Seems like every crabber has a reason for there not being any crabs.
Some of those reasons may even be right. No one really knows I guess. This is the worst crab season I remember in my 65 years.
We havent had rain, the oxygen levels in the water are low ,no grasses, at least not in the Potomac. The rains havent flushed out the rivers. Perhaps its just a bad season.
Certainly the water is more salty also,I noticed that.
I went out the other day and watched one waterman fish his pots. He may have gotten 5 crabs from ten pots. . I watched ,and couldnt of course see his culls.
He told me he wasnt making what it cost to bait his pots and was threatening to take them up. Several have already taken them up, leaving just enough so they can judge if the crabs return. Soft Crabs? What are they havent had one this year and I usually push net the shore and get enough to last me till Christmas. By this time of the year I have usually gotten enough from the Trot line to have picked out 10 to 20 lbs. of crabmeat and put it in the freezer. I dont have one crab cake made up. Its that bad.
From what I have gathered it is better in the Patuxent ,than in the Potomac, but we arent doing much over here. Even in the Wicomico crabs are damned scarce. To make things worse I dont see any small crabs. Leaving not much hope for next year.
There are a few perch, some pretty nice ones ,otherwise the only reason to keep a boat right now is to enjoy riding up and down the river there sure doesnt seem to be much in it.
Makes me kind of wonder what the Virginia boys are doing over in the James.
Alot saltier and funky tasting... not that I purposely taste it but sometimes you get some splashed in your mouth. Water doesn't taste the same and I don't blame the crabs for not wanting to be in this water the way it is. :shrug:
