Velvet Peelers For Bait ?

[BAZACODBASHA]

Managed to find about 20 peeler and soft back crabs the other day. Couldn't believe the amount of velvet swimming crabs around at the minute. Wow are they agessive !! (definitely the 'pit bulls' of the crab world).
Anyway i found a few in the 'peeling' stage and a few soft ones. What I would like to ask is .."Are they any good for bait as opposed to common shore crabs ?" Can't see why they shouldn't be myself, but I have never used them.
I have frozen them down onto double hooks and a snood, and to be honest, they look to be canny big lumps of bait. Will be using them from time to time in the cod season, but would apreciate if any one else can tell me if they have had any success with them, frozen or fresh.
One other question............."How big do edible crabs have to be before you can legaly take them from the shore ?" Foud a few when I was crabbing, but I know you can be done for taking them undersize, even if the are for fishing bait.

Many thanks

BAZACODBASHA

 

[davem2005]

Baz,
Carefull when taking Velevts or edibles.

Extract from the sfc's bylaws.

8. Parts of Shellfish



Subject to the provisions of the Crab Claws (Prohibition of Landing) Order 1986 no person shall remove from any fishery any edible crab (Cancer pagurus) or part thereof, or velvet crab (Necora puber) or part thereof, or lobster (Homarus gammarus) or part thereof, which cannot be measured to ensure compliance with the Undersized Crabs Order 1986, the Undersized Velvet Crabs Order 1989, or the Undersized Lobsters Order 1993.



9. Prohibition on Use of Edible Crab (Cancer pagurus) for Bait



(1) No person shall use any edible crab (Cancer pagurus) for bait and Section 17(2) of the Sea Fisheries (Shellfish) Act 1967, which affords a defence to a person charged with an offence under Section 17(1) of that Act, shall not apply within the district.



(2) Nothing in this byelaw shall prohibit the use of cooked crab offal as bait.

Sizes for edibles is 125mm across the back ...see http://www.nsfc.org.uk/230503/PrincipalStat.htm
I cant find the details for velvets.

Cheers
Dave

 

[mick dunn]

Personally i would never take a velvet. Are these young eating crabs,apologies if mistaken.

Mick.

 

[codseeker]

Personally i would never take a velvet. Are these young eating crabs,apologies if mistaken.

Mick.

heres one http://www.imagequest3d.com/pages/current/pictureoftheweek/velvetcrab/index.htm

 

[BAZACODBASHA]

Cheers for the info............Didn't know velvets came under the same protection laws as edibles.

 

[Simmo]

Bazzacodbasha,

the French love them!

frogs legs n horses, nuff said!!

you can buy frozen velvets for bait. dunno if they're ok to use?

Ian S.

 

[Vamp]

just wondered if velvets are protected how comes you can buy them from tackle shops,there sold in 4,s in sealed placki bag with yellow writing on it for about £3.50 i was buying them last winter as normal peeler was way to exspensive

 

[codseeker]

thought velvet peelers was a better bait ,but look very tough and harder shelled

 

[Charlie_Thompson]

They've been tried a lot, cheap, convenient, easy to use - They don't seem to do the biz though.

 

[Charlie_Thompson]

Personally i would never take a velvet. Are these young eating crabs,apologies if mistaken.

Mick.

Different species mick although you can eat them - they are swimming crabs with feathery things on their legs and chase you down the pier clicking claws at you.

 

[Mogthemackem]

I've tried those frozen velvets but never seemed to catch anything on them - even when the whities were in!! They're very fleshy but no juices seep out of them liker proper peeler but maybe they have a good scent?