Reply With QuoteYes mate its very common to find sand crabs in a snappers stomach.
We regularly examine snapper stomach contents and find peices of sand crab along with other crustations.
Try a sandies leg next time your out doing a mud night trip.
Cheers Brent
Well the answer is obviously yes since when I gutted the big snapper that I caught at Mud on Wednesday night I found a longish crab leg in its stomach.
The question is though, is this uncommon or do they regularly like a feed of crabs?
I know that Tuskies and cobia do but was not sure about snapper.
Yes mate its very common to find sand crabs in a snappers stomach.
We regularly examine snapper stomach contents and find peices of sand crab along with other crustations.
Try a sandies leg next time your out doing a mud night trip.
Cheers Brent
Thanks Aquarius.
Very interesting.
Charlie, I find 'em a top bait for every fish imaginable.
Try and find 'em just prior to a moult (peeler) or just after (softback). They are at therirmost vulnerable then and are a killer bait. The softies are easily recognisable by their soft shells, the peelers you can recognise by snapping off the end joint of a back leg and slowly drawing it away. If it is meaty as opposed to white and watery, you have yourself a peeler. You can then peel the legs and thread 'em on the hook as you would a worm. Lift the carapace and the meaty body is exposed.. fish this on a bigger hook.
I've had some huge shovellies and noahs on whole sandies and lost some bloody big speedsters (I think cobes) at the 4 beacons also.
kev
Originally Posted by kingtin
Thanks Kev. #I have heard Webby's lectures at the boat shows where he talks of gluing a big hook to sandies with Loctite to catch Tuskies. #
Hmmm. Gotta try that...
Just found a(nother) good reason to do some crabbing.
charleville, i have proven on many occasions that crabs out fish any other baits when fishing for snapper.Try use 1/2 a sandie on a 7/0 and hang on cause these fish go hard.Every snapper i have caught i cut open their guts to find crushed up crabs in every fish, so i figure that must be sayin something.I also found that the crab seems to attract the bigger fish rather than small pickers, the smallest snapper i've caught on crab is 6.9kg ranging up to my biggest of 10.8kg all from the bay.Next time your out give it a go cause you might be surprised!
cheers Adrian
Thanks ondajob - now you have got me excited!!!!!!!! #
(PS great name "ondajob"
Thanks Kev. I have heard Webby's lectures at the boat shows where he talks of gluing a big hook to sandies with Loctite to catch Tuskies.
Hmmm. Gotta try that...
Just found a(nother) good reason to do some crabbing.
[/quote]
Never found a need to glue 'em Charlie. I just hook 'em through the purse with a 10/0 gamakatsu octopus for a whole sandie. If there's a strong tide run, the pull on such a big bait can enlarge the hole where the hook penetrates so I play safe by tying the bait on with a few wraps of elasticated cotton ......quick and easy and doesn't even need knotting. Scale hook size down for half or smaller crab.
A bit of trivia..any pros fishing a big money comp in the UK during the moulting months (roughly June to August inc, weather/water temp depending) will stake their livelihood on peeler or softy being the winning bait .....sometimes the fish (bottom feeders) become preoccupied with it and will take nothing else.
These months were my most lucrative when I was a pro bait digger/collector and you could practically name your price for peelers just before a comp. You'd collect 'em well before, as everyone would be looking just before a comp, and keep them in the fridge on seaweed to slow the moult down.
I see no reason why they shouldn't be just as much a killer bait here and if you know where to find "shore" crabs, I think the supply would be more bountiful than the UK 'cause the climate lends itself to several moults a season here as opposed to just one in the UK. Hermit crabs are also a killer bait when they leave their shell to look for a bigger one.
The pic is of the River Ribble at sunset about an hour before low. It runs out to sea across quicksands and mudflats. As the tide drops into the river the rock walls are exposed and this is where I collected the crabs whilst the deckie fished for flounders and eels. It was known to very few other than pro collectors because of the 2 mile walk across the flats (you can just see the shoreline in the pic) and the speed that the tide came in. Once those rocks went under on the flood, you had to leg it out of there as the tide, in places, came in as fast as you could run.
As I say, just a bit of trivia with an element of nostalgia for my benefit
kev
Crabs are brilliant bait.
Whenever I'm spinning up tailor on the rocks I always make a point of finding a couple of rock crabs and chucking them out.
ghost crabs from the beach work well. I have also used soldier crabs and caught squire on them at the Bulwar drop off
planning the next onslaught 6.5m Profish
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
very interesting thread guys so much to be learnt from you fellas
thanks dan
I would love to see a few pics of how the crabs are rigged up if anyone has any to share?
Az
Please excuse my Ex-Victorian ignorance, but when "Sand Crabs" are mentioned - are we talking about blue swimmers? #[smiley=dizzy.gif] (Known by both names in Vic)
To my mind, a whole Blue swimmer would be an awfully big bait for a snapper. #
Yes.
Ondajob suggested in this thread the a half crab is used.
The blokes at a shop I go to in cork charge 1 euro each for those peelers they order 200 each week and they last 2 to 3 days before they are sold out . I buy a couple every now and then try for a bass but no luck yetA bit of trivia..any pros fishing a big money comp in the UK during the moulting months (roughly June to August inc, weather/water temp depending) will stake their livelihood on peeler or softy being the winning bait .....sometimes the fish (bottom feeders) become preoccupied with it and will take nothing else
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