THE AMERICAN CRAB INDUSTRY 615 



and hang on as the hne is raised. In winter months fishing is done with dredges 

 and traps which can be handled in deeper waters. Legal sizes, varying somewhat 

 from season to season and between states, have been established by some states. 

 Generally the legal lengths are: hard crabs, 5 inches; peelers, 3 inches; and soft 

 crabs, 3/2 inches. Crabbers often carry a small measuring stick. 



Methods of Fishing. Soft-Shell Crabs. The soft-crab fishery is necessarily limited 

 to late spring, summer, and early fall since soft crabs are obtained only as a result 

 of the moulting of the young crabs, which takes place during the warmer months. 

 Soft crabs are either caught in that condition, or are obtained by holding a 

 "peeler," which is a crab about to shed, until it moults. When a crab approaches 

 the time of moulting, a narrow white line appears on the outer margin of the next 

 to the outer segment of the fourth pair of legs or "back fins." In this stage the 

 crab is called a "fat," "green," or "snot" crab. It is not saved with the catch as it 

 would be likely to die before moulting. Within a few days the line becomes pink 

 in color and the crab is known by the crabbers as a "peeler." Peelers are saved 

 and kept alive in live boxes and floats until they moult. The bulk of the soft crabs 

 handled are obtained by the "shedding out" of peelers or crabs about to shed. 



Soft crabs and peelers are chiefly caught in dip or push nets or in scrapes 

 although a few are caught on the trotlines. Trotlines are used mainly for the 

 catching of hard crabs since a soft crab cannot take the bait and peelers do not 

 often bite as they eat little for a few days before they shed. 



A dip net is a M-inch iron rod hoop about a foot in diameter, carrying a net bag 

 of 1-inch mesh attached to a straight wooden handle about 7 feet in length. It is 

 used by crabbers fishing in the shallow waters of coves, inlets, mouths of creeks, 

 and other places where the bottoms are unsuitable for the use of the scrape. 

 The crabber, reaching into the water from a boat, scoops up the soft crabs or 

 peelers. 



The push net is similar to the dip net, with one exception: The iron ring of the 

 push net is about twice as large and flattened on the side opposite the handle 

 where it comes in contact with the bottom. This net is pushed along the bottom 

 by the crabber, who wades in the eel grass where soft or peeler crabs often hide 

 while the new shell hardens. The net usually gathers up trash of all kinds as well 

 as soft crabs. The soft crabs and peelers are separated from the refuse as they are 

 unloaded. They are then placed in a live box or skiff towed along by a rope usually 

 tied around the waist of the crabber. The catch with the push net is about the 

 same as that with the dip net. 



A scrape consists essentially of a triangular iron frame, with a base varying in 

 width from 2 to 5 feet attached to a cotton-mesh bag which extends about 6 feet 

 behind. The scrape is similar to the oyster dredge, except that it is Hghter, has 

 no teeth on the front bar, and has a cotton instead of a chain bag. The scrape 

 is dragged by a rope fastened to the apex. Small sailboats, varying in length from 

 20 to 60 feet, are commonly used for this method of crabbing. Generally, 1 scrape 

 is dragged on each side of the boat, but the larger boats use 3 and sometimes 

 4 scrapes. They are hauled in alternately by hand after covering 75 to 200 yards, 

 and the contents are dumped into shallow boxes attached to the side of the boat 

 from which the crabs are sorted out of the mass of seaweed, shells, fish, etc. The 

 hard crabs are put into barrels and the soft crabs are kept in boxes. 



Two men are required to handle a heavy scrape, but the lighter scrapes are 



