Alternative Bait for Crab Traps
Problem/Opportunity Statement:
In the past year there has been an increased demand from the public for Menhaden since the FDA approved it for consumption. This has caused an increase in the price and a shortage of the traditional crab bait to the boat. This project will give us the opportunity to find out other sources of bait that are at a lower cost and more readily available.
Objectives:
- Test alternative bait.
- Lower the cost to the crab boat.
- Determine catch rates with alternative bait.
Methods:
This project will use 20 crab traps one day per week on a 24 to 48 hour set. The alternative bait and traditional bait will be tested with equal set times and equal number of traps containing different types of bait. Of the 20 traps, there will be five traps using lobster puck (a type of compressed bait developed in New England resembling a hockey puck), chicken parts, shrimp heads and catfish. There will be an equal number of traps utilizing traditional Menhaden bait (this will be the control group). These 40 traps will be marked and differentiated by using different color plastic tags. The crab traps will be set and tested in the ACE Basin. Testing will include: counting legal and sub-legal blue crabs in each trap plus the temperature, salinity and location of each trap.