Chicken neck fishing

When I was reading the South Carolina regs I came across a reference to chicken neck fishing and could not for the life of me figure out what they were talking about. Since it stated that you didn’t need a license to do it, I was interested.

Later found a reference on another web site. You put a chicken neck on a piece of string and lower it down. The crabs grab hold and will not let go. Good way to catch bait. Haven’t tried it yet. The way fishing is going, that is probably next.

Yesterday I found a crab net in the local Bass Pro Shop. It has a four foot handle with a 18″ diameter hoop on the end. The net? Galvanized chicken wire.

So your saying a chicken farmer would do well in SC?

Northstar, I don’t think it’s bait they’re after…it’s supper! Chicken necks are a classic bait for blue crab fishing all throughout the Chesapeake Bay area.

When I was a kid in eastern SD we did something like that with crawdads (crayfish). A piece of string, small safety pin and a chunk of chicken liver. Dangle the liver in front of them till they grabbed on and gently bring’m up to a waiting coffee can. Flatheads loved’m. I’d catch crawdads, grampa would dig worms and we’d make a day of it fishing the James River. Spent many days dozing under a shade tree along the river. Thanks for taking me back jerr

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When I was a kid in eastern SD we did something like that with crawdads (crayfish).

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Hmmp…I didn’t think crawdads had evolved yet when you were a kid?

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Northstar, I don’t think it’s bait they’re after…it’s supper! Chicken necks are a classic bait for blue crab fishing all throughout the Chesapeake Bay area.

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U sure don’t wanna waste Blue Claws on bait. They are delicious. They can be caught all along the Eastern Seaboard when they are in season.

We used chicken and turkey “parts” (necks, gizzards, livers…) to catch blue crabs in the Tampa / Tarpon Springs FL area when I was a kid. We used those triangle traps that lay flat and close up into a pyramid shape when pulled up. These worked great and the crabs were good eating.

Hmmp…I didn’t think crawdads had evolved yet when you were a kid?

Probably not, we’d just invented’m jerr

See how ignorant I am about all this salt water stuff. Luckily I’ve found a few locals and vacationers willing to talk and let me know a few things. I did find a couple of other places to fish today. My buddy is flying down Wednesday and we will begin to attack the local fish population.

Thanks for the advice everybody. I’m sure not going to pass on any Blue Crabs. Just got to figure out to measure them between the horns.

You boys might be soaking it in the wrong spot, if your catching crabs

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You boys might be soaking it in the wrong spot, if your catching crabs

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NOT THAT KIND OF CRABS! Holy Cow.

Chicken necks, chicken legs, etc. all work, but polish sausage, now we’re talkin’! spent a couple years in DC area, and went crabbing a few times. Ran out of the chicken one time, and tied on a hunk of Polish…got bigger crabs, and bi-lingual to boot!

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Northstar, I don’t think it’s bait they’re after…it’s supper! Chicken necks are a classic bait for blue crab fishing all throughout the Chesapeake Bay area.

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Last august (over my 50th birthday) we spent a week in Hollywood Maryland at my aunts house on a finger of the Chesapeake. chicken necks on a string off the piers of the dock what a blast, pull them suckers up slow and try to put the crab net (mentioned in another post) on them, man those suckers are fast. we also set out about 30 traps and would go check them about every beer. GOOD EATING but must be 5in across the shell and the females had to be released (red claws)