Check local fishing regulations, seasons, size limits, and licensing requirements
Use legal crab traps, pots, nets, or baited lines approved in your area
Choose a suitable location such as docks, piers, estuaries, or shallow coastal waters where crabs are present
Bait the trap with fish scraps, chicken parts, or other approved bait
Lower the trap into the water and secure it with a line and marker buoy if required
Wait the recommended amount of time before retrieving the trap
Pull the trap up slowly and steadily
Transfer crabs carefully into a bucket or cooler using gloves or tongs
Keep only legal-sized and legal-species crabs
Release undersized, berried, or protected crabs immediately and gently
Store caught crabs in a cool, shaded, well-ventilated container
Keep crabs alive and moist, not submerged in fresh water
Clean and reset the trap if continuing to catch more crabs