3 great places & methods to catch crabs Galveston, as well as how to clean, prepare, and cook the crabs that you catch.

3 great places to catch crabs galveston

Galveston Bay

Most of the bay side of Galveston Island is private residences. There are a few exceptions, most notably the bay side of Galveston Island State Park. The best way to experience crabbing in Galveston Bay is to rent an AirBnb that is located on the bay or along one of the canals. Tie your trap or crab basket up to the dock or to something in the yard.

San Luis Pass

Note: Do Not Go in the Water at San Luis Pass

At the far western end of the island, if you can access San Luis Pass you are likely to find good crabs in that area. Warning: Please do not go into the water for any reason in this area. Very experienced swimmers and fishing enthusiasts have been swept away in the pass, even in shallow (ankle deep) water. People drown there every year, and most of them were fishing.

The reason it is so dangerous in this area is because there are several different bodies of water moving in several different directions. These currents are constantly changing and very difficult to see above the water. The sand underneath the currents are not stable.

Seawall Boulevard

There are several jetties along the seawall and many are known to get some good fishing and crabbing. Don’t venture to the jetties on red flag days. Red flag days mean the presence of strong wind, strong current or large surf. If it is a windy day, crabbing or fishing from the jetties is not a good idea. On normal days, cast your line out beyond the jetty rocks and retrieve it without getting stuck on the rocks! Here is the meaning of the flags along the beach in Galveston, flag meaning along beach in galveston texas – Google Search.

Crabbing season in Galveston Texas

There is no specific season for crabbing in Galveston, Texas, or any part of Texas. There is a 10-day period where you are not allowed to catch crab. Typically, this period starts the 3rd Friday of February and runs for ten days. This year, it was February 17, 2023 – February 26, 2023. Aside from that, you can catch crab year-round. There is no limit on crab. Legal catches must have a minimum body width of 5 inches, measuring from spine to spine. However, it is illegal to keep females that are carrying fertilized eggs – also known as a sponge female. These crabs are easily identified by a spongy mass of eggs found on their abdomen.

3 Methods to Catch Crabs Galveston

String and Bait Method

There are a couple of different methods to catching crabs. The method you choose depends on your budget and patience. The easiest method is to use raw piece of chicken (preferably a chicken neck) or fish tied to a piece of string. Tie a rock or weight to the very end of your string so your bait will stay under water. About 5 feet away from the rock, tie your bait to the string.

Throw (or drop) the rock end out about two feet away from where you want the bait to sit. Then watch and wait. Once your string is tugged by a crab, slowly and gently pull the string out of the water toward you. Slowly walk the crab toward you and scoop the crab up with a net just below the water. Don’t let him come up from the water completely or it will drop the bait. This takes some patience and some practice. Here is a link to a YouTube video demonstrating, the string and bait method, BLUE CRAB Catch & Cook! (Galveston, Texas) – YouTube.

Crab Basket Method

A second method for catching crabs is to use a crab basket. Tie a raw piece of chicken to the center of the basket with a piece of string. Then add a rock or a weight to the basket so that the basket will stay down under the water when dropped or cast away from you. When you see a crab go in the basket, slow and gently pull the basket out of the water. Untangle any crabs from the basket and dump them into a bucket of cool beach/bay water or an ice chest with cool water. This is a link to a YouTube video that demonstrates crabbing with crab basket, HOW TO CATCH BLUE CRABS WITH A TRAP: GALVESTON TEXAS – YouTube.

Crab Tap Method

Some people prefer to set a crab trap, go about the day doing other things, and then come back to check the trap for crab. This method is just as effective and doesn’t require manual catching. You can buy a trap at a local bait shop or purchase one at Walmart on Seawall Blvd. or Target an 61st at I-45 or online.

There are also collapsible traps that open when they reach the bottom, or they have reverse funnel entrances. Typically, the bait is in the center of the trap and the structure or shape makes it difficult for the crab to exit. This YouTube video demonstrates catching crabs with a crab trap although it is not in Galveston TX. This videographer used a GoPro for filming. Interesting. Watch, Underwater Gopro In Crab Trap – Unedited – YouTube.

How to Clean, Prepare, and Cook Crabs

Crab meat is very tasty and you can prepare it in a number of ways. Your freshly caught crabs should be cleaned as soon as possible to avoid spoilage. If the crab is dead before you can clean it, you should discard it. Crabs can be cooked (boiled or grilled most likely) before or after cleaning.

To clean a crab, remove the claws first by holding the body in one hand and twist the claw off with your other hand. Now, hold the crab by the legs in one hand, with your other hand place your fingers under the shell at the back. Pull the shell up and off. Finally, clean out and discard internal organs in the center of the crab.

Make a small slice on the top of one side of the body and then repeat on the other side. You should now be able to scoop out the crab meat from the exposed chambers. Be sure to refrigerate or cook the meat as soon as possible! Checkout this YouTube video on an easy and quick way to clean blue crabs, 2 Steps To Clean A Blue Crab (The Quick & Easy Way) – YouTube.

Take a look at my first video, great crabbing in galveston texas (mygalvestonrealtor.com) for some excellent recipes for crab cakes and crab legs.

Interested in saltwater fishing in Galveston Texas, visit my fishing blogs, the first in the series is successful saltwater fishing in Galveston-Part 1 (mygalvestonrealtor.com).

In the market for a vacation home or an investment property in Galveston? See my “eXp Homes for Sale” These homes are all areas of Galveston and in all price ranges. These homes can be found at 6 active listings in galveston, texas usa (mygalvestonrealtor.com). This page is updated frequently with new eXp listings. Come back often and please let me know how I can assist you.