Finally, Caught Some Keepers

All photos taken by Seamus Talinao

Last night after reading some good reports from bluecrab.info, I loaded up the kayak for an early trip today. 

It turned out to be a beautiful morning. My son and I got out there at around 7:30 am. I was suppose to crab and his job was to take pictures and notes to document the trip. The marina was busy, but we did not have any issues getting in the water. Unloading the kayak from the car and loading all the gear on the kayak is starting to become routine, which is nice.

The water temperature was about 62 degrees. The tide was rolling towards the Bay and it was a chore paddling up the creek. I feel more confident maneuvering the kayak around now. Before I felt clumsy and all over the place, but of late my strokes feel more fluid and deliberate. I also noticed that I am not getting as wet anymore like before, which is very nice.

Headed up creek

Since I only have six traps left I dropped them all off in no time. I ordered more traps from Captain Moose, but I am still waiting for them to come in. Six should do for now. Each runs were shorter, but it gave me time to slow down and take good note of my surroundings. Spending more time outdoors have given me a new appreciation of Nature. We saw a river otter, an eastern water snake, and a blue heron. It is comforting to know that the marsh here in Chesapeake Beach is quite healthy. 

The water looked crabby

So, I thought it was going to be an awesome day when I caught two keepers on the first run.  But things slowed down after that one. Maybe I need to work on my pulling technique or my shadow was spooking them. Because something was eating the heck out of my bait, yet on several runs the traps would come up empty or with only non-legal sized crabs. It could be catfish or eels, who knows? All in all, I did about 12-15 runs and caught a total of six keepers. SIX keepers! Hey, that's half a dozen. That is enough crabs to feed Seamus and I for lunch. I'd say it was a decent day of crabbing for mid-April. We got out of the water around noon. The winds picked up and the clouds were rolling in fast. I wanted to get home and get these boys in the steamer before it rained. 

Feisty little critters

When we got them home, I dumped them in a cooler full of ice water to put them to sleep. I did not want them pinching me while I was cleaning them. Once they got their scrub, I went ahead and got the pot going. 

My recipe for the steamer:

1 part of Apple Cider Vinegar

1 part of PBR

1 part of water

1 tbsp of J.O. #2 seasoning for each crab

As soon as the pot started steaming, I placed each crab in the pot and sprinkled a generous tablespoon of J.O. #2 seasoning on them. I let the jimmies cook in there for 20 minutes. I was pretty sure they were done by 15 minutes, but I wanted to make sure. 

Oh boy, were they delicious. Each one was fat and heavy. The meat was sweet and the mustard tasted clean. I could not ask anything more from free crabs. 

Crabs covered in J.O. #2

I have never eaten anything that I harvested myself. Especially, using such unsophisticated tools, such as a kayak and some traps.  A sense of self reliance and purpose came over me. It was wonderful. 

Best part of living in Maryland