Crabs !

[legs230258]

Had a walk down the tidal river Trent today. I got talking to a couple of barbel anglers who were packing up. Apparently fishing has been very difficult recently ,as far as catching barbel is concerned. Lots of twitches on the tip but no bites developed, bait damaged or missing or hooklink bitten off. They tell me it's due to the recent increase/ invasion of crabs. Mitten crabs and mud crabs, non native species.....I was shown a picture of one hanging from a bollie baited hook it was about 8" long. Then I was Informed that there is a short video on the internet. Has anyone else had contact with these bait stealing creatures ?

 

[Yuccaman]

Yep. Tidal Trent. Nom nom nom on your hookbait. Really fun when they bite through the hair in the stupid hours of the morning.

 

[davej1981]

Not sure what part of the trent but a friend of mine has just done 48 hrs on there. 13 barbel inc 9 doubles. They guy fishing on the opposite bank had trouble with crabs but he apparently didnt

 

[rudd]

Welcome to the world of sea fishing!
Expensive black gold (lugworm) decimated in minutes with hooks stripped bare!
Do you have link to video? Ars the crabs just native species adapting to brackish water?
Mud crabs are from Australia?

 

[legs230258]

Welcome to the world of sea fishing!
Expensive black gold (lugworm) decimated in minutes with hooks stripped bare!
Do you have link to video? Ars the crabs just native species adapting to brackish water?
Mud crabs are from Australia?

The crabs have like a membrane on the legs (swimming crabs?) and the short video is on YouTube and the crab appears to have white ish claws ( mitten crabs ?). I've seen green shore crab, peeler crab and brown edible crab , but none like these, which is why I put invasive species. I was led to believe a lot of invasive species get into our waters from boats pumping out. I'm curious to know what they are and where they originated from.

 

[rudd]

The crabs have like a membrane on the legs (swimming crabs?) and the short video is on YouTube and the crab appears to have white ish claws ( mitten crabs ?). I've seen green shore crab, peeler crab and brown edible crab , but none like these, which is why I put invasive species. I was led to believe a lot of invasive species get into our waters from boats pumping out. I'm curious to know what they are and where they originated from.

Interesting, you guys will soon be fishing peeler crab for Barbel - and you thought boilies/pellets are.expensive ?

 

[tipitinmick]

Had a walk down the tidal river Trent today. I got talking to a couple of barbel anglers who were packing up. Apparently fishing has been very difficult recently ,as far as catching barbel is concerned. Lots of twitches on the tip but no bites developed, bait damaged or missing or hooklink bitten off. They tell me it's due to the recent increase/ invasion of crabs. Mitten crabs and mud crabs, non native species.....I was shown a picture of one hanging from a bollie baited hook it was about 8" long. Then I was Informed that there is a short video on the internet. Has anyone else had contact with these bait stealing creatures ?

If you scroll to the bottom of this page you 'll see a thread titled ' Mitten crabs ' that I started last Tuesday on this very subject. Yes, I have had bait stolen and even an hair rig nipped off on the tidals recently. Not good.

 

[Ken the Pacman]

Originated from Asia I was told and arrived in a similar way to the Zebra Mussels in ballast water discharged from ships.