Talking about fishing for crabs, the most frustrating thing is spending numerous hours out on the water and pulling up the crab trap, again and again, only to find out that you have caught only a handful of keepers. If you are planning to go out to catch Dungeness crab, you need more than just luck to get your work done effectively. The most important thing is having the best trap for Dungeness crab. You must also have an idea about how to use the tides in your favor along with the best bait for Dungeness crab. These things add up to your chances to have a satisfying Dungeness crab fishing experience. Dungeness crab is larger and they are extremely tasty when steamed with melted butter. These crabs have strong pincers too. The best trap for Dungeness crab ensures that the crab not only enters the trap but also stay there. This content will provide you with a much elaborative idea on the best trap for Dungeness crab.
Which are the top 10 best trap for Dungeness crab in 2020?
1. KUFA rubber wrapped steel ring crab trap
- This product features highly durable polyethylene netting
- 18-Inch deep net ensures optimal catch security
The KUFA rubber wrapped steel ring crab trap comes with a unique design that can be cast by either hand or a fishing rod. It allows you to drop the trap precisely where you need to throw it into the deep depths of the ocean to maximize the number of catches that you make. It has a 100 feet long smooth casting braided rope which makes this crab trap easier to be used on the dock, shore, or boat to target different species of crabs. It comes with a bait bag that serves as an accessory to get you started to catch crabs.
Pros
- It is lighter in weight and portable.
- The bait bag present with this crab trap serves as the perfect accessory.
- It can easily catch lobsters too along with crabs.
- It has highly durable polyethylene netting.
- This design is ideal for long soaks.
- Its design can easily accommodate large crabs.
Cons
- This product is not suitable for blue crabs.
- The holes in this trap are excessively large.
2. Danielson Pacific FTC crab trap
The Danielson Pacific FTC crab trap comes with a design that serves the best in circumstances when you are unable to retrieve the trap. It can be the best choice for ethical fishermen. To ensure that the crabs do not escape when your trap is lost, this crab trap comes up with two escape rings and includes in the purchase a fall away rot cord system. It disables the trap if you are unable to reach it. To keep the crabs inside the trap, it has a durable vinyl coated steel wire.
Pros
- This crab trap has two escape rings for smaller crabs.
- The vinyl-coated steel wire makes it extremely durable.
- If the trap gets lost in the sea, its fall away system automatically disables the trap.
- It has a simple design that ensures easy bait placement in bait cages or bait bags.
- Its durability allows it to stand up to heavy use in saltwater.
Cons
- They are not suitable for catching eastern blue crabs.
- This trap is a bit shaky and its side can fall open.
- It does not have any other openings apart from the crab entrance.
- FISH ACCESSORIES: The Danielson 24" Fold-Up Crab Trap is an exclusive fishing accessory that is trusted widely by recreational crabbers throughout the Pacific Northwest. With this collapsible crab trap in your fishing kit, you can enjoy crabbing with utmost convenience. This is a non-compliant trap for the state of California
- QUALITY CONSTRUCTION: This foldable crab trap is manufactured of vinyl-coated steel wire, which is not just marine-grade but also utterly strong. This net can easily handle under water conditions and is not-at all bulky to save your extra storage space and carrying needs.
3. Maryland blue crab pot trap
When talking about commercial quality, the Maryland blue crab trap pot holds a prominent position. These crab traps are made in the United States of America and are an ideal choice for commercial crabbers. Its unique design allows you to easily put the bait in the trap.
Pros
- It is a suitable choice for commercial crabbers.
- It is ideal for catching blue crabs as well.
- This crab pot has a decent amount of sturdiness.
Cons
- It is not suitable for pier crabbing
- Due to its heavyweight, it is not suitable to be used from a bridge.
4. Promar Heavy-duty crab pot
The Promar heavy duty crab pot can easily stack on each other and are extremely durable. These crab pots are used primarily by commercial guys to catch Dungeness crabs effectively. The Promar heavy duty crab pot serves as the Cadillac of crab traps. It is a suitable choice for people who are serious about crabbing for Dungeness and do not want to waste their time with inefficient catches. It is made up of heavy-duty blue steel. Its frame is vinyl coated which makes it easy for handling no matter if it is dry or wet. These crab pots are well built to serve well for long soaks in the salt.
Pros
- It weighs 15 pounds which prevents its movement from ocean currents.
- It comes with an easily accessible internal bait box.
- It comes with the rot cord system which prevents the crabs from escaping out of the trap when the pot is unable to be retrieved.
- It has three tunnel entrances.
Cons
- It is extremely large.
5. KUFA casting crab trap
The KUFA casting crab trap is an ideal crab trap that is ring-shaped. It comes with a highly durable polyethylene netting which helps in securing the Dungeness crabs. Its 18-inch deep net provides you with optimal catch security and it is capable to hold and accommodate various other species of crabs too. Its rings are made up of stainless steel and they are durable and ideal for withstanding longer soaks. It has a thick orange rope that is always visible and helps in locating your trap easily.
