Download Crab Games
Irena Sheehy
First time making crab cakes with left over king crab. This was super easy to follow and it really made exactly 6 half cup crab cakes! The tartar sauce was also amazing! Will always use this recipe for my left overs!
The winter dredge survey is the only bay-wide fishery-independent effort to estimate the number of blue crabs living in the Chesapeake Bay. The winter dredge survey produces information that is essential for the management of the species, such as an estimate of the number of crabs over-wintering in the bay and the number of young crabs entering the population each year. Also calculated is the estimated number of females that could spawn within the year, which is an important indicator of future spawning potential. Estimating the total number of crabs living in the bay allows us to calculate the percentage of the crab population that is removed by harvest each year. A pilot version of the winter dredge survey was first conducted in 1988 with the cooperation of the University of Maryland Chesapeake Biological Lab. In 1989 the Virginia Institute of Marine Science joined the survey, and the two states continue to sample each winter from December through March.
A six-foot-wide Virginia crab dredge fitted with a half-inch nylon mesh liner is towed along the bottom for one minute at a speed of three knots. Latitude and longitude, measured with a Differential Global Positioning System (GPS), is recorded at the beginning and end of each tow to determine distance covered. This distance is multiplied by the dredge's width to calculate the area covered. Beginning and ending depth, water temperature, and salinity are recorded at each site.
All crabs collected at each site are measured and weighed. Crabs are measured from point to point across the top shell or carapace. The sex of each crab is determined and the maturity of females is noted.
As a final part of our survey, we do annual experiments to determine how well our dredge catches blue crabs. This is known as gear efficiency. For more information see: Volstad et al. 2000 and Sharov et al. 2001.
We divide the male and female crabs into different categories based on age, size, and maturity. Crabs that are smaller than 2.4 inches across the carapace are considered to be young-of-the-year crabs. These are the new arrivals to the bay and will form the backbone of the recreational and commercial fisheries in the late summer or fall. Female crabs bigger than 2.4 inches across are the females that could spawn this year. The number of spawning females is related to the number of young crabs that can potentially be produced each year and is an important indicator of the health of the stock. Combined, all crabs bigger than 2.4 inches are grouped together and considered to be the harvestable stock for the upcoming year. These crabs will support the recreational and commercial fisheries throughout the summer.
The results of the winter dredge survey are reported as density of crabs. This is the average number of crabs we find within a 1,000 meter by 1,000 meter area (1,000 meters squared or 1000m2). The density of crabs for the different age categories is calculated each year. If you are interested in that information please click on this link to see a table of different age class densities for 1990 to 2023.
Managers estimate abundance, the number of crabs estimated to be living in the Chesapeake Bay, by multiplying the density of all crabs by the area of the bay. Each year the overwintering mortality, those crabs that die in the winter, is estimated and abundance is adjusted for that loss.
In 2017 an update to the blue crab stock assessment recommended a female-specific target of 196 million spawning age female crabs and a threshold of 72.5 million spawning age female crabs that were adopted by Maryland, Virginia, and the Potomac River Fisheries Commission. In 2023 the abundance of spawning age females increased to 152 million crabs, which is above the recommended threshold of 72.5 million crabs.
Several species of crab are found in Washington's marine waters and along its shores, though only a few are large enough to be of commercial and sport interest. Crabs are crustaceans, having an exterior skeleton or shell. When crabbing in Washington, it's important to be able to identify your catch, to ensure you've caught the correct species. It's also important to identify whether a crab is soft-shelled -- crabbers must release all soft-shell crab.
One of the most popular items on Washington seafood menus is the Dungeness crab. This hard-shelled crustacean is fished from the Aleutian Islands to Mexico. The shell is purple-tinged, gray or brown on the back and the tips of the claws are typically white. The Dungeness crab can reach 10 inches across the back, though 6 to 7 inches is more common. In Puget Sound this crab is most abundant north of Seattle, in Hood Canal, and near the Pacific coast. The Dungeness crab is frequently associated with eelgrass beds and prefers sandy or muddy substrates.
