Crab lining (or crabbing) is a

handlining Handline fishing, or handlining, is a fishing technique where a single fishing line is held in the hands, rather than with a fishing rod like the usual angling, of which handlining is a subtype. Handlining is not to be confused with handfishing, ...

technique used to catch crabs. A piece of bait, normally the neck or leg of a chicken, is tied to one end with a weight in order to keep it from floating. The line is then cast by hand to an area approximately five to ten feet from where it is being cast. This is to ensure easy retrieval of the line and to avoid unnecessary time spent fighting currents, rocks, and other obstacles in the water. Once a crab takes the bait, the line will tighten. It is important to not tug at the line once a pull is noticed. The line must be slowly retrieved, inch-by-inch, until the crab is visible in the water. Upon visibility, a

hand net A hand net, also called a scoop net, is a handheld fishing net or meshed basket used to capture and retrieve objects from water, somewhat in the manner of a sieve. It is distinguished from other fishing nets in that the net or mesh is supported ...

may be used to capture the crab. This technique is widely used by travelers, children, and recreational fishermen to catch

crab Crabs are decapod crustaceans of the infraorder Brachyura (meaning "short tailed" in Greek language, Greek), which typically have a very short projecting tail-like abdomen#Arthropoda, abdomen, usually hidden entirely under the Thorax (arthropo ...

s in

bay A bay is a recessed, coastal body of water that directly connects to a larger main body of water, such as an ocean, a lake, or another bay. A large bay is usually called a ''gulf'', ''sea'', ''sound'', or ''bight''. A ''cove'' is a small, ci ...

jetties A jetty is a man-made structure that protrudes from land out into water. A jetty may serve as a breakwater, as a walkway, or both; or, in pairs, as a means of constricting a channel. The term derives from the French word ', "thrown", signif ...

, and

pier A pier is a raised structure that rises above a body of water and usually juts out from its shore, typically supported by piling, piles or column, pillars, and provides above-water access to offshore areas. Frequent pier uses include fishing, b ...

s throughout the world. The most commonly caught species of crabs through this technique is blue crabs.

Equipment

Crabbing may be done with a or heavier monofilament fishing line, a

braided fishing line Braided line was one of the earliest types of fishing line, and in its modern incarnations it is still very popular in some situations because of its high knot strength, lack of stretch, and great overall power in relation to its diameter. Back ...

or a length of

twine Twine is a strong Thread (yarn), thread, light String (structure), string or cord composed of string in which two or more thinner strands are twisted, and then twisted together (Plying, plied). The strands are plied in the opposite direction to ...

. A 7 ft. or longer

may be used to catch the crab as it is lifted from the water. Common baits are chicken ( drumstick or chicken neck), fish (

mullet (fish) The mullets or grey mullets are a family (biology), family (Mugilidae) of ray-finned fish found worldwide in coastal temperate and tropical waters, and some species in fresh water. Mullets have served as an important source of food in Southern E ...

mackerel Mackerel is a common name applied to a number of different species of pelagic fish, mostly from the family Scombridae. They are found in both temperate and tropical seas, mostly living along the coast or offshore in the oceanic environment. ...

squid A squid (: squid) is a mollusc with an elongated soft body, large eyes, eight cephalopod limb, arms, and two tentacles in the orders Myopsida, Oegopsida, and Bathyteuthida (though many other molluscs within the broader Neocoleoidea are also ...

) or

bacon Bacon is a type of Curing (food preservation), salt-cured pork made from various cuts of meat, cuts, typically the pork belly, belly or less fatty parts of the back. It is eaten as a side dish (particularly in breakfasts), used as a central in ...

Regulations

Although there are restrictions for commercial fishermen, crabbing with hand lines for recreational purposes is open throughout the year in most states in the US. There are limits and seasons for catching female crabs, covered by individual state fishery guidelines.

References

{{Authority control Fishing techniques and methods Crabs and humans