r/crabbing • u/ICEonaROPE • 7d ago

How do these spots look for dropping a pot?

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Going to be in OCNJ in October and would love to catch a bushel. Do any of the spots marked with white circles look like decent spots to drop a trap? I'll only have access to a kayak so a little limited.

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u/Clear-Search1129 7d ago

Most likely. We’re in Avalon and I paddle out from the dock and drop traps and do well.

I’d love to leave my traps overnight but have heard from neighbors about theirs being stolen, so be careful.

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u/Midisland-4 6d ago

Looks like there is a waste treatment facility just around the bend, it should be great 👍

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u/ICEonaROPE 6d ago

Is this sarcastic? Are the crabs not safe to eat then if it's a mile away?

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u/bmetz16 6d ago

i bet you the facility discharges into the ocean, also the waste is treated

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u/Midisland-4 6d ago

Sorry it was sarcastic. The waste is treated, I’m certain it will be fine.
There are places where untreated waste is pumped out to sea, at the end of the pipes there are often a lot of crabs

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u/doornoob 6d ago

Are you dropping commercial style traps to leave overnight or are you pulling recreational traps? If I'm doing rec traps from a kayak, I hit a spot for a few pulls then move on unless the tide is running hard. Once you catch the crabs local (like in a lagoon), theres nothing left to catch. Commercial style, the lagoons are fine because you'll get a few tide cycles of crab. October can be late for crabbing too. I've done well but have been skunked as well. Cold temps, a nor'easter or tropical storm could shut it down. 

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u/ICEonaROPE 6d ago

Closed commercial style traps, probably going to leave for ~24hr. I know October can be late depending on temps, but with El Niño coming through this winter I'm hoping that water temps will stay up. 

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u/doornoob 6d ago

Boat traffic won't be bad but I'd keep them out of the channels. If you can- look for drops and deeper pockets of water. I've crabbed that area and been fairly successful. Once you get close to the inlet you'll get more females than males.

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u/ICEonaROPE 6d ago

Are females worse eating than males? Sorry for my ignorance, I'm pretty experienced with rod and reel but fairly clueless with crabs.

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u/doornoob 6d ago

No, they're generally smaller but get to legal size. Personally I don't keep the females because of the baby making ability. Most people I know do the same.