去抓螃蟹的季节要到了吧？

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It's famous for its snapper and King George whiting, but SA is also a great place for blue swimmer crabs. Local, Steve Hunt outlines the locations and the best techniques.
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South Australia really is a trailer boat fishos Mecca, with it's endless protected bays and gulfs loaded with some of the best eating seafood in the country.
Our state is legendary for it's superb King George whiting and big red snapper fisheries. However, lesser known to outsiders is the brilliant crab fishing to be had in this southern state.
Crawling around down here and surprisingly close to metro Adelaide are succulent blue swimmer crabs.
The blue swimmer crab is my favourite seafood; and in my opinion it leaves the exorbitantly priced crayfish and prawns for dead on flavour and taste.
Boating for blue crabs in the warmer months is something of a tradition in South Aussie and when the season is in full swing it can get very busy out there. But there is nothing better after a fun filled day on the water than coming home and cooking and eating a load of fresh bluey's. As you toast the day's success with a few quiet ales it's a pretty nice experience.
Bluey Season:
The blue crab season begins in September and runs through the summer months as they congregate inshore to breed, then finally begin to disperse back into deeper waters in April. There is an old saying that any month that contains the letter R in it is good for crabbing and this is pretty true as these months all occur around summer.
For our interstate readers planning a trip to Adelaide to hunt for these tasty crustaceans your safest bet is to arrive in February when the blue crab invasion is in full swing.
There are a couple of methods for extracting blue swimmer crabs from our waters, however the most popular is drop netting. It is a very effective way of securing a good feed and it still allows the boating angler to fish on the bottom for whiting, or on the surface for garfish, squid and tommy rough.
All the above fish species are very prolific in our gulf waters at the same time of year. However, let's talk about catching crabs before we get into that.
Basically the baited net is left on the sea floor where the crab can crawl into it and pulled in every five to ten minutes to check it's contents. How easy is that!
The drop nets is a pretty simple device that can be purchased in all of SA tackle stores and larger department stores for under $15. They are constructed of two wire hoops of less than a metre in diameter, and joined by a net that folds up when it sits on the bottom. The better models have a wire mesh base, which adds extra weight to get the net to the bottom quicker when the tide is running. Bait is placed in the center of the net using a metal bait clip and the whole thing is lowered to the seafloor on a length of rope.
The best areas to lower your nets are sandy patches surrounded by weed, or around broken ground because the crabs will be buried under the sand during the day. The smell of your bait will encourage the bluey's out of the sand. They'll quickly make a beeline for your nets and clamber on top of the bait to eat it. This is why you must check your nets every five to ten minutes, as the crabs are still free to come and go.

Bluey Season:
The blue crab season begins in September and runs through the summer months as they congregate inshore to breed, then finally begin to disperse back into deeper waters in April.

There is an old saying that any month that contains the letter R in it is good for crabbing and this is pretty true as these months all occur around summer.

Boating for blue crabs in the warmer months is something of a tradition in South Aussie and when the season is in full swing it can get very busy out there. But there is nothing better after a fun filled day on the water than coming home and cooking and eating a load of fresh bluey's. As you toast the day's success with a few quiet ales it's a pretty nice experience.

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