Message From The Captain / Blue Crab

Greetings CBFL Members and Friends,
Looking out the window on St. Georges Island in the midst of a snow blizzard, my mind drifts to The Chesapeake Bay Blue Crab. What in the world are they doing today? Simply answered, they are tucked in their burrows in the mud of the Chesapeake.

Cooler water temperatures in the Fall sends the blue Crab off shore to the depths of the Chesapeake to hibernate. They will remain there till the water temperature rises to about 50 degrees on the bottom in the springtime, usually around the 1st of April.

Most Blue Crabs that we catch in the Spring time are males,( the ones with the rocket ship). Male crabs seek fresher water in the summer than the females. They migrate up our rivers and bays towards the fresher headwaters when the salinity if high. Most females (the ones with fingernail polish on the claws and a capital building dome on the underbelly), generally stay in more salty water in the lower portion of the Chesapeake
One thing leads to another. Maryland's crab market is based on the male “Basket Trade” and Virginia‘s crab market is based mainly on the female “Picking Trade”.
No wonder there is such conflict when regulating the industry within the two states.

One thing about this cold wintry blast from the Arctic, It will sure make us appreciate the summer time. A time when we can share some hard crabs with a cold
beverage and talk over "stuff" with out friends.