Pros
- It is suitable for Dungeness crabs as well as other species of crabs.
- Its capability to withstand longer soaks provides you with the benefit of leaving this overnight.
- The orange rope of the trap is always visible even when there is inclement weather.
- This trap can be cast either by hand or a fishing rod.
Cons
- It might get rusted after a few crab fishing trips.
- The netting in the trap can get torn with powerful currents.
How to choose the best trap for Dungeness crab?
Crab traps are designed keeping into consideration the variety of crabs that are present in the world. You should always look out to invest in such a kind of crab trap that can provide you with a variety of flavors. Purchasing a crab trap that is designed for catching only a single type of crabs can make your crabbing experience boring after a little while. You must also ensure that your crab trap is portable enough. Portability of a crab trap ensures that you can set up the trap in the reef, at the beach or off the pier. This further adds to the element of fun during crab fishing. To guide you thoroughly in purchasing the right kind of crab trap, we have provided before you a detailed buying guide which will easily provide you with a vivid idea about what you should look in for while purchasing a crab trap. Let us have a look.
Size
Determining which size of crab trap would be suiting your needs will depend a lot on the types of crabs that you are looking out to catch. There are various varieties of crabs that come in different sizes. Some crabs are even larger than the others and in such cases, you need an ideal trap to match the size of such crabs. There are certain kinds of trap designs that give you an idea about how much weight they can hold. It allows you to estimate how many crabs belonging to a particular species can stay inside. For instance, a Dungeness crab trap is much larger than a blue crab trap because they are a larger species. A Dungeness crab can be over 10 inches in width whereas a blue crab is only 5-7 inches wide.
Type
Primarily there are three types of crab trap designs namely the box net, the ring net, and the pyramid crab trap. The most popular design amongst these is the box crab trap. It is the most effective in use. Their smart design does not let the crabs escape out from them. It has multiple holes in it that serve as entryways for the crabs to swim in but not out. The main disadvantage of these traps is that they are harder to transport and also very bulky in size. Ring net crab traps are made from a larger ring and a smaller ring. These rings are connected by a durable net. Once the crabs are trapped they are kept in the net. The larger ring acts as the open-top crab trap which lures curious crabs. A ring crab trap is easily portable owing to its collapsible design. However, it requires precise positioning and placement to catch crabs. Pyramid crab traps are triangular and are great for baiting and trapping crabs. Setting the trap requires, putting the bait in the middle. When the crab crawls in, the top of the trap gets closed. A pyramid crab trap ensures that the crabs. Do not get out of the trap easily.
Size of the hole in the trap
The size of the hole in the trap should be large enough to let the crab get inside it. However, at the same time, it should also not be too big that the crabs can easily see the hole as an escape route. Due to this, there are many kinds of different crab traps that have a funnel-shaped hole. It helps in reducing the number of crabs that can outsmart the trap to escape out of it. Talking about slip ring crab trap pots and folding crab traps, these have smaller entry points. They are meant to be kept in the water for a long time and to catch many crabs at once.
Material and construction
Metal serves to be the best material for enhancing the durability of a crab trap. It is much superior as compared to wire or mesh. Metal, being a long-lasting material is strong enough to take on the bumps and scrapes when it is dropped into the water. Even crabs with their strong claws are unable to cut or break through such traps. This further ensures that you make more catches of crabs. When a crab trap is constructed using durable and quality materials, it ensures that you catch multiple crabs at once and also promotes it uses multiple times.
Depth
You should always go for a crab trap that easily sinks to the bottom. At times depth can be hard on the crab traps due to the pressure and temperature of the water. The ideal crab trap must be having enough durability to withstand deeper depths without hampering its functions.
Your individual needs
There are numerous reasons for which the fishing of crabs is done. Some people want crabs for food, some others study them for carrying out certain research, and crab fishing also serves as a fun activity during family outings. Considering the purpose for which you are trapping crabs can serve you well in deciding about the perfect crab trap that will suit your needs.
Conclusion
By now, you must have found out the right kind of crab trap for catching Dungeness crab. Out of the crab traps that we have mentioned here, any of these would work just fine. You should go for a trap that is specifically designed for Dungeness crab. You must also keep this thing in mind that no matter what crab trap you go for, you must always take good care of it. Dungeness crabs are usually found in Saltwater. You should always rinse off your crab trap with fresh water as saltwater can corrode the metal of your crab trap. If you have ideas about the best bait for Dungeness crab, the best time to go fishing for Dungeness crab or any other thing that can enhance the joy of Dungeness crab fishing, feel free to let us know in the comments section. Thanks for reading.
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