Claws for
celebration
The delicious reward for harvesting stone crabs is worth the work
By Danielle Rose
60: SPACE COAST LIVING | SPACECOASTLIVING.COM
There’s nothing more
satisfying than sitting
down and enjoying
stone crabs that were
caught the same day.
DANIELLE ROSE PHOTOS
W ith claws powerful
enough to crush
oyster shells, just
imagine what a
stone crab could do
to a finger. To catch
them, a good deal of courage and strong
hands will be needed. If bought, the
only thing to worry about is your wallet
getting pinched. They often fetch more
than $50 a pound. No matter how you
get your hands on them, stone crab claws
are the sweetest, most delectable meat
ever tasted.
My family gathers for the opening of
stone crab season each year. We spend
long days in the sun trying to catch our
limit. As the sun goes down, we clean
up the boat, then head to the kitchen to
cook the day’s catch. We spend evenings
on the porch eating claws, drinking rum
and telling stories about monster stone
crabs and other wild things we saw underwater
that day. Then next morning,
we slather on more sunscreen and do it
all over again. We call it Stonecrabaganza,
a family tradition.
Stone crabs are a uniquely sustainable
seafood because only the claws are
harvested; the live crab goes back in the
water. The ability to release their claws
is a natural defense mechanism that
helps them escape predators like grouper,
octopus and sea turtles. Crabs can
regenerate their claws up to four times.
Even though stone crab is a naturally
resilient fishery, demand has skyrocketed.
To rebuild stock and protect this
incredible resource, the Florida Fish and
Wildlife Conservation Commission adopted
new rules last year. The season is
two weeks shorter, running from Oct. 15
through May 1, and the minimum claw
size has increased to 2 7/8 inches.
Another important regulation remains
unchanged: If you notice a brown or
orange sponge under the carapace,
that’s an egg-bearing female, which is
completely off limits. Each harvester
can keep 1 gallon of claws per day, or 2
gallons per boat, whichever is less.
SETTING TRAPS
There are two options to use when
catching stone crabs. The first and most
common way to catch them is traps.
Anyone with a recreational saltwater
fishing license can register five recreational
traps online for free. Trap
specifications are also strictly regulated,
so check the Florida Fish and Wildlife
Commission’s website for more details.
The traps have to be baited and the
stinkier the bait the better. Fish heads
are a popular choice. Once set, the traps
need to be checked every few days. It’s
a great excuse to get out on the water
with family and friends and, if lucky,
you’ll go home with a nice dinner. But
let’s not get ahead of ourselves, because
trapping the crabs is only half the battle.
Once the trap is on the boat, you have to
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