Shore Crabs as Bait — Crabs. Small shore crabs, the kind you often see around pilings, rocks and jetties, make excellent bait for perch and cabezon. You will need to catch them yourself, but if you are in a good area, it won't take you long to catch enough to go fishing (especially if you go out at night with a flashlight). To the north, you will find the gray to muddy-yellow Hemigrapsus oregonensis. They will be found along mud banks, estuaries and under rocks. In southern California, more common are Pachygrapsus crassipes, a greenish-purple colored crab. They are very common around jetty rocks, mussel beds and tide pools. When you see reference to sidewinder crabs as baits, it will be one of these species or a similar type.
Purple shore crabs
To fish with these small crabs (and thumbnail-size specimens are the very best), hook them through the shell at the back, trying to keep them alive. Fish them right around the pilings, a few feet under the surface of the water. If possible, and it requires a pier built close to the water, you can try to float a small crab into a school of pileperch (which are generally right up next to pilings). Usually it requires a light line (4-6 pound test) and a small hook (size 8-10) but the results can make the effort worthwhile. Large rubberlip perch also find these crabs to be tasty morsels and many times crabs are almost the only bait which will catch these two larger species of perch, a condition I have seen in San Diego Bay, San Francisco Bay, Bodega Bay and Trinidad. To the north, the crabs also make excellent bait for cabezon. In fact, almost 100% of the cabezon I have caught off of piers in northern California had crabs in their stomachs.
Striped shore crab
An OLD PFIC Thread on using the crabs as bait:
Date: June 10, 2005
To: PFIC Message Board
From: roadkill
Subject: What are those crabs?
I'm sure a lot of you have seen them...those little crabs in the rocks along the beach near Crissy Field near the Yacht Clubs down to the end of the jetty? What kind of crabs are they?
Posted by eelmaster
I think he's talking about shore crabs since they are in the rocks. Are they all brown w/ small claws? My buddy uses those in Point Arena for perch. He's pretty successful w/ ‘em.
Posted by guycognito
One of these two:
Striped Shore Crab Pachygrapsus crassipes
Description 1 7/8" (48 mm) wide, 1 1/2" (38 mm) long. Square-bodied. Upper surface of carapace brownish-purple or blackish, with green cross-stripes, fading to white beneath. Pincers mottled reddish-purple above, white below; upper joint of walking legs mottled green and purple; outer joints purplish-brown above, whitish below. Carapace with shallow crosswise grooves, 1 tooth on side. Eyes almost at corners, far apart. Pincers heavy, equal; fingers with spoon-shaped tips; walking legs flattened, sturdy.
Habitat On rocky and hard-mud shores; in tidepools, mussel beds, bays and estuaries; well above low-tide line.
Range Oregon to Baja California.
Discussion This crab spends at least half its time on land, but submerges now and then to wet its gills and feed.
Purple Shore Crab Hemigrapsus nudus
Description 2 1/4" (57 mm) wide, 2" (51 mm) long. Round-bodied. Upper surface of carapace purplish-black, sometimes reddish-brown or greenish-yellow; white beneath. Pincers covered with deep purple or red spots, purple or reddish above, fading to white below. Carapace oval-oblong, arched in front, smooth; 3 short teeth on margin between eye socket and side. Eyes far apart. Pincers large in male, equal, both fingers toothed, pincer tips bent toward each other, cup-shaped. Walking legs sturdy, flattened, not very hairy.
Habitat On open rocky shores, among seaweeds, and in bays and estuaries.
Range Alaska to Baja California.
Discussion This crab feeds primarily on the film of small algae on rocks, but is also a scavenger of animal matter.
Posted by neko
Sidewinders — that seems to be the common name among fishermen who use them. They’re excellent bait. I've caught some of the biggest sargo and believe is or not BSP on them.
Posted by pescare
There you go! The striped shore crab (your links are backwards, BTW) is the one I'm thinking of for that spot. Like the name games I mentioned, everyone I know calls ‘em green shore crabs. The fish that eat them don't care, I bet.
Posted by orkspace
Using the striped shore crabs as bait? I always try to use these crabs as bait, but I never seem to get any takers. I've tried using 'em at Bean Hollow, the HMB S jetty, and Fort Baker. I've tried using them whole (hooked through the mouth with the point coming up through top of the mouth/between the eyes, and hooked through the genital flap area). I've also tried just using claws (I crack them first to help the scent disperse). Any hints?
Posted by Rock Hopper
Keep trying.... there's literally thousands and thousands of those crabs on the Bodega Jettys. We've caught huge greenling and striped perch using crab halves. Also one time me and Monte were fishin’ at Blue Slide and every rockfish we caught that day spit up little crabs.
