Crabbing in the rain?

[Crabbin503]

In your personal experience(s) how is crabbing in the rain?

 

[twout]

It's wet! And the crabs seem crabbier.

 

[Irishrover]

The best crabbing is in the winter months so most of the time I expect rain. In late September the crabs really start to harden up by October and November they are full of meat and ready to eat. Crabbing in the rain is just part of the game. Sometimes I do wish crabs had their meat on the outside, sure would be easier to process!

 

[pinstriper]

It's wet! And the crabs seem crabbier.

I almost posted much the same, but decided I've been obnoxious enough, lately.

Then I gave it a bit more thought, along the lines of rain isn't rain. If it's a gentle rain with little wind, I rather doubt it has much effect. But if its more stormy, I wonder if there is more agitation of the water - so it may be different in shallower water like Netarts Bay - although in such a case I wouldn't be out there in a small boat in those conditions.

 

[hobster]

I don't think crabbing in the rain turns the crab off, unless it has rained a lot and the rivers are bringing lots of water into the bays and decreasing salinity. No worrries there

 

[DrTheopolis]

What Hobster said. If there's heavy rain, it washes all of the salt out of the bay, and they head for the ocean. In light rain, it doesn't matter, except for the comfort of the people in the boat.

And the opposite of what Pinstriper said, sort of. In the case of Netarts, and other estuaries that have very little in the way of streams coming in, the rain has a much lesser effect, due to less fresh water coming in.

As a general rule, if it's rained any decent amount (I don't think the last few days count), crab lower in the bay (with safety being the most important thing, always).

 

[pinstriper]

I didn't say anything about the volume of rain or salinity. I simply mused in the effect of wave action from a storm.