Catching Mud Crabs

Jeff,

Have you seen the size of those suckers?
Definitely not a yabbie net mate.

Most "nets" I have seen are more like cages made from wire mesh that the mothers can't cut through with their claws.

Dined on chili Mud Crab last time we were in FNQ (Pt. Douglas) YUM!
I can see why they fetch a good price.

Not saying our Blue Swimmer Crabs are not delectable, but the amount of meat in the Muddies is like, wow!

Thanks Sandman thought I could be pushing it.Only ever eaten them too.
May be I should just buy one or two ready to eat.They are big buggers.
But it would be gr8 to pull up a net with one of them suckers stuck in there.
I reckon it would be fun just trying to get out.
Cheers

Great fun to catch ..... not so much fun being caught by one of them :( ............. You can have 4 pots person over 15years of age (I think) and you MUST have your name and address on each pot or float attached to the pot.

They can be big suckers ........ but they taste damn fine ....... Best if you can get collapable pots easier to take. Bait up with fish or chicken frames and place at the entrance of a feeder creek near the the mangroves ............. just don't become a meal placing the pots. Also allow plenty of cord as they have big tides.

Have fun

Brian

jeff M,
Probably the best aparatus for catching muddies is a round, 4 entrance crab pot. These are usually made from two large wire hoops fitted with a trawl net like covering and are usually collapsible. They can be purchased from just about any tackle shop in Qld, and range in price from around $12 for the el cheapo imported one to $40-50 for the robust home made model. They can be used from a boat or off the bank. I have used both imported and locally made with success.
Another way to catch muddies is to use a crab dilly. One model is a walk in-walk out round open top mesh hoop/dilly that you need to check fairly regularly. Another type of dilly is the inverted mesh dilly referred to as a "Witches Hat". Dillies range from $3 to $6. You need a boat to use dillies effectively. You do not need a licence to use a crab pot or dilly but there are some rules to obey.
1. No more than 4 pots or dillies or a combination of pots and dillies per person.
2. Crab pots and dillies must be marked by an identifying tag bearing the surname and address of the owner.
3. When not fixed to something they must have a light coloured float attached, not less than 15 cm in any dimension, with the name of the owner clearly inscribed on it.
4. An inverted dilly type must be made of multifilament.
5. Size and bag limits apply both to blus swimmer and mud crabs. Blue swimmer is 11.5 cm min size and no bag limit. Muddies are 15 cm min and a bag limit of 10 per person per trip. No females of either species is allowed to be kept. You would have to see a diagram to understand where to measure swimmers and muddies.

When you purchase your aparatus ask the tackle shop bloke for the latest "GUIDE TO RECREATIONAL BOATING AND FISHING IN QUEENSLAND" free publication put out by Maritime Safety Qld and the DPI Qld.
Now that you are all set up all you have to worry about are crab pot raiders. For these you need a fairly large cannon. LOL.
Cheers,
Bros.

I have also had a few feeds of muddies and they are best eaten with a serve of malt & hops.
They certainly have big claws and I have seen many of them with the claws tied with twine after they have been caught.
My understanding is that they feed on the root systems of the mangroves, hence their claws are so strong to chomp through the roots.
I may very well be wrong, but I have been told that the muddies are eaten by the big Barras, and the big Barra are eaten by the Crocs, so wherever you find muddies, you also find barras and crocs in the same environment. Talk about a viscious circle.
Dave

I hear you can catch them easily at the Daily Planet in Melbourne..

Jeff

To catch Mud Crabs all you need is a round crab net. Use some meet for bait. Donkey meat seems to work the best.

Have an esky in your boat filled with ice water. Drop them into the ice water and they instantly go to sleep and can be easily handled.

Do not try to touch them. Those nippers can cause severe damage to a finger. I normally pull the net up and turn it upside down. They will fall out into the esky and its as easy as that.

Keep a long piece of wire with a hook on the end and use that to pick them up if they fall on the boat floor instead of in the esky.

You don't say where you will be going to catch the mud crabs. Each state has different laws. Go the the govt web site and it should have the info there for you.

Jeff M

Obviously Des has figured out who you are. I have an Idea but I am not sure.

Anyway I used to live in Aitken St Berri until 2002 and have lived at at Winkie since then. My wife is up in Katherine working and I am here on leave.

The info I gave you about how to catch mud crabs is from the times I have been to Derby WA and gone mud crabbing. The bloke I go out mud crabbing is a fishing nut and has been catching them for 30+ years.

It is the method he uses and we filled up two 60 litre marine eskys. He uses a boat and goes in the creeks near Derby.