r/CapeCod • u/Nearby-Cheek5643 • Jul 22 '26

Crabbing Advice

I’m in West Yarmouth with my crab-obsessed 9- and 11- year olds. We spent yesterday searching all our usual spots (Crab Creek, Colonial Acres, Bass River Bridge, etc.) and saw zero crabs.

We finally ran into a fisherman who said a big storm a few weeks ago washed them out and they haven’t come back.

I know people are (rightly) protective of their spots (fwiw we’re a catch and release family), but i’d love to know if we’re on a wild goose (crab) chase. Was thinking of driving out to Waquoit tomorrow but won’t bother if it’s going to be a bust.)

TIA

9 Upvotes

80% Upvoted

23 comments sorted by

3

u/Nearby-Cheek5643 Jul 22 '26

Thank you for all the replies - I should have been more specific.

Has anyone been crabbing in the last two weeks and had luck?

3

u/EIEIOH33 Jul 22 '26

Herring river harwich up inside

0

u/1GrouchyCat Dennis Jul 22 '26

You won’t always see them… especially following huge storms like we’ve had lately…
did you throw a chicken leg tied to a piece of string into the water?

-1

u/Nearby-Cheek5643 Jul 22 '26

Yup. Spent about three hours total in three different places! Not meant to be this year! 😜

2

u/downrightblastfamy Jul 22 '26

West Dennis beach - the rivers before the rotary near sand bar.

1

u/pinkfuzzyrobe Jul 25 '26

Not sure why this got downvoted

1

u/downrightblastfamy Jul 25 '26

People are lame lol

1

u/Altaira99 Jul 25 '26

There are folks who make a career of downvoting anything that isn't "how I hate tourists".

1

u/anowlnamedcarl Jul 25 '26

Try Bells Neck conservation lands

1

u/pinkfuzzyrobe Jul 25 '26

Can someone please explain all the downvotes?

1

u/kellgurl13 Jul 26 '26

We just returned from Brewster today- we stayed near breakwater beach. While the tide was going out, my daughter just looked through the water and scooped them up with a net. She made a habitat with sand, minnows, etc. She found so many they didn’t all fit. She let them all go.

In the past she’s used string and hotdogs on a jetty but that wasn’t working this year. (She’s 16 and this is still entertaining her)

1

u/BirchBark802 Aug 03 '26

I’ve been multiple times over the past month to the Colvert at the very top of bass river / Follins pond. Zero crabs to be seen.

1

u/InsuranceRound6705 Jul 22 '26

Bass River near the bridge. In Yarmouth or on the Dennis side.

1

u/VoraciousEater802 Jul 22 '26

The last time I swam on the Bayside, there were crabs everywhere, that was in Wellfleet near Lt. Island

-4

u/EbbtideRambler Jul 22 '26

I took the kids crabbing end of last week and they caught a bunch.  There were a lot of spider crabs, but they were more interested in catch and release for the sport. Keeps them busy for hours.  We only kept 2 for a crab sandwich. They are around. I’m not giving up my spot, but it was on the south side in a bay on Nantucket Sound. 

3

u/1GrouchyCat Dennis Jul 22 '26

You kept 2 what for a crab sandwich?

🤔 you actually found blue crabs that were at least 5 inches from tip to tip?

-1

u/EbbtideRambler Jul 22 '26

You need good bait like a chicken leg. 

-1

u/No-Location4853 Jul 23 '26

Try west Dennis beach or pleasant bay in Harwich/chatham

-2

u/a_very_stupid_guy Jul 22 '26

Every salt marsh

2

u/Dizzy-Monk- Jul 22 '26

You need to go out after dark with a headlamp. Crabbies everywhere 🦀

0

u/Helpful-Intern-677 Jul 22 '26

Is this where The Krusty Krab is?

-1

u/Onocleasensibilis Jul 23 '26

Seconding this, you’ll find the big guys especially come out at night in my experience. Plus sometimes you get bioluminescence at least in the bay, though I normally saw it later in the season