult to come by and hard to keep on a hook. Adult blue crabs molt every 20 to 50 days with only a 2- to 3-day window in their vulnerable state.
One way to enhance the appeal of blue crabs as bait is to chunk them, to cut and partially clean them to produce scent, while still saving enough bait to stay on a hook and attract fish. These steps will walk you through the process.
• Using a heavy bladed knife and cutting board or adequate backstop, place the blade on top of the crab and divide the shell in half, creating equal portions.
• Remove the shell from the half to go on the hook. Some anglers prefer to remove the shell before cutting the bait, but the bait will keep longer with the shell on and is generally easier to remove when cut.
• Cut the claw off just past the pivot point of the pincer. This exposes additional meat to generate more scent.
• Insert the hook into the body cavity and exit through the leg joint. Make sure to expose the barb so the bait won’t back off the hook in current.
Smaller baits can be created by cutting the crab chunk in half, effectively quartering the crab. Removing the legs from the quartered bait can be done to reduce the size of the bait. A quartered crab with the legs removed makes an excellent bait for many types of saltwater fish.
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