Chicken Necking for Crabs

Whether you want to catch some crabs for bait or for food, chicken necking is often the simplest, easiest way to stock your cooler full of these cantankerous crustaceans. Ready for some KISS crab catching?

1. Get a ball of kite string, and cut it into sections about two feet longer than the water depth.
2. Tie a quarter-ounce weight on the end of the string.
3. Get a pack of chicken necks, let them thaw, then tie a neck to the end of the string right next to the weight.
4. Drop the neck down to bottom, and wait. Most people will set out five or six chicken neck lines from a pier or boat, then monitor them for action.
5. When a crab grabs the neck it will pull the line taunt. When you see a taunt line, start pulling it in very, very slowly, one inch at a time. If the crab lets go of the bait, you’re probably pulling it in too quickly or not smoothly enough.
6. As the crab becomes visible get ready with your net. Then when it’s about a foot beneath the surface, take your best shot at scooping it up. Try to move fast, because the crab will see the net coming and often it will let go and try to escape at the last second.
7. Toss the chicken neck back into the water while you deal with your catch, but if it’s been chewed down to the bone, at some point you may want to replace it with a fresh neck.

Simple, right? You bet it is. In fact, the toughest part about chicken necking is trying not to get pinched. Those crabs are uber-feisty, and once they’re in a net or cooler will do everything they can to exact some vengeance. Still, catching some crabs is well worth the effort. Some folks enjoy eating them, and some people use crab chunks to tempt species like red or black drum, sheepshead, pompano, and other species. Either way, chicken necking is just about the easiest (and least expensive) way to get ’em.