Blue Claw Crab

Crabbing for blue claw crabs was a wonderful part of my growing up in New Jersey.  There were two ways we caught crabs.  The first was when my dad and I would wake up very early in the morning, pack the chicken necks he bought for bait, and a couple of sandwiches and sodas and drive an hour to the Jersey shore. We'd rent a little row boat and begin our hunt for crabs.  There we were with our bait, lines, a basket with seaweed in which to keep our catch, and high hopes. After a few hours and a couple of moves, we would usually have a few dozen to bring home.  My other crabbing experience was at the house, on the water, my aunt and uncle had in Silver Bay, New Jersey. They built a dock that extended maybe 25 feet into the bay with a powerful light at the end. Day and night there were crab lines out, clean newspaper on the table and a big pot on the stove waiting for the next catch. During the day, we caught the crabs with bait, at night, drawn to the light, we just netted them. All that has changed now. The crabs are fewer and much more difficult catch. The blue claw crab population has diminished considerably due to pollution, along with that went enjoying the sport of crabbing and enjoying their incredible flavor.