Free crab bait

=) no problem .... Enjoy your freezer full of rockfish carks.

My school of thought from years of crabbing is that the noise of crab claws clicking during feeding increases catch ratios.

So, I find it important to have an attractant to get crab to the trap, and something for them to work on to make some noise to attract even more.   Your mileage may vary.

However, in the past 10 years or so, I've been happy with just 2-3 big keepers as my son and I are the only ones in my family of four that eat crab.  I just cull for the biggest ones anymore and release the rest. 

I'm sure the garbage man loves it when he has to pick up a gut wrenching garbage can from the street side.

17 years packing trash and I can tell you without a doubt that this is a correct statement and extra charges are usually at the discretion of the guy that has to smell said can. What ever you do keep that guy happy.
[/quote]h
Hey Shannon, what's the strangest thing you ever found in the trash? Seems like you would see some interesting stuff.

Nothing to do with crab bait but I once met a guy who owned the garbage franchise for one of our mid-Valley cities. His saying was " If it's not there today, it'll be there tomorrow."

I'm sure the garbage man loves it when he has to pick up a gut wrenching garbage can from the street side.

17 years packing trash and I can tell you without a doubt that this is a correct statement and extra charges are usually at the discretion of the guy that has to smell said can. What ever you do keep that guy happy.

h
Hey Shannon, what's the strangest thing you ever found in the trash? Seems like you would see some interesting stuff.
[/quote]
 A dead baby goat, a Portland police detictives badge wallet ID cuffs and all, knocked on the door he was retired and his wife threw it out.

Every charter boat at Depoe Bay dumps carks .... And besides rockfish is a poor choice for crab bait. Oily fish works much better.

I see I have awaken "he who has strong opinions." rockfish carcs make great crab bait; the proof's in the puddin'. I do just fine with 'em. I prefer shad, but I've had no problem generating good catch ratios with rockfish.

The real secret is what you mix your fish carcs with.

Unless you are getting really into crabbing and going for a long soak there is no need to blend your bait. If your secret is mixing other stuff with your rockfish try just omitting the rockfish. You just need bait that milks and draws crab into the trap. You don't have to feed them once they are caught.

I don't completely agree.

If I were to choose one bait, it would be squid.  But IMO, squid milks out fast then hits a steady, although reduced, stream of scent that last for weeks.  Salmon, or other oily fish (tuna, mackerel, herring, etc) milks out more regularly, but can be picked apart relatively fast by sand fleas where I crab.  So I like both as it produces a good overall scent trail over time.  If I'm on a short time schedule I bait heavily with both and won't hesitate to add bait every hour.  If I'm longer term, I bait with both.  The first 24 hours bring in the most crab.  After that, the carcs are gone, and the squid will provide smell for 2 weeks or more, if I'm not able to check my pots.  I add other carcs (rockfish, ling, etc.) if I have them.  They are unnecessary, but it doesn't hurt.  I freeze it all so have some to bait because I can.  Oily fish go in cages, squid in jars, and other carcs are sacrificial.  The other carcs add the snapping pinchers per Insayn.  I've crabbed pretty hard the past couple years with a string out for 6 months during the open season down here.

-Allen

An alternative to squid that I have used successfully to milk for hours is peanut butter, or the fat from a brick of bacon ends and pieces.  The bacon chunks are used for my breakfast.  Nothing better than a handful of 1 inch thick chunks of bacon fried to perfection and topped with fried egg. 

Yes, peanut butter does work smeared liberally into a sponge and ziptied inside the bait cage.