Tuesday, April 3, 2012

C is for Crabbing


I lived in Maine for a few years when I was a baby and toddler. Once we moved, I would visit every summer. The rocky shore of Maine is a perfect place to explore when you’re a little kid and I would spend all day along the edge of the ocean turning over rocks, scooping up hermit crabs and searching for sea glass. One of my favorite activities to do, however, was crabbing.

Crabbing involves wading into knee deep water and pushing aside thick ropes of seaweed to find mussel beds wedged into deep crevices in the rocks. I would rip these innocent mollusks from their home and carry them up to a seaweed covered rock that jutted into the water. Crabbing is done best at mid-tide – either coming in or going out – but deep enough that the large crabs that hide in the deep water at low tide would be crawling about searching for food.

I would smash the mussel with a large rack I carried from the upper shore. The shells would crack and split just enough to thread a bent-open paper clip through the flesh. A long string attached to the paper clip and a stick served as a crabbing pole, so to speak. Once done, a quick flick of the wrist sent the line into the water. It was easier to spot a crab taking the bait if I dropped the line out from the rock a bit, but the best crabs were caught closer to the rocks where the seaweed flowed and swirled with the tide obscuring the line and mussel.

Pulling up the line as slowly as possible was the trick to keeping potential captives on the line. Once the crabs were out of the water they tended to jump from the bait and make a quick panicked run into the seaweed. If you were quick enough, you’d drop them into the waiting bucket before they tried to escape. If you were me, you’d squeal with delight and then drop the crab and line and then kick over the bucket in your excitement to try to recatch the one that got away.

After a successful day of crabbing or when the tide was getting too low or high, the crabs would be counted and unceremoniously dumped back into the ocean. These weren’t eating crabs, just your average everyday rock crabs and most weren’t much bigger than a few inches across.

I took great pride and joy in introducing my girls to crabbing. Every time we go to Maine whole afternoons are spent on the rocks catching crabs. Then we let them go only to come back the next day to catch them all over again.

One of the rare photos of the girls that I will post here. They are both quite young in this shot and not doing anything remotely embarrassing so I figure it is "safe." The rock they are standing on will be completely submerged at high tide. This is the very same rock that I stood on with my siblings doing the exact same thing.

Note: I haven't actually come out and said it yet but my theme for the Blogging A to Z Challenge is "My Favorite Memories."

20 comments:

  1. I've never gone crabbing. But your story about catching them and letting them go brings back fond memories of days and days spent catching and releasing frogs at the cottage.

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    1. In the woods nearby to the above photo, we would also hunt salamanders. What is it about kids catching crawling things??

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  2. I've always wanted to go to Maine. But I'm a big sissy when it comes to catching or really touching sea life. And crabs are all pinchey with the claws.

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    1. You a sissy? I disbelieve it! How could the almighty Pickleope be afraid of a crab?

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  3. I love your theme. I've never been to Maine but I'm going for the first time for a conference in July. I'm excited. Can't wait to read more of your favorite memories.

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    1. Thanks for the positive feedback! Maine is really a great place! So much good food and friendly people!

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  4. That sounds like a fun thing to do with your kids! We go crabbing the bad people way: with nets in order to eat them. :)

    I just noticed I am on your blog list. I am totally honored. Thanks so much!

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    1. I'm not a big fan of crab as food unless someone risks life and limb to catch them out of the Bering Sea!

      Not really, but I like the bigger Pacific crabs versus the Atlantic ones. Although I have a serious fondness for crab cakes!

      And you are most welcome!

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  5. Great blog Heather...lov the 'content' but I also love crabbing-moreso in eating them! I have visited Maine a few times in my life and love the rocky coast as well. It was so much fun reading this!

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    1. Thanks so much! I'm glad you enjoyed my story!

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  6. This sounds like so much fun to me. Great descriptions. If we ever get to Maine, we'll try it.

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    1. Definitely! It is a lot of fun especially for kids! Who am I kidding? I still love doing it!

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  7. Great post. It sounds like a wonderful thing to share with your family.

    Michelle
    www.michelle-pickett.com/blog

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  8. I think it's super awesome that your kids are able to enjoy the same things you and your siblings did growing up :)

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    1. Thank you! I really love showing my girls the things I did when I was little. Unfortunately, for them that also includes the cartoons I loved! Jem, He-Man, and Thundercats - although luckily they seem to like them or at least like mocking them!

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  9. Your post brings back memories...good ones! I remember crabbing with my parents on summer vacations. Nice post :)

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    1. Thanks and thanks for stopping by. I'm glad that my post brought up some of your good memories!

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  10. I love your theme. Great C.

    I've watched kids crabbing when I went to Southport lake (Merseyside)and Wells harbour (Norfolk)and always wondered why I never did it as a child.

    My parents took me to more sand dune coasts and inland waterfalls than rocky shores. Not so easy for crabbing.

    Lynne
    Twitter: @LynneinPborough

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    1. It's never to late to start! But you're right dunes do not make a good crabbing environment!

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