Category: Crab Shack

Hey fellow crabbers! Welcome back to the crab shack! With each new post, we are diving deeper into the stone crab realm. In this post, we are going to talk about all the staggering crab shack gears available to you thorough one click of your mouse.

Being a part of the Stoners crab community doesn’t only give you a sense of belongingness and make you feel like you are a part of something; it is also a portal for people sharing the same common passion of crabbing to share their first hand experiences and knowledge. So that at the end, no matter if you are someone trying to get into crabbing or a veteran who has been crabbing all his life, you can learn from those around you or become a teacher for those looking for some tips and guidance.

So how do you let others know you are a fellow Stoners Life community member and are an active member in the crabbing community? We say, don’t hesitate when representing something you are passionate about.

We have a wide range of Gear in our Stoners Gear Online Store that you can browse through and we are confident that you will find something that you will love.

You can choose to wear some of our apparels that not only shows you are a  part of the Stoner crab community but are also in line with the latest fashion and style making them a comfortable wear while making you stylish. The material used for making these apparels are quality tested and assured and are guaranteed to be a comfortable and reliable wear to you. They also come in wide range of colors and sizes so you can find those that fit you perfectly.

You can choose from outerwear like hoodies with variations in designs, colors, sizes, print and other options.

Hello, fellow crabbers! Glad to have you back in the Crab Shack. In this post, we will talk about harvesting your stone crabs and things you should keep in mind while doing so. Also, we will talk about our Stoners Life’s community towards the end of the post. So, let us explore more of the stone crab’s realm.

Are you ready to discover more of the stone crab realm? Let us get started right away. In this post, we will talk about harvesting stone crabs and how they are generally caught either for commercial purpose or by some of our fellow crabbers who share the same passion as you and me about crabbing.

Stone crab catching can be broadly divided into two distinct categories and purposes: commercial stone crab trapping and recreational stone crab hunting. Florida stone crab is one of the most unique regional foods in the USA and there are mainly two ways by which you can catch some stone crabs either for yourself or for commercial reasons.

1. Putting out your own traps
2. Diving to catch Crabs

Let’s discuss how you can catch them on your own. But before we start our hunt, we have to abide by some laws like always. According to Florida law, some quick points you have to keep in mind about recreational traps before you start hunting are mentioned below.

1. Any angler may use up to five stone crab traps.
2. Buoys must have a legible “R” at least two inches high, permanently affixed to them.
3. Traps must have the harvester’s name and address affixed to them in legible letters.
4. Traps must be retrieved manually during daylight hours.
5. Traps must not be placed in navigational channels or waterways.
6. Each trap must have a degradable wooden panel equal to the size of the entry hole on the top of the trap. This is called a ghost trap and is placed in case the traps are lost at sea then it will provide a way for the trapped crabs to escape.

If you don’t know how to make traps then fear not because you can buy pre-rigged plastic and wire traps at most bait and tackle shops. For best results remember to place your traps at rock or sand bottom.

Now for the diving part, this method requires some experience, technique and a little getting used to the diving gear. Just diving anywhere will not bear any fruitful result so you should know where to dive in order to make the most out of it. You can start in shallow rock piles or jetties and once you have garnered enough experience you will know where to dive pretty easily for the best stone crabs. Check for holes near the bottom edges of the rocks and if a stone crab is present you will notice broken shells and sand. This should give you a good idea if you are adventurous enough to go for the diving route to get your hands on some stone crabs.

You may wonder; how many stone crabs can I hunt?

According to the law, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission allows anyone with a recreational fishing license to possess 1 gallon of claws per person or 2 gallons per vessel. But you have to remember that once its claws are harvested you have to release the crabs back into the water.

Always remember to make sure that the claws you are going to harvest are of a size at least 2 3/4 inches and never take claws from an egg-bearing female.

Some may argue that catching stone crabs should align with sustainable seafood hunting, which means you can catch only a certain amount of stone crabs each season. This is to make sure that they don’t go extinct and enough number of them is present so that the ecosystem is not adversely affected. But if you are catching them by the numbers mentioned above then you don’t have to worry much.

Now you know the basics about how to catch a stone crab!

Congratulations! In the next posts, we will explore more of the stone crab realm and you might be fascinated about what you may discover. So stay tuned with us and Happy Crabbing!

Besides this being our first post, Stoners Life wants to make this post even more special. What better way to do that than by talking about what we are the most passionate about? You guessed it right, stone crabs!

The first step you take into the realm of the stone crabs is by getting to know some of the facts about stone crabs that you probably didn’t know.

1. Ninety-eight percent of all stone crabs come from the east coast of the United States, Florida.
2. People who are new to crab harvesting will find it a bit shocking that Florida stone crabs are harvested only for their claws. Although their body is eatable it is too much effort compared to what edible meat is gotten out of it.
3. Animal conservationist can rest easy after they read the above point as the claws are regenerated in 1-2 years. To use some scientific jargon, “Each time a crab molts, it has the ability to regenerate the lost appendage”. Also, live crabs are returned to the water.
4. However, the claws must be at least 2¾ inches in length as it is the legal harvestable size allowed by law. So make sure you don’t face unnecessary charges or become viral in social media as an animal hater inadvertently and face a backlash from the people.
5. Never tasted Florida stone crab meat before? To put it in one sentence, it is flaky and white to off-white with a sweet taste and something you will savor if you are a seafood fanatic or a general food lover.
6. There is a ban on taking claws from egg-bearing females.
7. Like most people stone crabs are not ambidextrous. Meaning they don’t use both of its claws equally. And like most people, they are right handed but a pinch from either claw hurts the same so be careful.
8. It is believed that their claws can crush up to 19,000 pounds per square inch. Now that’s a mighty grip.
9. The female stone crabs live a year more than the males. Guess in every species females live longer.
10. The female stone crabs are capable of laying up to 1 million eggs at a time.
11. Stone crabs are sold by the size of their claws with varying ranges for medium to colossal claws and can prove to be an expensive treat for some.
12. Stone crabs feed on oysters, worms, and other crustaceans.

The second step is getting to know why stone crabs are harvested/caught by humans.

Stone crabs are mostly caught for food but are they healthy for you?

Along with nutrient benefits equal to that of red meat, they have an added benefit of being low in fat and contain only about 82 calories per 3-ounce serving. Stone Crabs can supply key vitamins and minerals that support good health. You can make it an occasional part of your diet plan and see no adverse effects on your health. Being a rich source of protein and low on carbohydrates, people often find crab meat as a replacement for tuna fish.

So next time you see a hole around your dock pilings with some shells nearby just know there just may be some delectable claws right within your reach.

You have now stepped into the stone crab realm! There are still many areas of the realm yet for you to discover and know about.

Stay tuned with us as we slowly unravel them to you through our blog posts here at the Stoners Crab Shack.