Crab Bait

[XtremeNW]

Has anyone used mink carcasses for crab bait?

[Chinook SSSF]

how could that not work? lol....

[David Johnson]

I have not but I have heard they work good.

[Chinook SSSF]

so this is something that has come up before? lol.

[RollinontheRvr]

I have heard that they work really well to though. Along with chicken, liver and steak. Not that I would ever spend the money on steak to feed to the crabs. I am too stingy, I would cook it and eat myself...:cool:

[Osmosis]

I have used it and do not believe it is a good bait, nor do I suggest it for other people to use.
Sure it keeps the seals/sea lions away from your pots, but it also doesnt catch anything close to as many crab as using bass, squawfish, or shad.

[worm slayer]

We've been out crabing a lot and use all kinds of bait from salmon carcases to crappie and turkey legs, none of wich i think have been messed with by seals etc. but we also go realy early in the morning and are usualy off the water by 10 am. But we also crab netarts its smaller water and that may have something to do with it also.

http://i433.photobucket.com/albums/qq54/wormslayer1/fishing/IMG_0151.jpg

This was netarts wopper and we've got some bigger than that too

[Gabe]

Hello Gents,

I've been reading for a bit now. Just getting into fishing for salmon, so I don't really have that much to add, but Crabbing, I do know!

Mink....IMO works well, but it's not readily available so it's been discontinued as one of the baits I use. The bait I prefer is salmon, but the all around winner for cost, availability, and consistency is by far chicken. Make sure when you pick your chicken you get a juicy package. Or if you want to add a little extra spice and mix two baits, throw a turkey leg in with the chicken. Turkey legs are VERY cheap after Thanksgiving, seen it as low as .79 cents per pound.

As for when to fish, the tides are the controlling factor. Try to have the pots in the water about 2 hours before high tide. You'll catch crab just about any time, but will be most sucessful on the back end of the ebbing tide or at high slack. Look for all the other pots of course but here's a little trick, drop one or two pots on the channel edge of the 'pot pack' and you can be pleasantly surprised.

Just this past weekend I couldn't convince my brother-in-law to get us out on Yaquina Bay by 10am so we fished the flowing tide with chicken on a 2 hour soak and only came away with 6 Dungeness and 3 Red Rock for 8 pots and 2 rings (4 people).

Last bit of advise: WASH your hands before eating after handling the bait! A support on the trailer broke while loading the boat and I got stuck with baby sitting duty at the dock for 3.5 hours (4pm-7pm), was starving when they finally showed up after the repairs and ate the food they brought me right away.....this was last Saturday and now 6 days later, I'm finally getting over the salmonella. :eek:

[Chinook SSSF]

Thanks for the input :cool:

[worm slayer]

We use turkey legs a lot and any fish leftovers. One guy I've talked with used elk liver and heart they were eating it up. I think as long as you have a variety you cant go wrong.