The red rock crab (aka red crab, rock crab) is similar to -- but smaller than -- the Dungeness. This species usually measures less than 6 inches across the back and is characterized by large claws. Despite being less meaty than the Dungeness, red rock crab meat is also very tasty. It can be distinguished from the Dungeness by the presence of black on the tips of its claws and by its red coloration. The red rock crab also prefers rocky substrates, as the name implies.
Two deepwater species that are occasionally seen in Puget Sound and also occur in deep water off the coast are the box crab and its close relative, the king crab. The latter is called the king crab because of its large size when fully grown (up to 10 inches wide) but is not to be confused with the commercial king crab of Alaska. These crabs are more apt to be seen by divers than fishers with pots. Both are covered with wart-like tubercles and spines and resemble a rough box when their legs and claws are folded against the body. The box crab gets its name from the opening or foramen formed from matching semicircular notches in the claws and first walking legs. When the legs are folded tightly, water enters the gill cavity through this round opening. In the king crab this opening is absent.
Several species of tiny shore crabs can be found on Washington beaches. Contrary to what many believe, these are not the young of larger ocean crabs, but are simply small sized species. Under most rocks on Puget Sound shores you can find tiny black or gray hairy shore crabs ranging in size from smaller than a fingertip to about the size of a half-dollar. These are of two species, Hemigrapsus nudus and H. oregonensis.
Crabs belong to a group of animals called arthropods whose skeletal support is provided by a "shell" outside their bodies. Growth is problematic because the old shell must be shed and a larger one formed in its place. This process, called molting, occurs many times through the crab's lifetime. Dungeness crabs molt about 12 times by age 2, and then approximately once a year through age 6.
Data within Puget Sound suggests that while a given area may have one or two "peaks" of molting crab during the year, not all individual crabs adhere strictly to this pattern. Just before molting, the crab has formed the basic "template" of a new shell underneath its older shell. At this time, calcium is absorbed from the old shell and it becomes somewhat flexible. The old shell splits at the back of the crab and it backs out of its old skeleton -- even the eye stalk and gill coverings remain with the old shell.
This early stage soft-shell crab is extremely vulnerable to damage and predation, and will remain hidden or buried in sediment for a few days as the new shell expands and starts to harden. Biologists have noted that it is uncommon to capture these early stage soft-shell crabs in baited traps. Within a few days, the midstage soft-shell crab will become an active, voracious feeder. For the next two to three months, its shell will continue to harden while muscle tissue builds within the expanded body. During this time, the soft-shell crab is likely to be captured in traps and is quite vulnerable to shell damage.
A soft-shell crab will yield less than 20 percent of its weight in meat while a prime hard-shell crab will yield 25 percent of its weight in meat. Harvesting crab when they are hard-shell maximizes the yield for a given number of crab.
More significant, however, is that the meat from a soft-shell crab is of very low quality compared to meat from a harder cousin. People have described this meat as watery, mushy, lacking in texture, or even "jelly-like" and as a result it is often thrown away. Carefully releasing these soft-shell crab eliminates this wastage and allows the crab to be harvested later, when meat quality and quantity is greatest.
3. Pinch the shell with your thumb at the point shown, gradually increasing the pressure. Remember, you do not want to break the shell while performing the test (crabs can bleed to death). If the shell flexes or bends, release the pressure and return the crab carefully to the water. Take care not to drop any released crab onto hard surfaces and do not fling them roughly into the water. If the shell has not flexed and you have reached the point at which you would have easily crushed a tough peanut, then you have a hard (and legal) crab to keep for the table.
Experienced crabbers note that there are other indicators that crabs may be soft-shell. After examining many legal size crab, people note that the crab which seem light for their size are generally soft-shell. The shells of soft-shell crabs also tend to be white on the underside. The shells of hard-shell crabs tend to be a darker yellowish brown and are often covered with barnacles and algae.
These Maryland crab cakes get the stamp of approval from locals and out-of-towners alike. This classic lump crab cake recipe combines the flavors of lemon, parsley, and Old Bay seasoning, but the most flavor comes from the crab meat itself. For the best texture, use lump crab meat, very little filler, and bake the cakes in a very hot oven.
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