Who catches the biggest crab?
In the summer you can fish for small crabs out among the rocks and at the jetty, somewhat on your own, or together with our fun sailors in the kids club Sea Club. Crush some mussels for bait and get a bucket of seawater – and the fun can begin! Who can catch the biggest crab? And how many police crabs can you find in one day?
How to fish for small crabs in the sea
Crab fishing is a fun activity for both young and old and is very popular at TanumsStrand, and all along the beautiful Bohuslän coast. It’s perfect to fish from one of the jetties at the hotel, or directly from the rocks. As a rule, the crabs stay at a depth of about 1 meter and like to hide among the seaweed and rocks.
To fish, you need:
- A bucket or bowl to put the crabs in.
- A 1.5-2 meter long string with a clothespin tied to one end.
- Some type of bait such as a crushed mussel, shrimp, piece of fish or sausage.
- A net is an advantage if you’re not used to holding the larger crabs by hand.
This is how you do it:
- Fill the bucket with fresh salt water from the sea. Replace the water from time to time before it gets hot. If it gets hot, the crabs get sunstroke… Place the bucket in the shade so the crabs in the bucket have it cool and good as in the sea. Maybe you can decorate with some stones and shade in the bucket with some seaweed for increased comfort?
- Crush the mussel with a medium-sized stone, about the size of your palm. Mussels are often plentiful among the seaweed at the dock. Attach the opened mussel to the clothespin.
- Drop the clothespin with the bait to the bottom, preferably near some rocks, seaweed and other exciting places where crabs hide. When a crab takes a firm hold of the bait, gently pull up your catch so the crab doesn’t come loose. Use a hoof if you don’t want to catch the crab with your hand. Especially smart if it’s a big crab.
- Carefully place the crab in the water bucket, and watch out for the small claws. They can pinch a little if they get stressed. If you lift the crab with your hand, the smartest way is to hold the side edges of the crab’s carapace with a light grip between thumb and forefinger.
- When you’re done fishing, release the crabs back in the same spot where you caught them. If it’s near a rocky outcrop that slopes down to the water, you can have a crab race as the crabs run back into the water. Make sure that all the crabs find their way back into the water.
Other tips:
- We recommend that children wear life jackets while fishing, and that adults always keep a watchful eye.
- If you do not have your own fishing equipment, you can buy it from us at the reception.
