Sand crabs prefer to feed near where the waves break.
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Tiny shellfish about the size of your thumb, sand crabs make excellent bait for surf fishing. Just dig in the sand near the shore and you'll find them buried a few inches down. Fish with sand crabs as bait by using a few rigging methods
Step 1
Stick the hook in the back of the crab just below the head, so the long end of the hook faces forward. Adjust the hook so most of it remains outside of the crab's body for this method of rigging the bait.
Step 2
Insert the hook into the front of the crab just below the head, and push it in until the hook comes out the back and sticks forward to try a different rigging method. Adjust the hook so the sand crab's head is just above the hook with the rest of the body below it.
Step 3
Push the hook into the back of the crab just below the head so it goes in just beneath the skin for a third way of rigging the crab. Push out the pointed end a little way down the back so it points forward, which will expose more of the hook and give you a better chance to catch nibbling fish.
About the Author
Based in the Washington, D.C., area, Dan Taylor has been a professional journalist since 2004. He has been published in the "Baltimore Sun" and "The Washington Times." He started as a reporter for a newspaper in southwest Virginia and now writes for "Inside the Navy." He holds a Bachelor of Arts in government with a journalism track from Patrick Henry College.
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