BASS FISHING by John Darling

Author:John Darling [John Darling]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781847974396
Publisher: Crowood
Published: 2012-03-04T05:00:00+00:00

The bass angler can fish with total confidence when the rock pools are littered with cast-off shells. When this happens, bass are not far away and are enjoying a bonanza of easy pickings. Sometimes a soft crab is found sitting alongside its cast-off shell, which is usually about half its size. A recently shed shell looks like a dead crab, but it should open up easily to reveal shreds of mucus and clean, creamy coloured gills. If they are black, bacteria has started to decompose them and the crab is long gone. If the old shell still looks fresh, there is every chance that the soft crab is close by. Depending on the species, it may be under a nearby rock or fringe of weed. As a general rule, soft crabs move down the shore after moulting, keeping in the water. If they are in a land-locked pool, they can normally be found at the seaward end.

Besides general colour, feel, and cracks around the shell, the easy way to tell a peeler from a hard back is by breaking the tip off one of the legs. This is harmless, and if the crab has scant intention of peeling, the damage will heal at the next moult. If it is not a peeler, jelly and sinews will be revealed, but if it is a peeler, the shell will come away cleanly revealing a fresh new leg. It should end with a perfectly formed toenail. Crabs frequently lose legs and claws, and often one is found with a soft limb. These crabs usually turn out to be peelers.

Sometimes two crabs are found together, the larger one on top carrying the smaller one underneath. Crabs can only mate when the hen is soft, so the underneath one is always a hen. The cock carries her the right way up prior to peeling, them turns her upside down and mates with her when she is soft and crisping up again. In spring, the cocks peel first, so it is easy to see by a glance at the apron whether to test if a crab is a peeler. Hen crabs only peel when mating. Shortly after the spring flush, the carriers appear. Should you find a pair of edible crabs, the cock is often big enough for the pot.

It is a matter for speculation, but hen crabs sometimes seem to make better baits than cocks. It has been suggested that the hen releases a pheromone, a chemical messenger, to which the cocks respond. If this is the case, it is highly probable that the bass are aware of it. The way to sex a crab is to turn it upside down and inspect its apron. This is the vestigial tail tucked between its legs. Hens have a broad apron, shaped like a shield, which is used for holding the eggs. The apron of cocks is narrow and pointed, like a spear.

The way to gather crabs is to pull on a pair of waders and go hunting for them.

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