BEST Time To Use Blue Crab (For Redfish, Snook, Tarpon & Black Drum)
- By: Tony Acevedo
- on
With most baits, you never know what you’re going to get.
If you’re using shrimp, you could catch anything from a big black drum to a dink trout or catfish.
But if you throw a big chunk of blue crab out there, you know that anything big enough to eat it is going to put up a fun fight.
In this video, I’m going to show you when the best times to use blue crab are.
There are two times of the year and two scenarios in particular that I like to use blue crab to catch redfish, snook, tarpon, and black drum.
See what those times and scenarios are in the video below.
Enjoy!
BEST Time To Use Blue Crab [VIDEO]
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If you haven’t seen the post for the best time to use shrimp, check it out here.
I like to use blue crabs in similar situations as I would use shrimp.
Winter
Winter is great for using blue crab for two reasons:
- Fish are lethargic in the cold water
- Most baitfish are offshore
Blue crabs don’t move that fast (and cut blue crab doesn’t move at all!) which makes them easy meals for cold, lazy fish in the winter.
Summer
In the heat of summer, like in the dead of winter, fish are lethargic.
A chunk of blue crab is a delicious meal for tired fish this time of year.
Match the Hatch
With any fishing, matching the hatch is a good strategy to hook into feeding fish.
If I’m cruising a muddy shoreline and I see crabs scurrying out, I know that fish are likely feeding on them, so I’ll hook one up and toss it along the shoreline to entice predator fish cruising the flats to eat.
Tailing Reds
When redfish are tailing, they’re usually digging their noses in the mud and grassroots trying to stir up crustaceans like shrimp or crabs.
This can be a great time to use blue crabs for bait.
Conclusion
If you’re looking to catch tarpon, snook, black drum, or redfish, using whole or cut blue crab is a great option.
The best times to use them are:
- In the winter when the fish are lethargic and the baitfish have moved offshore
- In the middle of summer when fish are also lethargic
- When you’re seeing a lot of blue crabs in an area
- When redfish are tailing
Check out the best time to use shrimp here.
Have any questions about the best time to use blue crab?
Let me know in the comments below!
And if you know someone who wants to catch tarpon, snook, redfish or black drum, TAG or SHARE this with them!
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Tony, love the idea of using live blue crab, never done it. Where do you you hook it and I imagine you are usin 7-9 hook size?
Thank you for the great feedback Jeffrey! I use a 4/0 to 6/0 hook depending on the size of the crab: Here are a few posts we made on it:
https://www.saltstrong.com/articles/rigging-blue-crabs-for-redfish/
https://www.saltstrong.com/fishing-tip/how-to-rig-blue-crab/
I totally agree Tony I don’t use blue crabs per say except for my chasebaits smash crab haven’t used it much and haven’t caught any fish on it but like excersise equipment your not going to loose weight if you don’t use it same with lures only going to catch fish with them if you use them but my comment ist really about this it’s about a weird happening on new years day when me and my girlfriend started fishing a small creek that believe it or not HAD A TON OF MULLET in it both sizes from the finger mullet size to the big ones that scientists to this day have no idea on why they always jump out of the water so much but anyway it was crazy on new years day a normal date when in all other years a mullet at that time would of been long gone out to sea and if an angler sees one it would be a little rare well not this new years I’m serious the creek had so many in it the water was literally alive with them!!! It was bizarre to say the least we did manage to catch 4 small rat reds out of that creek though she got 2 on a gulp pearl swimming mullet with a zman quarter ounce jighead and i caught 2 as well on a chasebaits flick prawn in jelly color I also caught a nice flounder that day as well the only keeper fish in the bunch on the flick prawn as well I also modified it a bit so it sinks a little faster by wrapping some old suspend strips that I have had for a while but never used them they are old but work well originally designed to be put on crank baits to get the bait to dive deeper they attach very well to the chasebaits hook shank anyways great info tony maybe this happened because of global warming don’t know I just know it was weird to say the least thanks for all you do????
Very interesting! In comparison to the past couple years, this seems to be a pretty mild winter, so water temps haven’t dropped as much as they have in the past. For example, this time last year the water was in the low 50’s in my area. Right now it hasn’t dropped below 60 yet.
Thanks Tony. It is difficult to get blue crabs at bait shops in my area. What size do you generally use, and what do they usually cost. Also, do you use artificial crabs? Thanks
No problem Richard! The sizes I buy are about the size of my palm and typically cost 2.50 each, or $12 for half dozen. Depends on the tackle shop. You can also check seafood markets to see if they have any live blue crabs. They may be a little more expensive though. Thats one downside of using blue crab in the winter is that they burrow themselves in the mud to keep warm, so it can be tough for trappers to catch them. But the fish don’t have that problem because they just nose around looking for them.
I have used artificial crabs. The ones I prefer are the Chasebaits USA Smash Crab Jr. and the smaller Crusty Crab they also make. Be sure to use some scent on them as well. I like to use Pro-Cure Blue Crab.
how do you keep blue crabs alive ? thank you
Hey Lara! Very similar to how you would keep shrimp alive. Helps to keep the water cool with a frozen bottle of water and provide oxygen with a bubbler in a bucket, cooler, live well, etc.
Can cut blue crab be used on the west central coast inside Tampa Bay?
Absolutely!
Have you ever used Savage or any artificial crabs?
Yes I actually prefer to use the Chasebaits USA Smash Crab Jr. or their smaller version called the Crusty Crab. I also always add pro-cure gel to them for scent.
Thanks!