How to Catch Crabs in Southwest Louisiana…Not That Kind

KNGT | Louisiana — Ever wonder how to catch crabs down here in Southwest Louisiana? And hold up… I ain’t talkin about those kinds of crabs. Y’all already know there’s a few places around town you might run into that situation. That’s a whole different story. I’m talkin about the good stuff… them big, beautiful blue crabs.

While hanging out with some friends the other day we got to talking about Crabbing. Not everybody has done it. I’m sittin there like, wait… y’all never woke up before the sun, grabbed some chicken necks, a piece of string, threw on your rubber boots, and headed south toward the saltwater?

Man… that’s a whole childhood right there.

How to Catch Crabs?

There’s just somethin about it. The smell of the marsh. That quiet water early in the mornin. You tie that chicken neck on, toss it in, and just wait. Then real slow… you start pullin that line back in. Heart’s beatin a little faster… hopin there’s a crab hangin on. Then boom… you scoop it up with the net. Next thing you know, you got yourself a little pile goin. We call that “catchin a mess,” and if you know, you know.

And yeah… it ain’t fancy. Ain’t no big expensive gear. Just simple, old school fun. That’s the kind of stuff that sticks with you.

Now if you’ve never done it before, don’t worry… you ain’t outta luck. I came across a video from Salt Strong on YouTube, and they break it down real easy. Show you what to use, where to go, and how to actually catch ‘em without makin a mess of it.

Grab ya mawmaw and pawpaw, grab ya friends, head down toward the coast, and make a day out of it. Might get a little muddy. Might get a little sunburned. But I promise you… it’s worth it.

And if you do it right, you ain’t just makin memories… you’re bringin dinner home too.