[sandbar]

How does the regulation on blue crabs ( 5 inch carapace width ) affect their use as bait? Crushed crab for example; you can't tell how wide the carapace is if it's crushed. Can you posess a blue crab that's less than 5 inches if your intent is using it for bait?

 

[Roadkillal]

I do not think they are going to care if you are using the crab for bait or to eat if you have it in your possession. It needs to be 5 inches. If you want to read a good book about blue crabs read Beautiful Swimmers by William Warner. The part about how they have sex is pretty romantic and kind of tragic. Anyway I gave the book to my wife for last Valentine's day.

 

[sundrop]

I promise you, if you get caught with a crab under 5" you will get a ticket period. Now whether or not it was 5 before it was crushed will be at the sole judgement of the warden and I'll bet he says it was short if there is any question.....

 

[sandbar]

wouldn't take that bet sundrop. gonna contact the dmf for an interpretation of the rules. First heard about using crushed crab for bait here.

 

[sinker man]

There have been a lot of legal bait questions none of which are spelled out in the regs. If it is natural bait and dead it's not live bait. If it's on a hook in pieces or in a minnow trap and crushed the game warden isn't gonna to harrass you over something he can't prove beyond a reasonable doubt. Say for example you were using bluefish for cut bait and there was a 12" size limit on them. Would you be required to save the carcass to prove it was taken from a legal fish. NO. Just because you have a carcass doesn't prove anything other than you have a carcass. Now if the carcass is short then you could be in for a ticket. If you follow the regs. and don't try to read into them what isn't in black and white you will not have issues. If you do all you have to do is present a copy of the regs in court. The law is written in black and white so if you have issues with the law itself you need to do like Kayaking Glenn and question the authorities and get their written appoval to "bend the rules". If you follow this logic and still get in trouble all you need to do is print this off and tell'em "Al said...."