Add some Blue Crab to you're Summer Harvest

The last few years the New England Mussel is gaining some momentum on the taste buds of shellfish diehards to go along with soft shell clams, quahogs and the sought after lobster. I like my steamers the old fashioned way with a cup of hot broth for rinsing, then dunk in a cup of butter. If any left over, clean and ad to you're quahog red chowder for additional flavor.
 While not a icon of New England seafood platters like the American Lobster, locally caught Blue Crab can make a appearance on your summers

Letter T upside down or a Letter U for the Female

Female may have a sponge underneath of eggs.

plates, nutcrackers and a good mallet to go along with the rest of your harvest at the ocean. The experience of the hunt for the blue crab adds to your selection of your seafood feast.
 When I was a boy my grand parents had a summer home in Charleston, R.I. and my brother Paul and I would relish in the challenge every trip to catch a few of the elusive Blue Crab. A piece of hot dog. dough ball, chicken before being hollered at to get out of the kitchen and go out side and play or fish remains after cleaning. We had found some nets and duct taped them to tree branch's to help us in our quest.
  We honed our skills and learned some helpful tips to pass along. The season opens May1st in the tri-state region. Mass. Conn. and R.I. The tri-states have different closure dates. Mass.and R.I. close on Dec 30th and Conn. closes on Nov. 30th  5 inch hard shell limit and 25 per day for recreational harvesting, not commercial. No fishing license required at this time but always check you're states fishing abstracts for any changes.
 Some states prohibit night blue crabbing and release all egg bearing females. Remember that the crabs are built for speed going sideways instead of forward walking and retreating while netting a blue crab. I use a white 5 gallon bucket for the catch with some wet seaweed in the bottom to give the crabs a sense of hiding and to slow down the crabs from fighting each other.
  This type of sight fishing is perfect for kayaks and paddle boards.
 I have been called frugal by many of always saving a worn out pair of shoes or sneakers to go with my cut downs to wade along the piers, docks or rocks or muddy creeks and estuaries at low tide in my hunt. In the colder times of the year I will take out my insulated waders for comfort.The rewards are mouth watering and I always eat my catch the same day or the next the latest. If you are really fortunate to catch some summer fluke (Flounder), I would suggest to stuff a few of the filets with the crab.
 The Blue Crabs may be caught recreationally by hand, dip net, open wire trap or a star trap. In Mass. no license is required to catch blue crabs or other crabs in our waters like Jonah or Rock crabs. Night time in Mass. is legal and I use my bass fishing hat with my LED lights on the bill.
 Blue crab mating takes place from the early spring to autumn. The courtship dance is awesome once a larger male finds a suitable female. He will then try to sweep her off her feet and once she agrees the male will then cradle her underneath by holding on to her with his walking legs. He will stay in this position until the female molts and longer for her protection.
 When the females are pregnant they are sometimes called sponge crabs and must be released. The simplest way to determine the sex of a blue crab is to catch the crab, turn it over and if the bottom looks like a up side down letter T it is a male. If the bottom of the crab looks like a letter U with a flap it is a female. The female will reproduce and then die after one cycle. The males are normally larger and can grow up to 9 inches and have a much longer live span of three to eight years