Catch crabs early in the morning or late in the afternoon when they are most active, especially in hot weather. These were desperate times.

I paid no attention, but after the second day I ventured down to talk to them and to see how the fishing was.“Terrible,” came the reply.

However, the neighbor did.“You’re using the wrong bait. Every evening a father and his 20-something son would leave the comfort of their house and head to the dock, fishing rods in hand.

Crabs are less abundant following heavy rainfalls in the bays.Adhere to your state's regulations, including seasonal restrictions, when harvesting crabs. If it wasn’t for the 90-degree heat and almost 100 percent humidity I could almost enjoy myself.Another family rented the place next door and they had a new dock as well.

With crabs going for $40 a dozen at the local fish market I was elated at the prospect of catching a few dozen for dinner.That was the good news. I often use the sand flea rake to catch mole crabs. “Haven’t had a strike in the last two days,” the younger neighbor shouted.“Rats,” I thought. Spring on Pawleys Island and Georgetown is a transitional time. This rake has a simple design and is quite effective in collecting the creatures from underground. The delicacy is readily available in local restaurants, but you're in luck if you find that doing it yourself makes dinner taste better. This gave the crabs a chance to enter the trap and feed on the bait placed there.

Starting in September, crabbers can often find crabs that are meatier compared with other times of the year. I told everyone it appeared the minnows in the inlet had a harder time stripping the meat from a turkey neck and that the crabs had a better chance of entering the trap for a meal.

“But, as long as you bought them I’ll give them a try,” I said with little confidence in my voice.I am embarrassed to say the turkey necks worked.

The crabs never had a chance to get on the bait. Going to South Carolina in late August isn’t something I looked forward to doing, but what’s a grandfather to do?The property she rented was right on an inlet, and because of a hurricane last season it had a nice new dock from which we could crab, swim and fish.

Crabbing is just great on South Carolina's and Georgia's coast. “But I’ve always used it.” Follow the rules.

Very Easy.....Very Fun.....Very Good Eating. The next two days we caught nada, zippo, zilch. According to Oregon State University, the best times for crabbing typically occur during or just before slack tide at either low or high tides. The fiddler crabs feel the warmth and start surfacing from the pluff mud. Catch crabs early in the morning or late in the afternoon when they are most active, especially in hot weather. Go ahead and get a license.

They would hear none of it.“It doesn’t matter what you think. Provides information on what time and tide will give you the best chance to catch the most blue crabs. I’ve found kids don’t care what they catch as long as it’s alive and comes out of the water wiggling at the end of a line or scurrying around the bottom of a trap.Make no mistake, when it comes to catching crabs, I’m a purist – no traps for me.

Enjoy a feast of crabs by catching them to creel limit. Visit your local sporting good stores and tackle shops to obtain tide tables. The crabs follow the tides and come near shore at this time. Hard-shelled crabs have 20 to 30 percent meat by weight, while soft-shelled crabs have only about 12 percent.Although crabs can be caught throughout the year, certain temperature ranges have better catch rates, according to the Marine Resources Division. South Carolina Fishing Seasons SPRING FISHING. Aquino holds a Bachelor of Arts in communications and English from the University of Maryland College Park. Okay, I get it that not everyone vacations at the seashore, and given a choice I’d pick Black Lake and a week of bass fishing over a week at the shore any day.It was last March when my daughter announced she had rented a large old home at Murrell’s Inlet, S.C., and she couldn’t wait for Grandma and Grandpa to spend time fishing and crabbing with the kids.

Crabbing Tides and Times Tweet.

Use turkey necks; they work better than fish carcasses,” he said.“Nonsense, this bay is full of fish not turkeys and I won’t resort to such a thing,” I shot back.My wife and daughter besieged me to get some turkey necks to try but I would have none of it.The next day, despite my reluctance, my daughter came home from the grocery store with a package of turkey necks. Crabs are less abundant following heavy rainfalls in the bays.

“Don’t be so stubborn.