Dont throw back those ugly crabs! - Kayak Fishing Adventures on Big Water’s Edge

Mr. Adventure · 02-12-2012, 02:32 PM

Went out friday night with some BWE members hooping and fishing out of newport/ CDM. Fishing and bugging was slow, no lobster what so ever but I pulled up one of those big ugly spider/ sheep crab (they seem to use the names interchangeably.)

It looked like something out of my nightmares but I'll be damned if I was going home skunked.

Boiled him up (that's a 12" pizza pan)

then spent about AN HOUR extracting the meat (with a hammer, vice grips and a chopstick to poke the meat out)

Then mixed up some crab cakes, the best crab cakes I've ever had (saffron really set it off.)

A lot of work, but would have made an awesome valentines dinner had I had one this year. So, practice for the next time I nab an ugly crab and need to cook some girls pants off.

Mr. Adventure · 02-12-2012, 02:33 PM

and yes I scrubbed as much stuff off before cooking. Maybe need a wire brush next time

ctrujillo · 02-12-2012, 02:42 PM

nice!!at least someone came home with something to cook up.nice meeting you luke i wonder how benny blanco ended up doing

Mr. Adventure · 02-12-2012, 02:44 PM

I dunno I didn't hear back. I hope he landed something awesome.

That one crab was enough to make 4 hockey puck sized cakes.

lowprofile · 02-12-2012, 02:50 PM

i took a bunch home a few years back. not alot of meat but they sure taste good.

Bennyblanco · 02-12-2012, 06:08 PM

Hey Luke good night out there.im glad that at least one of us cought dinner,josh and I came back dry.we went all the way to Newport pier without a bite.then went back in the bay josh hook up on some small calicos.i was tired from the trip back from the pier,so I just drop my rig to the bottom and laid back.i don't know how long I was out,but josh called me on the radio and woke me up.at that time I was floating without lights,because the battery died.woke up quick and headed out.when I got to my truck I check the time and it was 2:30am.
Good seen you guys out there.next time it will be Dana point ( the pipe)

jorluivil · 02-12-2012, 06:22 PM

Someone told me that people are know to use pressure washers to clean those things up and those some people told me these are almost as good if not better than lobster.

Mr. Adventure · 02-12-2012, 06:48 PM

Dang! That late? I've got to get a wet suit, I had to get out I was freezing. I've been guilty of nodding off on my kayak before.

I've never done Dana point but would be down to give it a go.

Mr. Adventure · 02-12-2012, 06:50 PM

Pressure washer would be a good idea. I used a hog pressure nozzle and it didn't do much for the outside, but when I took the carapace off it worked great for the nastiness inside.

bubblehide · 02-12-2012, 09:16 PM

I've always called them spider crabs. I would suggest pulling off the legs to cook, Then you can pull off the carapace (kinda like a skull cap) and clean the insides before boiling. But they do make some good eats.

jbara · 02-13-2012, 02:18 AM

I had coveralls, waders, and confidence in the lifevest to stay warm. Pretty hilarious when you have to get that stuff off to take a leak in open water though! The tide started rolling out when benny called it quits and the bites started picking up in the bay on plastic. Caught a few small ones quick on the paddle in. Nice to meet you all out there. I'll have a cold one waiting for you all next time.

T Bone · 02-13-2012, 09:52 AM

Try steaming,then they are not sitting in that funky algae.

The Legs seem to catch up to the body when they get bigger...

Bennyblanco · 02-13-2012, 12:04 PM

The way you hook up those crabby patties ,makes me wonder if you're a professional chef?

Mr. Adventure · 02-13-2012, 12:41 PM

Nah, just been working fine dining for a good number of years with really talented chefs to the point where I can't half ass food presentation hah hah

DocHaole · 02-18-2012, 10:00 AM

I've heard that those things can seriously mess you up if you aren't careful. There's not enough room on the yak for the 2 of us.

Mr. Adventure · 02-18-2012, 12:08 PM

yeah he didn't look to happy, I had to call johnny over to give me a hand

h2ofishfo · 02-20-2012, 09:03 PM

ANHOUR FOR 2 CRAB CAKES???????UUH NO THANKS BUT LOOKS GOOD

JohnnyCope · 02-21-2012, 03:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr. Adventure

yeah he didn't look to happy, I had to call johnny over to give me a hand

He feared me! I saw it in his eyes!

Hunters Pa · 02-21-2012, 04:38 PM

When I was a kid we'd put the legs & claws on the grill. Algae burned off & when they were red they were ready.

But they were nowhere near that big.

Mr. Adventure · 02-21-2012, 09:17 PM

I've read you can just yank a claw or leg off and toss them back and they'll grow a new one. If I kept pullin them up it seems like a dick move but I think I'd pop off one claw and toss them back. The claw had a bunch of meat in it.

Of course you have to rip the pincher off a pissed off crab on a kayak while it has the other one so there's that

02-12-2012, 02:32 PM	#1
Mr. Adventure Damn Hippy Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Riverside Posts: 311	Dont throw back those ugly crabs! Went out friday night with some BWE members hooping and fishing out of newport/ CDM. Fishing and bugging was slow, no lobster what so ever but I pulled up one of those big ugly spider/ sheep crab (they seem to use the names interchangeably.) It looked like something out of my nightmares but I'll be damned if I was going home skunked. Boiled him up (that's a 12" pizza pan) then spent about AN HOUR extracting the meat (with a hammer, vice grips and a chopstick to poke the meat out) Then mixed up some crab cakes, the best crab cakes I've ever had (saffron really set it off.) A lot of work, but would have made an awesome valentines dinner had I had one this year. So, practice for the next time I nab an ugly crab and need to cook some girls pants off.

