About the Blue Crab

• The blue crab is a shellfish. It's mostly an olive green color with some blue and red on its claws. It's a fast mover and is known for its aggressive spirit. Blue crabs live in the cool water of the Atlantic Ocean and can be found in back bays and saltwater tributaries throughout New Jersey's coastal areas. People frequently find them in shallow waters.
  
  

Crabmeat

• People seek the white meat predominately found in the crab's body beneath its shell, although some meat exists in its claws as well. The meat is fragile and has a sweet flavor. People cook crabs by boiling or steaming them, and then use a wooden mallet to break open their shells and eat the meat.
  
  

Crab Fishing in New Jersey

• According to the New Jersey Department of Fish & Wildlife, crabbing represents about 30 percent of marine fishing in the state. Recreational crabbing is especially popular in the upper part of the Barnegat Bay and the Maurice River estuary.
  
  

Finding Crabs

• Crabbing is an inexpensive form of fishing. People crab off docks, bulkheads, bridges and piers, as well as from small boats anchored in shallow waters from the Hudson River to the Delaware Bay and numerous points in between.
  
  

Method of Fishing for Crabs

• The general method used by crabbers to fish for crabs is a wire, boxlike trap. The trap is tied to a secure fishing line and tossed into the water. All four sides of the trap collapse down when it hits the sea floor, allowing the crabs to freely wander in. Bait securely tied in the middle of the trap is what lures the crabs into the trap. Movement on the line indicates to the crabber on land or boat that at least one crab is inside. He quickly pulls the trap's line so the trap's sides fold up, trapping the crab inside.