Almost

Giorgio

Senior Member
It's almost that time of the year, BLACK FISHING !! :clap: I just picked up our Greenies, put them in the traps and hung them off the boat.
 
Phat, our Black fishing season starts in October and I already got our Greenies (Green Crabs) for bait and put them in the traps and hung them off the side of the boat until we are ready to use them. No use Fluke fishing, they are gone and Porgy's are fun to catch, but not as plentiful as last year. Weakfish are just starting to show there vampire fangs. So, wait patiently until October. :beer:
 

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So, where do you get the live greenies?
Are they hard to keep alive for a month?
Why get them now, are they hard to get in oct?
What is a blackfish?
Does a blackfish trip start with a bacon bagel?
 
This is a Blackfish, (also known as a Tautog):



Green crabs are an invasive species. While they "can" be eaten I don't know of anyone that ever does. Most people get them from their local bait shop.
Last time I bought them it was about $60 a bushel (about 40 lbs)

From what I gather ALL fishing trips start with a bacon bagel :head:
 
Green crabs are mostly eaten by Asians, they are sold in China Town for $6.00 a dozen, even though they are invasive from Europe. The big suppliers for Green Crabs come from Maine, they are over run.
I like to get them early, so when the season opens we shoot right out and not have to worry about standing in line to get them. Two years ago there was a shortage on Greenies, so that's why I get them as soon as I can. You can't get Green Crabs in any of the bait shops in New York until a few day's before the season opens. I have a hook in New Jersey, so I can get them when I need them, hopefully. Green Crabs last a long time, do no FEED THEM unless the trap is a cage. We had crabs in containers with large holes drilled so there is always fresh water and air, threw in a carcass and in a couple of day's all the crabs were dead. The bait rotted, polluted the container by clogging the air holes with slime, so now no more food, let them eat each other. Our season ended for us last year in November, the marina told us the boat had to come out. We still had crabs in one of the holders and when we went back in March they were still alive. When the water gets cold, crabs go dormant, don't move unless they have to.
Destroyer, $60 a bushel is a very good price, we were paying $70. Last year the weight went from 50lbs a bushel to 40 and 20 for 1/2 a bushel. I paid $40 for the 1/2 in New Jersey, in Brooklyn I would pay 32 -35, lets see what it will be this season.
Destroyer, did you hear any thing about them shutting down the recreational Black Fishing in 2020? I was talking with one of the commercial Black fishing guy's and that's what he told me, I haven't heard anything.

WOW that's a book sorry about that.
 

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Looks similar to a triple tail. And the greenies look like giant fiddler crabs.

Thanks for the enlightenment, gentlemen. I ll stop in the local bait shop and tell em I need a bushel of greenies, that should be interesting.
 
Georgio, No, I haven't heard anything about the 2020 season being closed. Lets hope it's just a rumor. If they do close it let them close the COMMERCIAL fishery and leave the recreational one open.

As far as the price of the greenies, that price I quoted was 3 years ago. Haven't gone out for them for a while. Spend most of my free fishing time that time of year up on Lake Ontario looking for Salmon and Steelhead.
 
Our Blackish has declined in recent years due to the commercial guy's/ladies laying their pots all over, in the creeks and the bays, without any markers, so no one knows they are there, they go at night to pick them up. Two years ago we watched Mako Joe pull pots, at least 50, along the whole stretch of the creek and they all had Black fish in them. Tell me that shouldn't be or is illegal?? That's what has to stop, dropping those pots inshore like that. The rod and reel commercial guy's/ladies in New York are allowed 25 fish a day with a 15" size limit, we are allowed 4 at 16" and they are complaining they aren't getting fish because of the pots. I know someone who does rod and reel commercial Black fishing in New Jersey and he said in New Jersey the rod and reel commercial guy's/ladies have an unlimited catch at 14". If that is true, that's nuts. There isn't any catch and release for Blacks fish here, but maybe next week, I just might drop a crab or two and see if they are around, if we do get a fish or two, measure it and let it go back. I know the water is way too warm, but give it a shot any way.
I also noticed a drop in the Asian crabs, we always got between 700-1,000, every year, last year only 300 and this year 50. Way too many people now are going down to the beach and turning over the rocks and getting them. The don't want to pay for crabs.

Everyone have a great fall season and Phat ask for those Greenies and be careful they don't try to sell you and old Penn Greenie
spinning reel. :beer:
 

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