HOW TO RIG CRABS!

(FILMED AFTER THE LATEST TROPICAL STORM HAS PASSED-WATER IS DIRTY WITH FLOATING DEBRIS)

Many viewers of Scuba Chris Video Productions have been asking for this video so i decided to put this tutorial together as a “how to” style of rigging live & dead crab. I’ve been developing this system for usage of fishing the West Loch area of Pearl Harbor due to the uniqueness of the bottom and the food preference of it’s inhabitants. The bottom is mud with seaweed mats joined together by sponge, no coral reefs for lead weights to get caught on. On reef i’d recommend using a 3-way swivel with a tear-drop lead sinker tied to a break-away lighter line.

My targeted species here is Trevally Jacks. Examination of the stomach contents of ones i caught whipping all show mostly crab remains. No fish. So i use live/dead crab for bait with great results. Unfortunately the Eagle Rays also love wolfing done crab as well. I always let the Rays loose. Other fish that love crab are Ladyfish, Bonefish, & Sharks. While my crab bait is out i’m using a crab net and foraging the shorelines for more bait. I average at least a dozen mixed crab species that i bag for my next outing minus the ones i use for that day.

I found it doesn’t matter if you take the claws off or leave them on. Also if the bait is live or frozen doesn’t make a difference as well. The 1-2ft normal visibility makes visual perception limited so sense of smell takes over. But i still prefer live crab as i’m sure the fish “sense’s” movements as well.

To properly hook the crab i put the hook through the last 2 legs on the side on the backside, then twist upwards to exit through the top shell. No vital organs are pierced & the crab is still alive when used. I prefer offset curved hooks with sharpen tips (needed to penetrate the upper shell). I recommend swinging the crab out, no over-head casts as the hook can easily rip through the crab’s shell. My hook of choice is the Gamakatsu 1/0 “Nautilus Circle”. These hooks are factory offset with sharpen hook-tips. I use this for crabs of widths 2-3in.

This system can work anywhere, just vary where the lead weight placement. I love using crabs in lieu of squid. Fish & squid smaller sized predators can nibble your bait away. On this system the crab is left whole. It is taken whole or not at all. I wish everyone luck using this system & thanks for sharing & subscribing to my channel.
Mahalo! Chris Takahashi

“Scuba Chris Video Productions are sponsored by Completely Hooked Lures (https://www.chlures.com/) and LineDance (https://www.mylinedancer.com/)”.

These are Amazon Affiliate Links For Gear Used-

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