Piker20 0 Report post Posted June 24, 2012 fishing from the beach last night I lost 3 flies, all I think to the damn crabs. I retrieved a crab to a clouser and then after letting my fly sit in the bottom a second or two, no fly on the retrieve? Anyone else had an issue with the clawed menace? Any tips for stopping it being an issue? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Capt Bob LeMay 0 Report post Posted June 24, 2012 A hungry crab will snatch any fly that comes near it with one claw then proceed to use the other claw as a pair of nippers or scissors to cut off anything stopping it from taking that fly home for dinner... To defeat them just keep your flies moving if you know there are crabs present in shallow waters. Yes it's fun to bring an occasional big crab to hand while it's holding tight to your fly...but not so much fun tying on a new fly. Tight Lines Bob LeMay (954) 435-5666 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
agn54 0 Report post Posted June 24, 2012 From the title of the thread I thought the solution would be penicillin or a special shampoo Crabs can be a nuisance, not only on flies but plastic jigs as well. The good thing is that when there are crabs around, there are often fish around as well. Speeding up your retrieve a bit will help Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Piker20 0 Report post Posted June 24, 2012 Next step then, should I look at some crab patterns to take the fish. It is sea trout, some bass and pollock mostly in the stretch I fish and last night was the first time I had seen fish rising just like they were taking dries off the top. I wondered if they were taking crabs in the tide as there were a lot of crabs of all sizes washed up as the tide receeded. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
agn54 0 Report post Posted June 24, 2012 I would certainly give it a try. Over here in Florida the crabs often get flushed out with the tide and drift along with current near the surface. If this is what they are doing then you may want to try to dead drift a crab pattern with the current, maybe weighted only with bead chain, depending on the speed of the water Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Fred H. 0 Report post Posted June 25, 2012 It may be crabs ,or it may be a toothy fish such as a spanish mackrel. Often a spanish mac will cut the line clean and quick and you will never feel it.The solution of course is a leader or shock tippet. This might help even if it is a crab. Fred Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Piker20 0 Report post Posted June 25, 2012 It may be crabs ,or it may be a toothy fish such as a spanish mackrel. Often a spanish mac will cut the line clean and quick and you will never feel it.The solution of course is a leader or shock tippet. This might help even if it is a crab. Fred Its not mackrel as they are further off shore and once I step up leader thickness the trout won't take. I'm hoping a crab pattern might be less attractive to another crab. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kirk Dietrich 0 Report post Posted June 25, 2012 This is a floating crab pattern made with thin sheet foam. Although the description in the link below states effectiveness on permit, I know a guy that fishes with Simon and he said he has used it in conditions like AGN mentioned and the Tarpon were sucking floating crabs in the tide. http://www.blackflyoutfitters.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=4240 Kirk Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Piker20 0 Report post Posted June 25, 2012 Well here is a first attempt at a crab pattern. Got so distracted trying to figure how to fix the mock shell on that it went on the bottom of the fly so ended up with a feather bum and ziploc top. What should have been the top. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Fishkill 0 Report post Posted August 6, 2012 I say grab some chicken necks and string and fill a bucket with those delicious crabs. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SCOwens 0 Report post Posted August 16, 2012 Piker go with EP for the body, or Mad Mikes Copper head crab ... try those out for crab patterns if you don't know what I am refering to shoot me a message Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites