The Berger Family Album

Charleston, South Carolina

Charleston Pier

Catching Crabs On James Island In Charleston Bay

Nate wrote:

I was located at a dock outside of Charleston in our campground on James Island. I caught eight crabs in a half hour. To catch a crab, I put a chicken neck on a piece of line and threw it towards the shore. I wait 10 minutes and check. Pull in slowly! If it is pulled in too fast, the crabs let go. You pull the crab up on the dock and put it in a cooler or a bucket but make sure you have enough room for nine or ten crabs.

To cook a crab, you put the crab to sleep by rubbing its tummy right over the flap of shell that runs up its belly. Make sure it is upside down when you do this and it will fall asleep. While it is sleeping, boil a pot of water and drop the crab into the burning hot water very fast so it does not suffer. Wait ten to eleven minutes until you take them out. The shell will be dark red or orange when it is done.

To clean the crab to eat it, you take the flap that you put it to sleep with, and peel it off. Then, you rip off all the legs and the claws. There is a lot of meat in the legs so suck them. Put your finger in where the end of the flap was and lift the shell off. You will see these finger like things on either side of the body. Do not eat these...these will kill you. They are called dead man's fingers and they are the crab's lungs. Underneath the lungs break the crab in half. Wash out the guts and take the meat from underneath where the lungs were. It is so good!!!

Counting The Catch

A Southern Gentleman

Alex Hits The Ice

Nate Takes A Spin