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Welcome To Lowers Fishing Unlimited! |
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Blue Crabbing
Methods we use for Successful Crabbing.
1,000 to 3,000 feet of trot line laid together or separately. Baited
with an average of 300 chicken neck per 1,000 foot. We dip every crab by
net and pick up all lines with electric line winder.
All tackle, ice, bushel baskets and licenses provided. |
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Blue Crab Facts |
The Chesapeake Bay, shared by
Maryland and Virginia, is famous for its blue crabs, and they are one of
the most important economic items harvested from it. In 1993, the
combined harvest of the blue crabs was around 100 million. Over the
years the harvests of the blue crab dropped; in 2000, the combined
harvest was around 45 million. The Maryland Department of Natural
Resources created stricter guidelines for harvesting blue crabs to help
increase populations. These include raising the legal size from 5 to 5¼
inches (from 12.7 to 13.3 cm) and limiting the days and times they may
be caught. While blue crabs remain a popular food in the Chesapeake Bay
area, the bay is not capable of meeting local demand, so crabs are
shipped in from North Carolina, Louisiana, Florida and Texas as well.
The largest male crabs are known as "jimmies", and mature females
as "sooks" or "sookies". Immature female crabs are known as "sallies" or
"she-crabs".
Most are eaten as hard-shell crabs, but they can be eaten unpeeled
if caught just after molting, before the new shell has had time to
harden. These are known as soft shell crabs. Soft shell crabs are
typically prepared by first cutting out the gills, face, and guts. The
soft crab is then battered in flour, egg, and seasoning then fried in
oil until crispy. One popular form of consumption is to eat them steamed
with Old Bay Seasoning, cracking and picking them by hand. Other popular
forms are in crab cakes and in several varieties of soup. Blue crabs
average 15% edible meat, and that meat is high in vitamin B12 - just
three ounces of crab meat contain a full day's allowance of the vitamin.
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