I bought a new crab net and bait cage the other day (after paying the requisite newbie tax). This afternoon, I went to Fort Point with my partner and a friend to try my hand at crabbing again. As soon as I dropped my net into the water, I saw a seal pop its head up, then dive back down. I watched the whole scene in horror, no longer finding the seal cute, then pulled my net up. It had torn the metal cage apart and eaten my bait.

The guy next to me saw what had happened, and shook his head. “You need to get the seal-proof bait cages,” he said. “But you can just tie that together with cable ties.”

So I did. And my luck finally started changing. I had crabs in my trap every time I pulled it back up. Most of the crabs were too small to keep.

But I did manage to catch three red rock crabs that were big enough to bring home for dinner. They were delicious!

More importantly, it was just a wonderful way to spend the afternoon. I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to discover the joys of crabbing.