Almost

[phatdaddy]

I don t understand a word, but good luck!!

[Giorgio]

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.

[phatdaddy]

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?

[Destroyer]

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

[Giorgio]

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.

[phatdaddy]

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.

[Destroyer]

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.