Crabs Left in Trap

by Will
(Lillian, AL)

How long can crabs stay alive in a crab trap? We have 6 crabs in a trap in the bay and want to leave them there for awhile as long as they will not die. Can you help us with the answer to this question?

Well, in our own experience, we don't leave crabs in their traps for over a day. Some people do. They will leave them out all weekend. Due to "piracy" this is not wise depending on whether you are crabbing where a lot of other people are throwing out their pots. You run a risk of having your crab stolen. As for how long the crabs can live is a loaded question as well. How do you know you will only have 6 when you get back? How long do expect to keep them caged before tending to them? That all depends on how many more crabs you end up with and how much bait you have to keep them content.
You could very well leave them with a turkey leg overnight and find a couple dozen or more in your cage, but how long will they survive? I have no idea. I would definitely be back the next day as soon as possible.
Even if you closed the doors on your trap to only keep the 6 crabs, I have no idea how long they will live with/without bait to aide them. Best to get them tended to as soon as you can.