Northern Ireland Outdoors Forum - Hiking, camping and more

Outdoor Activities => Fishing => Topic started by: Juh 101 on January 23, 2011

Title: crabbing
Post by: Juh 101 on January 23, 2011
hey gys just wandering where would be te best place round hee to go crabbing?
i have tried a little bit of the north coast eg ortrush portstewart cashendoll but no joy.
how do you know if you are in a good location ect?
btw its just off the rocks not a boat.
thank you.
Title: Re: crabbing
Post by: Scribble on January 23, 2011
Hi I take it your after the nice big edible crabs , I find the best Places are the harbours especially if you get the trawlers in and they dump their waste over the side ,this means they have a nice regular feeding time and if you get a nice solid piece of fish like the head and throw it in they won't let go , the earliest I have ever went crabbing is Easter so I'm not to sure about the winter months .
I have 2 reclaimed lobster pots we found washed up and fixed in Donegal we just throw out from rocks with water only being about 12 feet deep we regulary catch one or two in a week .

Andy
Title: Re: crabbing
Post by: Juh 101 on January 23, 2011
yea deff the edible ones.
nohing beats fresh crab.
thank you very much.i wont be near the water till after march anyway.
but this year i want to take the outdoors and everything like that very serious and learn how to read the sea ect.
if that makes sence.
Title: Re: crabbing
Post by: Scribble on January 23, 2011
Does indeed make sense  ;) I'm still learning from it , my task this year is to eat more seaweed and use it as a flavouring etc in cooking , the bushcraft guys on here are a far better bunch to explain things than my rambling talk , don't forget your fresh musscels and winkles and of course the fresh mackies you can get with just a hook and tinfoil then cook on a wee fire uth added taste of smoke then washed down with a cold cider . Heaven  ;D
Title: Re: crabbing
Post by: Juh 101 on January 23, 2011
how do ya catch musscels and winkles?
yea man heaven indeed like your style :)
bushcraft seem super interesting also.
the courses are for me at the moment expensive.as i dont have a job.which is bad.
me and a couple of guys want to try doing a 1 week thing in summer.like living off the land ect.and knowing how to catch things like that would be perfect for some meals.
Title: Re: crabbing
Post by: RedLeader on January 24, 2011
How long do you leave the pot down for?

Hi I take it your after the nice big edible crabs , I find the best Places are the harbours especially if you get the trawlers in and they dump their waste over the side ,this means they have a nice regular feeding time and if you get a nice solid piece of fish like the head and throw it in they won't let go , the earliest I have ever went crabbing is Easter so I'm not to sure about the winter months .
I have 2 reclaimed lobster pots we found washed up and fixed in Donegal we just throw out from rocks with water only being about 12 feet deep we regulary catch one or two in a week .

Andy
Title: Re: crabbing
Post by: suspectmonkey on January 24, 2011
I remember when I was a kid my gran used to take me crabbing in Ballywalter harbour.  Used to be a good spot for it, although I've no idea what it's like now and frankly I've no idea if the crabs we caught were even edible.

More recently I saw some fellas crabbing from the harbour at Strangford and there appeared to be no shortage.  Come to think of it, I should probably give up fishing this year and try crabbing ;)
Title: Re: crabbing
Post by: Scribble on January 24, 2011
How long do you leave the pot

Usually just leave them overnight and check in morning as it's only a 5min walk from my caravan so it's nice and handy  :)

When we leave pots out further with the boat we usually let it soak for a few days and if we are lucky we might get a lobster .
Title: Re: crabbing
Post by: Dowser on January 24, 2011
Great topic and very appropriate for me at the minute.

At the weekend I was in Tesco and they were selling off 3 kippers for 99p and although I wouldn't eat kippers I thought they would be good bait for a lobster pot, so I bought some.

I have a Lobster Pot that I got a while back but never actually got round to putting it out.  So this weekend I gave it a go.

