One thing that wasn't mentioned and a lot of folks don't consider when trying to keep crabs refrigerated is the following. The quality of the crab as far as the freshness, taste, and the sweet crab flavor are compromised the longer they are out of the water regardless of any method used. The sooner you cook that crab the better. Yes you can prolong a crabs life by cooling them but the decomposition process starts shortly after the crabs come out of the water. It's minimal the first 8 to 12 hours but increases exponentially after that. I would much rather cook them immediately and eat them cold vs refrigerating overnight or longer. Sadly very few people are able to experience a "sweet crab" since most places are serving 1 to 3 day old crabs.

Great video, thanks for posting. I used these tips to come up with a scheme to keep a dozen big crabs I caught alive and pinching for 48 hours. I used an old 54qt Igloo cooler and started by adding a layer of ice at the bottom. I built a shelf out of scrap plywood that fits inside the cooler and set it on top of the ice. Then I added a layer of wet burlap on top of the plywood. The ice lasted about 24 hours this way. I left the drain closed to keep the water in to help with the moisture. I added the crabs on top of the wet burlap and gave them a little spritz with the hose so they started out nice and moist. Now for the “innovation.” I took a damp towel and draped it across the top of the cooler but UNDERNEATH the lid. The towel sags in the middle. In that sag I put a cup or two of ice. As that ice melts, it drips down on the crabs and burlap adding to the moisture. I replenished this ice when necessary. I propped the lid open slightly with a thin dowel and used a bungee cord across the top to keep the lid closed. This scheme kept the crabs moist and at 58 degrees.

You have helped me learned to crab so much! Im just starting commercial this year and looking for a way to keep them alive to sell the next day. Your freezer pack under the millk crate in a cooler is a good idea! Your interviews with Bruce led me to meet him at the crab barn and now he knows who I am. He is great. Bought a winder from him and works amazing

Super awesome tips! Starting up a crabbing company this fall and I heard a few things I didn't know so very helpful!

Great tips ! Thanks for the info 👍

Great channel and great info. Fellow bay KZfaqr appreciate the advice and techniques!

Thanks for this! I am a Marylander who moved to the Carolinas and the closest crabbing spot is 2hrs away for me. I always fear the crabs dying. I think I can do it now. Get a couple frozen bottles of water, I have a Jeep so I can temp control. I have been here for close to two decades and unless I am at the beaches no crab feasts. But now I am gonna try it. Might as well steam some shrimp too. Boiled is just not the same!

Appreciate this

I love crabbing! Great tips! I like using frozen bottles of water in my cooler. I'm on board! keep the videos coming!

Great video and great tips found this video just in time going crabbing tomorrow Thursday, June 9, 2022 wish me luck guys will be crabbing in Solomons Island md

Can I put them in a cooler and put the cooler in my trunk for a 10hr drive

i use to work with guy who use a refrigerated tuck body to store his crabs worked great - not to much fight in crab when cold - so easy to clean - needed them cold when cleaning 15 bushels - because they love to pinch and they be eyeballing you - that's right put your hand their [ got you good ]

Great intel Captain! The frozen bait story is a good one! I have one pretty close to the same!

I have used a 5 gallon bucket dipping water from the environment, putting frozen water bottles in for cooling, and a little minnow bucket bubbler aerator for oxygen to keep them alive on the bank in the summer. Any thoughts on this method? The bad thing is that it's a lot of heavy bulky stuff to carry very far.

As always, great info.

Have a sac on the bottom with a little ice under and they stayed overnight but they were getting really slow so I put the wet rag over them in a ventilated ice chest and hoping they make it home for hours away. You may have just saved our crab

How long can you keep them in the basket you catch them in ? With bait in the trap

Hi...how to make pack a live blue swim for the air plan

A lot of good I for for people I miss crabbing I need to get back out there

Good news . I did not know ...

I got a baby blue crab, do you think it’ll last? I put it in a small aquarium with a decent amount of water. It been sitting almost lifeless with a few twitches every hours or so. Is it molting?

Is it cool to leave them in the trap until you accumulate enough for a meal? I have one trap that’s off the dock right next to my boat (we live on it full-time). Like, are they going to fight each other, or just chill and eat and fatten up??? I currently have 3 legal males, but I’d like to wait until I have at least 6.

I've been going crabbing every week so your info was very helpful but i was wondering when i catch the crabs (its usually over a 4 hour period + drive = 5 hours) should i put them in a dry bucket or put them in a bucket with an inch or two of sea water? I always wondered what was best. Ive been doing it with the water, but is dry better? Thanks in advance.

I like how he said moist so many times.

Sorry this is canal youtube for precesing blue crab..i so interest to know information about export blue crab

When I crabbed as a young fellow, we would often catch more than we could use in a day or two. We learned to place live crabs in a cardboard beer or soft drink flat. Next we dipped newspapers in the same water the crabs came from. We would layer crabs and newspapers, then slip them into the refrigerator. They go into suspended animation. When they thaw, you’ll find most have survived. Use the dead ones for bait.

I put live crabs in freezer for 5hrs is that good or bad to eat now??

I soooo want a seafood boil😊 but my heart hurts thinking of them being cooked alive and I can't kill them myself tight before cooking nor clean them while they are alive so I guess I'll just have to keepbwanting it but not having it

Hi

thank u i tell people all the time never dunk them back in the water

So I'm a merchant sailor we had a pool on the ship we couldn't just throw crabs in there although it's salt water? We need oxygen

Sure would have been nice if he demonstrated the real thing as he explained.

You mean to tell me this channel only has 600 subscribers

Jst put them in freshwater 😏

I searched up this because I wanted to keep some as a pet, not to cook them! 🤣😊You did a good job though. 🙂

repeating repeating

Dude you are harming these species they are so cute they are blue and you are using them as bait TO DIE!!!

I'm sure there is some good information here, but fakingly moving the arms or smacking of the lips is too annoying for me.

Can I put them in a cooler and put the cooler in my trunk for a 10hr drive