How to Keep Crabs From Eating Bait While Saltwater Fishing

Crab 2 image by Elsa Goussard from Fotolia.com

It never fails. At some point while fishing, especially surf or pier fishing, you will loose your bait to a crab. This is ok once in a while, but if it happens often, it can be annoying. But don't get discouraged. There are ways to keep your bait out of the claws of a crab. These simple techniques will allow you to fish longer with your bait and give you a better chance of actually catching some fish.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

FishBites or other hard to remove bait
Depth finder

Step 1

Move the fishing line so that it doesn't stay in one place. This will make the bait seem like a real fish, and keep crabs from wanting to get too close. They are less likely to snap at something that is real lively, moving quickly or moving away from it.

Step 2

Keep the bait off the very bottom if possible. Crabs are on the ocean floor and typically eat off the bottom. If it is out of reach, then it is safe. If you have a problem figuring out where the bottom is, use a depth finder to help gauge the floor.

Step 3

Use natural or artificial bait that is hard to remove from hooks such as squid, Berkley Gulp Alive or Fishbites. If it is hard to take off, then the bait should last longer and the crab will move on to something else.

Article Written By Tara Dooley

Tara Dooley has written for various websites since 2008. She has worked as an accountant, after-school director and retail manager in various locations. Dooley holds a Bachelor of Science in business management and finance.

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