🦀 What you need to have
- Crab traps or hand lines — depending on how you plan to crab.
- Bait — bunker/menhaden, chicken, fish scraps, etc.
- Bait holder/bag — keeps bait attached to your line or trap.
- Crab gauge — essential for checking the 3”, 3½”, and 4½” minimum sizes.
- Bucket or cooler — for temporarily holding legal crabs.
- Gloves — heavy-duty work/fishing gloves are strongly recommended.
- Measuring device — a legal-size crab gauge is preferable to a ruler.
- Rope/line — appropriate line for your particular setup.
- Identification/CID marking supplies if you’re using gear that NJ regulations require you to mark.
- Required crab-pot license, if you’re using non-collapsible crab pots or trot lines.
- NJ Saltwater Recreational Registry, when required.
- Terrapin excluders when required for applicable crab pots.
- Biodegradable escape panel/material when required for applicable crab pots.
- Personal flotation device (PFD) if you’re crabbing from a boat/kayak where applicable.
👍 Nice to have
- Long-handled dip net — makes grabbing crabs much easier.
- Crab tongs — excellent for picking up larger blue claws without getting pinched.
- Extra bait bags
- Extra rope/line
- Spare crab traps
- Bait knife
- Cutting board
- Five-gallon bucket
- Insulated cooler
- Ice packs
- Hand sanitizer
- Paper towels/rags
- Sunblock
- Bug spray
- Hat/sunglasses
- Folding chair
- Headlamp/flashlight for early morning/evening crabbing.
- Small tackle box for organizing hooks, clips, swivels, knives, etc.
- Trash bags for bait scraps and cleanup.
⭐ Things I particularly recommend
If you’re just getting started, I’d put these at the top of your shopping list:
- Legal crab gauge
- Good pair of crab gloves
- Long-handled net
- Crab tongs
- Good cooler
- Strong rope
- Bait bags
- Fresh/frozen bunker or other appropriate bait
- Bucket
- Extra line and clips
- Headlamp
- A printed copy of the NJ crab regulations
🛥️ If you’re crabbing from a boat
Add:
- PFD/life jackets
- Anchor
- Anchor line
- Boat hook
- Waterproof storage containers
- Waterproof phone case
- Navigation/GPS
- First-aid kit
- Bilge pump
- Extra drinking water
- VHF radio if appropriate
- Crab-pot buoy/marker equipment meeting NJ requirements
- Extra rope
- Bait box/cooler
🎣 If you’re using crab pots
I’d make a separate “crab-pot kit”:
Required/important
- Non-collapsible Chesapeake-style crab pots
- Proper buoy/line setup
- Required owner identification/CID marking
- Biodegradable escape panel
- Terrapin excluders where required
- Crab-pot license
- Bait
- Bait bags/holders
- Legal crab gauge
- Gloves
- Cooler/bucket
Nice to have
- Extra pots
- Extra buoys
- Spare line
- Pot puller/hand reel
- Crab net
- Crab tongs
- Bait knife
- Bait box
🦀 Quick Crabbing Checklist
Before going crabbing, verify:
☐ Correct crab season for the type of gear being used.
☐ Correct minimum size.
☐ No egg-bearing female crabs are retained.
☐ Daily possession limit is not exceeded.
☐ Required license is obtained if using non-collapsible crab pots, trot lines, or crab dredges.
☐ Saltwater registration requirements are satisfied.
☐ Crab pots are properly marked.
☐ Crab pots comply with biodegradable escape-panel requirements.
☐ Terrapin excluders are installed when required.
☐ Crab pots are tended within the required 72-hour period.
☐ No floating line is being used where prohibited.
☐ Crab pots are not obstructing navigation.
☐ The particular creek, bay, canal, wildlife area, beach, or other location is not subject to a closure.
☐ Any municipal, park, marina, private-property, or wildlife-area restrictions have been checked.
☐ Current NJDEP regulations have been checked for changes.