Why I love opening day of crab....and the ongoing season!

[Fishstiq]

If you want to vacuum seal them in the shell without having the shells poke holes in the vacuum seal bags, you can put a paper plate on each side of the crab inside the bag.  It smashes down the plate but protects the bag from the sharp shell points and spikes.  It works pretty good!

[NRA4LIFE]

I freeze the meat in salt water or milk in containers, pop them out after frozen and then vacuum seal them.  Works very well.

[wraithen]

NEVER freeze a crab whole. Not trying to insult anyone's intelligence but it never occurred to me that it would take so long for the crab to freeze. Only freeze what you want to keep. Apparently the shell can insulate and make it take days before the crab meat gets frozen. Legs are fine, just not the whole thing. This is speaking of raw meat, not cooked. I kind of have a rule about seafood being frozen. If it's in there more than a week it turns into bait. (Not talking fish here.) I know it's plenty safe to freeze for longer but how else am I going to get the wife to let me turn perfectly good squid and crab into bait? 

[Fishstiq]

Sorry, right, I meant vacuum sealing and freezing cooked legs, not whole or uncooked crab.  Should have been more specific.

[DoubleJ]

h2o, what is this flounder bomb you speak of?  Is this a product or is it just a *censored* load of flounder in the pot?

[h20hunter]

Flounder bomb............5 or 6 flounder zip tied together and hung from the top of the pot. Put a few slices in each.

Coined by Skillet on 07-30-12.

[h20hunter]

Oh....and to "flounder bomb" somebody is to have them motor up to you and you heave a bag of 'em on the deck of your buddies boat while his smoking hot boat bi.....mate says thanks!

[DoubleJ]

I can get flounder but they're smaller.  Would still probably work.  What about bullheads?  there's a ton of those off of the dock too.

[h20hunter]

Yep....bullheads as well. Size isn't to important....the scent is. Obviously the bigger the flounder the better.

[DoubleJ]

  I don't have a boat bi......mate

[DoubleJ]

Do they need to be fresh or can I freeze the ones I catch today until Thursday?

[h20hunter]

I would catch em', freeze em', then load 'em up on thursday.

[DoubleJ]

Done and done.  looks like a flound-head bomb for the crabs next weekend. 

[DoubleJ]

now, if smell matters, would rotten fish work better?

[h20hunter]

I don't think so. I think the fresh (or frozen fresh) fish works the best. Like FC mentioned.....salmon heads from previous trips work great. Think how well we take care of our salmon after the catch. The head would be just as fresh if frozen after it was fileted.