How to Build a Crab Trap
A delicious plate of crabs is delightful and mouthwatering, but the problem is, it can be very expensive. There’s one solution to this though: catch them yourself. As long as you have a sturdy and functional crab trap, you’ll catch your own dinner in no time. Here’s how to build one.
What You’ll Need:
Saw
Wooden boards
Hinges
Wirecutter
Eyehooks
Chicken wire
Nylon rope
Drill
Pliers
Screws
Procedure:
Get the wooden planks and saw them into 12 pieces that are all 2×4 in size. Be careful when you use the saw.
Lay down four of the wooden pieces on a flat surface, creating a frame-like formation. Afterwards, use a drill to create a hole in each corner. Using screws, secure the planks in such a way that they create a bottom layer similar to a picture frame. Repeat this step, making a top layer.
Get another plank, then hold it against one of the corners in a vertical position. Screw it firmly to the frame’s bottom. Repeat this for the other corners, until you’ve got a lower base that has four posts.
On the four posts that are sticking up, screw the top frame. You now have a complete box frame.
Use the chicken wire to wrap around the sides of the box. Form it properly around the box frame, and secure it with the pliers. Finally, fix the eyehooks so they hold the ends of the wire in place. If you want, you can add some more screws so the wire will be tacked in place even more. Do this same procedure for the bottom of the trap.
Using the remaining four wood pieces and screws, make another picture-frame wooden structure. Put this on top of your box, then attach hinges to one of its edges. Screw them in the sides of the frame and the box.
Put chicken wire on top of the structure.
Tie pieces of nylon ropes to each of the corners of the box, then bring them in the center together, securing them in a knot. Then, attach another longer nylon piece to the knot on the top. This is what you’ll use to pull the trap out of the water.
Cut a trap hole on one of the sides of the box, big enough so that crabs can get in. Afterwards, make a funnel, so the trap hole becomes smaller, and the crabs you caught won’t be able to get out.
You’re now ready to go crab catching. Put bait in the trap. You can use different kinds, such as fish heads or cat food. Afterwards, put the trap on the sea floor. Attach a float to the trap, so you’ll be able to find it later. After a few hours or the following day, pull up the trap, and see if there are any crabs inside. Remove them carefully and be careful of their pincers.
Wash your crab trap, so the wire won’t corrode.
You can have a delightful crab dinner anytime you like, as long as you have a well-functional crab trap. Follow these steps, and enjoy your catch!