Looking to learn how to go crabbing; tips?

We talking from a boat or off the dock?

Dock, and looking to go to half moon bay not sf bay

You can buy these bad boys for around $3. Get a few, tie them to mop sticks, tie a chicken leg to the bottom and drop them in the water.

Works like a charm. I prefer this than the individual string.

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How would you know if you caught anything w this? Is there a feel like strings?

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Just leave it in the water a little while then pull the head of the stick up. It'll trap the crabs in the net (if you have any).

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It'll trap the crabs in the net (if you have any).

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The only way to completely trap them is with pots. Those bastards can move fast once the trap is being pulled.

OP...first, find out how many traps/pots you can have per person.

I would spend a few more bucks and get a more rigid ring. You're catching Dungeness not the little blue crabs. Cheap ring won't last long.

When I go crabbing I set pots but then use crab hawk traps that work with a fishing rod. Google them, cost 19 bucks. Use a sturdy rod.

Cool thing about those is once you pull and start reeling the crabs are pinned inside. Another is that after leaving it in 1 spot for 10 min with nothing nibbling you just cast your trap to a different spot. You can cast those traps further than you can throw a ring.

I use marinated chicken but you don't have to. I put in a crab marinade the day before I go crab.

Not sure how much the tides affect you there on the dock but we crab the incoming tide into the slack.

Good luck.