This is what I was after:

(http://i.imgur.com/SMQxd.jpg)

And this it the equipment I used:

A 33p Smoked Herring
(http://i.imgur.com/libdv.jpg)

My Lobster Pot with Bouy Attached for locating the pot when the tide has gone out
(http://i.imgur.com/CwBGx.jpg)

The Pot in positioned at Low Tide.
(http://i.imgur.com/i87oM.jpg)

I put Rocks in and on top of the Pot because on the previous evenings attempt the pot had rolled onto it's side
(http://i.imgur.com/t1EF2.jpg)

The bouy barely visible at high tide - Honestly it is out there if you look carefully
(http://i.imgur.com/e1g2A.jpg)

My Dissapointing Catch - two small shore crabs, one with only one nipper. Although totally edible they are too small for the effort required
(http://i.imgur.com/9tLdL.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/XbHqW.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/AxqJa.jpg)

Conclusion: I'm going to have to do a bit more research to find out what went wrong.  There are so many factors to consider i.e. Positioning of the Pot, Bait, Season (Time of Year) or maybe just bad luck.  I will do a bit more Googling before attempting it again.

As for your original question Juh101, one place I do know where you can catch the real mccoy is the Reef off Ballywalter but it can be a dangerous past time.  The reef can be got to by foot at low tide but the tide comes in very quick and you could end up getting cut off from the shore.  A life jacket and mobile phone in a waterproof case would be highly recommended.

Unfortunately, Google Earth doesn't show the area clearly but here is the reef maked on a Google Map with a red line:

(http://i.imgur.com/kml8i.jpg)

People crabbing here use a Crab Hook, shown below, to pull the crabs out of deep crevasses and from under rocks.
(http://i.imgur.com/qW6q6.jpg)

 8)
Title: Re: crabbing
Post by: LennyJ1 on January 24, 2011
Great write up and photos as always andy. Good luck next time.

I live to far away from the sea to make this worth my while buy maybe this summer I might give fishing another try.
Title: Re: crabbing
Post by: Scribble on January 24, 2011
Dowser..
My uncle use to put a pot out from a fishing point about 10min walk from pickie park in Bangor . He did use one of the old rowing boats you use to be able to hire to get to mark but I'm sure you could lug it round yourself . I have not been round that way in years so I would not know what it's like now . Good luck on your next try . Your bait was it still there or did all the shore crabs make fast work of it , I always try to use a big pollack head as it seems to last longer

As Lenny says nice write up and pics  :)
Title: Re: crabbing
Post by: Dowser on January 24, 2011
Dowser..
My uncle use to put a pot out from a fishing point about 10min walk from pickie park in Bangor . He did use one of the old rowing boats you use to be able to hire to get to mark but I'm sure you could lug it round yourself . I have not been round that way in years so I would not know what it's like now . Good luck on your next try . Your bait was it still there or did all the shore crabs make fast work of it , I always try to use a big pollack head as it seems to last longer

As Lenny says nice write up and pics  :)

I'm doing this off a wee village on the Ards pennisula called Ballyhalbert, two minutes down the road from Ballywalter.  Half of the bait was picked clean to the bone by something, but there was defo plenty remaining.

I should have said above, Juh101 if you are keen to try the reef in Ballywalter and want a bit of company send me a PM and we could get something organised.  I'd love to give it a go again myself :)
Title: Re: crabbing
Post by: RedLeader on January 24, 2011
I've got the knife and fork packed for when I get the signal that there's a big juicy fresh lobster heading for your stove  ::)

Dowser..
My uncle use to put a pot out from a fishing point about 10min walk from pickie park in Bangor . He did use one of the old rowing boats you use to be able to hire to get to mark but I'm sure you could lug it round yourself . I have not been round that way in years so I would not know what it's like now . Good luck on your next try . Your bait was it still there or did all the shore crabs make fast work of it , I always try to use a big pollack head as it seems to last longer

As Lenny says nice write up and pics  :)

I'm doing this off a wee village on the Ards pennisula called Ballyhalbert, two minutes down the road from Ballywalter.  Half of the bait was picked clean to the bone by something, but there was defo plenty remaining.

