AlloyToy

After the last few trips I froze my leftover crabs to chum.

I'm wondering if I can use them to bait hooks after thawing them though. Anyone ever fish with frozen/thaw'd crabs?

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Bob & Mag

We left asians and greens in buckets under the docks all winter last year and they were alive and kickin' for spring season. Just a thought.

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ReelCrazySportfishing

I freeze some every year to use in the spring. its tough getting them early season at times

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AlloyToy

Bob & Mag Amazing!! Now that's cryogenics!!!

ReelCrazy, do they stay on the hook ok?

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74Formula233

I've never done it, but I would think they'd get kinda shitty by freezing them.

Either way, we always used clams when we spring-fished for the togs, they seem to like the soft bait better then (Tender mouths from not feeding a while)

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ReelCrazySportfishing

No problem with them staying on the hook. they are alittle softer than the fresh ones but it didnt make any differance

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CaptDom

Exactly what I was thinking. We use sandworms or clam snot only in the spring. By the time the bigguns are eating in early May, the crabs have crawled out of the mud and are readily available.

I have never really had much faith in dropping dead crabs to tog....

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plugmeister

Set my crab traps a few weeks before the spring season opens. Get 100's! No need to freeze them or keep them over the winter. Oh, and why would togs have tender mouths in the spring? BTW, steamed and frozen mussels make great spring bait.

74Formula233

Yeh, sandworms too

Plug, always seemed like they would have tender mouths in spring due to a period of not eating much again late winter. Clams and, as Dom said, sandworms, would always get them munching tho (not that they wouldn't eat crabs, just not as readily.)

We haven't bothered spring fishing for Togs tho, since we stopped commercial fishing for 'em years ago. I concentrate more on Bass in spring now, (well, SQUID FIRST LOL) and move right into including Fluke and Sharks......and then Tuna, etc etc etc LOLOL.......

(sickness, right? lol)

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JackC

While not being disagreeable that old "soft spring mouth" tog thing is BS! Most likely invented by someone who did not have crabs for sale but always had worms. Short story is you always needed fresh crabs. Sand worms can work in a pinch but even in the early spring crabs are better.

Frozen crabs - never worked for me with the exception of hermits (and fresh is better with them as well). If you catch your own crabs they are readily available in the spring as already posted.

I always dump my fall crabs before ending the year - no sense making a bigger mess in the bait freezer.

Jack