02-12-2012, 02:50 PM	#5
lowprofile #1 on fishstick's hitlist Join Date: May 2011 Location: Sea level Posts: 1,478	i took a bunch home a few years back. not alot of meat but they sure taste good. __________________ MLPA- My Largest Poaching Area

02-12-2012, 06:22 PM	#7
jorluivil Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 6,856	Someone told me that people are know to use pressure washers to clean those things up and those some people told me these are almost as good if not better than lobster. __________________ www.facebook.com/Teamsewer

02-13-2012, 09:52 AM	#12
T Bone Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Redlands CA Posts: 871	Try steaming,then they are not sitting in that funky algae. The Legs seem to catch up to the body when they get bigger... Attached Images __________________ Barachit Baralah,Elohim-In the beginning,God-Genesis 1:1 "Who among you,if your son asked for a fish would give them a serpent " Jesus Matt. 7:10

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02-12-2012, 02:33 PM	#2
Mr. Adventure Damn Hippy Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Riverside Posts: 311	and yes I scrubbed as much stuff off before cooking. Maybe need a wire brush next time

02-12-2012, 02:42 PM	#3
ctrujillo Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: garden grove Posts: 308	nice!!at least someone came home with something to cook up.nice meeting you luke i wonder how benny blanco ended up doing

02-12-2012, 02:44 PM	#4
Mr. Adventure Damn Hippy Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Riverside Posts: 311	I dunno I didn't hear back. I hope he landed something awesome. That one crab was enough to make 4 hockey puck sized cakes.

02-12-2012, 06:08 PM	#6
Bennyblanco Ironman Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Inland empire Posts: 175	Hey Luke good night out there.im glad that at least one of us cought dinner,josh and I came back dry.we went all the way to Newport pier without a bite.then went back in the bay josh hook up on some small calicos.i was tired from the trip back from the pier,so I just drop my rig to the bottom and laid back.i don't know how long I was out,but josh called me on the radio and woke me up.at that time I was floating without lights,because the battery died.woke up quick and headed out.when I got to my truck I check the time and it was 2:30am. Good seen you guys out there.next time it will be Dana point ( the pipe)

02-12-2012, 06:48 PM	#8
Mr. Adventure Damn Hippy Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Riverside Posts: 311	Dang! That late? I've got to get a wet suit, I had to get out I was freezing. I've been guilty of nodding off on my kayak before. I've never done Dana point but would be down to give it a go.

02-12-2012, 06:50 PM	#9
Mr. Adventure Damn Hippy Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Riverside Posts: 311	Pressure washer would be a good idea. I used a hog pressure nozzle and it didn't do much for the outside, but when I took the carapace off it worked great for the nastiness inside.

02-12-2012, 09:16 PM	#10
bubblehide Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 552	I've always called them spider crabs. I would suggest pulling off the legs to cook, Then you can pull off the carapace (kinda like a skull cap) and clean the insides before boiling. But they do make some good eats.

02-13-2012, 02:18 AM	#11
jbara Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Posts: 31	I had coveralls, waders, and confidence in the lifevest to stay warm. Pretty hilarious when you have to get that stuff off to take a leak in open water though! The tide started rolling out when benny called it quits and the bites started picking up in the bay on plastic. Caught a few small ones quick on the paddle in. Nice to meet you all out there. I'll have a cold one waiting for you all next time.

02-13-2012, 12:04 PM	#13
Bennyblanco Ironman Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Inland empire Posts: 175	The way you hook up those crabby patties ,makes me wonder if you're a professional chef?

02-13-2012, 12:41 PM	#14
Mr. Adventure Damn Hippy Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Riverside Posts: 311	Nah, just been working fine dining for a good number of years with really talented chefs to the point where I can't half ass food presentation hah hah

02-18-2012, 10:00 AM	#15
DocHaole Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Lake Forest Posts: 59	I've heard that those things can seriously mess you up if you aren't careful. There's not enough room on the yak for the 2 of us.

02-18-2012, 12:08 PM	#16
Mr. Adventure Damn Hippy Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Riverside Posts: 311	yeah he didn't look to happy, I had to call johnny over to give me a hand

02-20-2012, 09:03 PM	#17
h2ofishfo Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Santee Posts: 821	ANHOUR FOR 2 CRAB CAKES???????UUH NO THANKS BUT LOOKS GOOD

02-21-2012, 04:38 PM	#19
Hunters Pa Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Fullerton Posts: 1,360	When I was a kid we'd put the legs & claws on the grill. Algae burned off & when they were red they were ready. But they were nowhere near that big.

02-21-2012, 09:17 PM	#20
Mr. Adventure Damn Hippy Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Riverside Posts: 311	I've read you can just yank a claw or leg off and toss them back and they'll grow a new one. If I kept pullin them up it seems like a dick move but I think I'd pop off one claw and toss them back. The claw had a bunch of meat in it. Of course you have to rip the pincher off a pissed off crab on a kayak while it has the other one so there's that