I should have said above, Juh101 if you are keen to try the reef in Ballywalter and want a bit of company send me a PM and we could get something organised.  I'd love to give it a go again myself :)
Title: Re: crabbing
Post by: Scribble on January 24, 2011
I've got the knife and fork packed for when I get the signal that there's a big juicy fresh lobster heading for your stove  ::)


no probs and we can get a bivvi in a cave to if you fancy it  ;D

http://www.andymcinroy.com/ir452.htm
Title: Re: crabbing
Post by: Juh 101 on January 26, 2011
exalent write up man.
yea deffo would love to give it a shot some time man im in.
workin on gettin my car back on road atm though.
thats why it wont be able to for a while yet.
im from ballymena so its quite far away from anywhere coastal.
so yea dowser deffo in a while.
and the bivvi idea  do a lil fishin incase the crabbin fails lol.
some nice open fire cooked fish.now that wuld b nice.
how do ya catch mussels and winkles?
Title: Re: crabbing
Post by: Dowser on January 26, 2011
workin on gettin my car back on road atm though.
thats why it wont be able to for a while yet.
so yea dowser deffo in a while.

how do ya catch mussels and winkles?

Any time that suits you Juh 101.  It would be a nicer experience when the weather gets a bit warmer anyway.  It's completely Baltic in Ballywalter at the mo!!!

Mussels and Winkles is a gathering process rather than catching.  Mussels and Winkles just cling to the rocks and you pull them off.  The same reef that I was telling you about off Ballywalter would be coming down with them.

Mussels make excellent eating but personally, winkles would be restricted to a bushcraft/survival foodstuff for me.  Great source of protein but not pleasent to eat.  Just my opinion  :) 

Cockles, which are also very tasty, can be gathered on the shores of Strangford Lough on the other side of Ards penninsula.  Bit more of a knack involved in collecting them, but well worth it.
Title: Re: crabbing
Post by: Juh 101 on January 26, 2011
you seem to know your stuff man happy days.
can make a rite day of it then lol.
winkles are the half shell 1's yea?
do u know the names or any of the bushcraft people on here?
btw im jason.
whats da name dude?
yea will be far nicer in the warmer days.and the evenings will b a lil longer also.
so what kinna trips do the guys on here go on?like is it intense walking and stuff like that?
do ya have to be quite fit like?
Title: Re: crabbing
Post by: Dowser on January 27, 2011
winkles are the half shell 1's yea?

Winkles (Periwinkles) and are really just sea snails.  They look like this:
(http://i.imgur.com/WtGeH.jpg)
Normally you just boil them and pick them out of their shells with a pin.

The half shell ones you are thinking of are probably Limpets, again shown below:
(http://i.imgur.com/Lsjol.jpg)
You can usually kick these off the rock with your heel in a good pair of boots.  You can fry, bake or boil these suckers but they can be chewy.

These are your Mussels:
(http://i.imgur.com/hwuL0.jpg)
They grow in clumps and cling to rocks etc.  Usually boiled or baked.  Very tasty in a White wine and Garlic cream sauce.  Yum

And lastly, the Cockles I was telling you about
(http://i.imgur.com/uo64d.jpg)
These little clams live under the sand and filter it for food therefore you have to do a bit of digging to find them but their are only hiding about 4 inches under so they are easy enough to sneak up on.

This has to be one of the best books you will ever buy on the subject:
(http://i.imgur.com/oTtmF.png)

do u know the names or any of the bushcraft people on here?
Celt_Ginger would be a keen Bushcrafter and posts regulary on here.

btw im jason. whats da name dude?
My names Andy.

so what kinna trips do the guys on here go on?like is it intense walking and stuff like that? do ya have to be quite fit like?
We get up to all sorts on here.  Camping, Bivvying, Kayaking, Fishing etc.  Everything Outdoorsy!!!  Our usual stomping ground is the Mournes and we would be up there about twice a month.  We do try and go further afield too.  We've been to Kerry and Scotland and are hopefully gonna be doing Snowdon sometime soon.

