 |
||||||||
 |
||||||||
|
||||||||
|
Don't pause when diving for claws
By TERRY TOMALIN, Times Outdoors Editor
ST. PETERSBURG -- It's hard to sleep the night before a big dive, especially when it involves the waters near the Sunshine Skyway bridge. The area is known for its strong currents, poor visibility and big sharks, all of which can be a problem for the intrepid scuba diver. But once a year, on Oct. 15, the reward is worth the risk. Stone crab enthusiasts will go to great lengths to be the first to bring home a bucket of these tasty crustaceans. "The number of people who dive is small compared to the general population, and the number of people willing to dive in this kind of visibility and current is even smaller," said Chad Carney, a St. Petersburg scuba diver and spearfisherman. "But stone crabs are great eating, and that is why we do it." Stone crabs have the honor of being the only sustainable marine fishery in the United States. The crustaceans have two tasty claws filled with succulent meat, but when a diver, commercial fisherman or recreational stone-crabber grabs one of these appendages and applies a little pressure, the animal simply lets it go. So, in theory, conservation-minded individuals can have their cake and eat it too by taking just one claw and returning the animal to the water with a means of defending itself. "That is why we bring something along to measure the claw," Carney said. "It is not uncommon to come along and find a crab from last season that has already started to regrow a new claw." The large crushing claw, the one most prized for the dinner table, is the stone crab's principal weapon. A fully developed crab is strong enough to crush clams and oysters, so imagine what it can do to an index finger. "You have got to be quick," Carney said. "You can fiddle around with them, but the best way to do it is to just go in and pounce. But watch out, they can get you." Mature crabs may lay several hundred thousand eggs three or four times a year, but fewer than a dozen of the offspring will become reproducing adults. Their principal enemy, besides man, is the octopus. "Some years, when the octopus are thick, you can have a hard time finding stone crabs," Carney said. But on this warm October morning, the concrete supports around the south Skyway fishing pier were bustling with crabs, which could be a sign that we are in for a good season. Most people who recreationally crab in local waters scuba dive around local bridges and causeways. (Note: The Sunshine Skyway bridge and its approaches have been off limits to boaters and divers since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack, but you can dive beneath the adjacent fishing piers.) But don't be discouraged if you don't dive; you also can find stone crabs by snorkeling or wading around sea walls or rocky shorelines. When diving, the best place to look for crabs is in deep holes and under rocks. A crow bar, when used gently, can help coax a crab out of its hiding place. Once you have captured your prey, there is a trick to removing the claw without killing the crab: Grasp a claw in each hand. Hold the body firmly. Then twist the claw down and away from the body. With steady pressure, the crab should "drop" the claw. You'll know you have done it right if the break is clean. If there is meat hanging out, the crab will die. But be careful. If a crab nips you, it can easily turn a fingernail black overnight, which I found out the hard way. Carney had gone north and I had gone south, both working our way along the pier supports in 15 feet of water. I spotted a crab, a big fella, hiding in an old cinder block. I moved closer to try to coax it out of its hole when I noticed a pair of remoras swimming nearby. Remoras like to hitch rides with sharks, so I immediately started looking for the mother ship. With no sharks to be found, I went back to wrestling with the crab, then I saw a shadow out of the corner of my eye. I turned and found myself face to face with an 8-foot porpoise. That is when the crab got a hold of my middle finger. Yeeeooooowwww! I yelled. And as that dolphin swam away, I could swear it was laughing.
 © 2006 • All Rights Reserved • Tampa Bay Times
490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111 
|
From the Times Outdoors page Outdoors
From the AP |
