Using Handlines to Catch Blue Crabs from the Roadside
Keith Lusher 05.17.24
With the price of blue crabs up to nearly $40 per dozen, the thought of catching them on your own sounds pretty good these days. Jacob Sharkey (27) of Bristol TN, said he’s been catching blue crabs every chance he gets. “When I head home to visit family the first thing I do is head down to Lake Road in Lacombe, LA,” he said. The canal that runs along the road is ideal for crabbing because it is free of trees or grass. It stretches about a mile and spills out into Lake Pontchartrain.
Sharkey made a trip with his brother Jesse (11) to the crabbing hotspot recently and said it didn’t take long for the crabs to start biting. “I tied a chicken neck to the line and tossed it in the water and before I could bait up my next line I had a crab on the line,” he said.
Sharkey’s setup is quite simple as he ties a chicken neck to the end of a thin string and then ties it onto one of the many lawnchairs that he sets up. The chairs act as an anchor for the lines when the crabs start to pull. However, one chair was no match for an alligator that grabbed the chicken neck and swam away. “Luckily I was able to grab the chair before it went into the water,” he said.
Jacob and Jesse stayed busy on this day as the lines were constantly straightening out and were in need of being checked. “It was a busy day for us out here but we love it,” he said. “I try to eat boiled crabs every chance I get when I come down here.”
While Jacob and Jesse work together to catch the crabs, Jacob says it can be done with one person.“When I see a line get tight I start pulling it in slowly. I let the crab stay on the bottom because there is less of a chance that it lets go and swims away,” he said. “Then when it comes into my sight I set the line down gently and step close enough to take a scoop. The crab is distracted by eating the bait so it’s really easy to scoop if you are fast.” Jacob uses an overhand scooping method and scoops straight down about a foot behind the crab. then he scrapes the bottom forward until the net is over dry land. When scooping, Jacob stresses speed as the crabs can react quickly after hearing the net hit the water. Jacob and Jessie managed to catch over 2-dozen blue crabs after running handlines for about 3 hours. The crabs were mostly mediums that measured from 5.5 inches to 6 inches.
Jacob said this is a great way to enjoy the day with family and it’s a bonus to go home and boil up a few crabs without having to visit the seafood market!