You definately don't have to an athlete to get out and about with us... Fitness levels range quite a bit through our members and you normally know well in advance what the outing is going to involve and what gear/kit you would need.
Title: Re: crabbing
Post by: Juh 101 on January 27, 2011
thank u for all this info man.
finding it all so usefull and helpfull.
when i get all my gear and set up just rite i will hit the mountians wif u's
but would love to try the whole living off the land thing.
kina fasanates me.
i got oysters from tesco last nite.were in the reduced section.
i put a lil brop of tobasco on tp of them in their shells after prized them open an bona'pa'tete
was unreal.25p a pop.
suppose the outdoors shops are the best places to buy gear or would it b online?
Title: Re: crabbing
Post by: Dowser on January 27, 2011
i got oysters from tesco last nite.were in the reduced section.
i put a lil brop of tobasco on tp of them in their shells after prized them open an bona'pa'tete
was unreal.25p a pop.
suppose the outdoors shops are the best places to buy gear or would it b online?

I had fresh oysters with Wasabi sauce (Just as hot as Tobasco) at my work Crimbo dinner, so I know what your saying.  They are excellent!!!  :P

I'm probably the wrong guy to be asking about kit...  I swear by Army Issue gear.  You will notice a theme here: http://www.ni-wild.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=1382

But when it comes to buying kit, a combination of both Outdoor Shops and Online is best.  If you really don't know what you are looking for the big stores like Cotswolds and Tiso can give you stacks of advice, so your not buying the wrong gear and having to change it 3 months down the line.  If your on a budget then go to the big stores, get the advice and the exact name of the item you want and Google it.  More than likely you will get the item a bit cheaper online.

If you have any questions about the right kit to buy start a new topic here: http://www.ni-wild.co.uk/forum/index.php?board=7.0  The Guys and Girls on here just love to talk about kit.  Only problem is, everybody has their own favourites, so you might get 10 recommendations for 10 different pairs of boots or jackets or tents etc.  Just don't be shy and ask away... Everybody has got to start somewhere.

Hopefully see you in the Hills or by the Shore soon enough  :)
Title: Re: crabbing
Post by: mark malarkie on July 13, 2021
Hi there Dowser

I found your post from way back & just wondering if you know if it's ok to eat the winkles from the shore around Annalong...there's loads of them there!
thnx
Mark


winkles are the half shell 1's yea?

Winkles (Periwinkles) and are really just sea snails.  They look like this:
(http://i.imgur.com/WtGeH.jpg)
Normally you just boil them and pick them out of their shells with a pin.

The half shell ones you are thinking of are probably Limpets, again shown below:
(http://i.imgur.com/Lsjol.jpg)
You can usually kick these off the rock with your heel in a good pair of boots.  You can fry, bake or boil these suckers but they can be chewy.

These are your Mussels:
(http://i.imgur.com/hwuL0.jpg)
They grow in clumps and cling to rocks etc.  Usually boiled or baked.  Very tasty in a White wine and Garlic cream sauce.  Yum

And lastly, the Cockles I was telling you about
(http://i.imgur.com/uo64d.jpg)
These little clams live under the sand and filter it for food therefore you have to do a bit of digging to find them but their are only hiding about 4 inches under so they are easy enough to sneak up on.

This has to be one of the best books you will ever buy on the subject:
(http://i.imgur.com/oTtmF.png)
Title: Re: crabbing
Post by: Dowser on July 13, 2021
Yes Mark, they should be perfectly fine to eat, but make sure you don’t collect Dog Whelks by mistake: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dog_whelk

Enjoy!
Title: Re: crabbing
Post by: Glenn B on July 19, 2021
Give them a good boil and add plenty of salt to the water  :)