Posted by Clayman
Striped shore crabs are my FAVORITE bait for large pileperch and redtail perch in Humboldt Bay. They often work when nothing else will, and the smaller walleye and silver perch tend to ignore them. That way, you know when you get a bite that it’s a nice
Purple shore crabs
To fish with these small crabs (and thumbnail-size specimens are the very best), hook them through the shell at the back, trying to keep them alive. Fish them right around the pilings, a few feet under the surface of the water. If possible, and it requires a pier built close to the water, you can try to float a small crab into a school of pileperch (which are generally right up next to pilings). Usually it requires a light line (4-6 pound test) and a small hook (size 8-10) but the results can make the effort worthwhile. Large rubberlip perch also find these crabs to be tasty morsels and many times crabs are almost the only bait which will catch these two larger species of perch, a condition I have seen in San Diego Bay, San Francisco Bay, Bodega Bay and Trinidad. To the north, the crabs also make excellent bait for cabezon. In fact, almost 100% of the cabezon I have caught off of piers in northern California had crabs in their stomachs.
Striped shore crab
An OLD PFIC Thread on using the crabs as bait:
Date: June 10, 2005
To: PFIC Message Board
From: roadkill
Subject: What are those crabs?
I'm sure a lot of you have seen them...those little crabs in the rocks along the beach near Crissy Field near the Yacht Clubs down to the end of the jetty? What kind of crabs are they?
Posted by eelmaster
I think he's talking about shore crabs since they are in the rocks. Are they all brown w/ small claws? My buddy uses those in Point Arena for perch. He's pretty successful w/ ‘em.
Posted by guycognito
One of these two:
Striped Shore Crab Pachygrapsus crassipes
Description 1 7/8" (48 mm) wide, 1 1/2" (38 mm) long. Square-bodied. Upper surface of carapace brownish-purple or blackish, with green cross-stripes, fading to white beneath. Pincers mottled reddish-purple above, white below; upper joint of walking legs mottled green and purple; outer joints purplish-brown above, whitish below. Carapace with shallow crosswise grooves, 1 tooth on side. Eyes almost at corners, far apart. Pincers heavy, equal; fingers with spoon-shaped tips; walking legs flattened, sturdy.
Habitat On rocky and hard-mud shores; in tidepools, mussel beds, bays and estuaries; well above low-tide line.
Range Oregon to Baja California.
Discussion This crab spends at least half its time on land, but submerges now and then to wet its gills and feed.
Purple Shore Crab Hemigrapsus nudus
Description 2 1/4" (57 mm) wide, 2" (51 mm) long. Round-bodied. Upper surface of carapace purplish-black, sometimes reddish-brown or greenish-yellow; white beneath. Pincers covered with deep purple or red spots, purple or reddish above, fading to white below. Carapace oval-oblong, arched in front, smooth; 3 short teeth on margin between eye socket and side. Eyes far apart. Pincers large in male, equal, both fingers toothed, pincer tips bent toward each other, cup-shaped. Walking legs sturdy, flattened, not very hairy.
Habitat On open rocky shores, among seaweeds, and in bays and estuaries.
Range Alaska to Baja California.
Discussion This crab feeds primarily on the film of small algae on rocks, but is also a scavenger of animal matter.
Posted by neko
Sidewinders — that seems to be the common name among fishermen who use them. They’re excellent bait. I've caught some of the biggest sargo and believe is or not BSP on them.
Posted by pescare
There you go! The striped shore crab (your links are backwards, BTW) is the one I'm thinking of for that spot. Like the name games I mentioned, everyone I know calls ‘em green shore crabs. The fish that eat them don't care, I bet.
Posted by orkspace
Using the striped shore crabs as bait? I always try to use these crabs as bait, but I never seem to get any takers. I've tried using 'em at Bean Hollow, the HMB S jetty, and Fort Baker. I've tried using them whole (hooked through the mouth with the point coming up through top of the mouth/between the eyes, and hooked through the genital flap area). I've also tried just using claws (I crack them first to help the scent disperse). Any hints?
Posted by Rock Hopper
Keep trying.... there's literally thousands and thousands of those crabs on the Bodega Jettys. We've caught huge greenling and striped perch using crab halves. Also one time me and Monte were fishin’ at Blue Slide and every rockfish we caught that day spit up little crabs.
Posted by Clayman
Striped shore crabs are my FAVORITE bait for large pileperch and redtail perch in Humboldt Bay. They often work when nothing else will, and the smaller walleye and silver perch tend to ignore them. That way, you know when you get a bite that it’s a nice
) before casting it out.