Presentation of the green crab
Note that there are two species of green crab, one on the Atlantic coast ( carcinus maenas ) and one on the Mediterranean coast ( carcinus aestuarii ). Two species with quite similar behavior except that the Mediterranean green crab is much more present on sandy and muddy areas.
The green crab, sometimes also called favouille or rabid crab, is a common crab on all our coasts. It can be found from the shore, in a few centimeters of water, to more than fifty meters deep. The green crab can withstand significant differences in salinity and frequents estuaries.
As its name indicates, it is rather green with some black or beige touches on the top, and a lighter belly. Its body is shaped like a trapèze and has small legs and two more or less pronounced claws. Like most crabs, it hides in algae or under rocks.
Omnivorous, it feeds as well on worms, crustaceans, algae, shells or even any corpse within reach of its claws.
Getting green crabs
Most fishing stores offer green crabs for sale. Most often they are sold individually. A simple and safe way to get bait when you want it.
It is of course possible to harvest them yourself with a net or by hand. You just have to flush them out of their cache or lure them out of their cache with a scented bait like a sardine.
Green crab can be stored easily and for a long time. It can survive for more than a week in a cool and humid place or simply in the refrigerator.
Green crab fishing
The green crab is a bait of choice for many species of fish. It is, like all crabs, a food appreciated by all sparids. The sea bream, the various sars, as well as the sea bass (or wolf in the Mediterranean), will be the species sought after with this bait.
Other fish may be interested in a well-presented green crab, such as olds, paddles or even some flatfish such as flounder or skate.
The green crab can be used as well in surfcasting as in fishing with the float, the wedge or the toc. It also has the advantage of being able to be used whole or in pieces on different biotopes, rocky or sandy coasts.
Find the different ways to fish a crab here .
