Steamed crabs are a delicious treat, but it seems like they get more expensive every year. Using some homemade crab pots, you can bypass the middleman and catch your own crabs, straight from the ocean. Almost anyone can build their own crab pot by following these simple steps.
Instructions
Form Your Crab Pot Component Pieces
1. Cut a piece of wire 20 meshes in length. From the end of the wire, count over 6 meshes and fold the wire at a ninety degree angle. Do the same thing at the other end of the wire so you are left with a U-shape.
2. Repeat Step 1. You will now have two identical U-shaped pieces of wire.
3. Form the parlor. Cut a piece of wire mesh 11 meshes long. Bend along the middle at around a forty-five degree angle so that it forms a V-shape. The pointed part of the V should be flat and around two inches wide. You can wrap the wire mesh around a 2x4 to get this effect. At the flat 2-inch wide point of the V, cut two holes that are 4 meshes long and two inches wide.
4. Make the entrance funnel. Cut a piece of wire that is two meshes long. Trim it so that it is slightly triangular, and has 10 meshes along the top and 12 along the bottom. Curl this wire into a cylindrical shape and fasten together using crab pot staples.
5. Repeat Step 4 so that you have two complete entrance funnels.
Assemble the Pieces to Form Your Crab Pot
6. Attach the parlor to one of the U-shaped pieces using crab pot staples. The open end of the U should face up and the V shaped flat end of the parlor should also face up. When you are finished this step, your crab pot will look like a triangle inside of a U-shape.
7. Attach the other U-shape to form the a cube using crab pot staples. Make sure to leave one seam unattached. This is where you will remove all the crabs you're going to catch.
8. Install the entrance funnels. Cut two holes equal to the diameter of the larger end of the entrance funnels and attach both using crab pot staples. The large end of each funnel should be flush with the wall of the crab pot, while the small end should extend up inside of the pot. It is very important to attach these entrance funnels below the top of the parlor, not above.
9. Finish off the "door" of your crab pot. Line the unfinished top opening edge of your crab pot with the galvanized wire, attaching it with crab pot staples. Use a small length of bungee cord to fasten the door closed so the crabs can't escape.
10. Bait the box and catch some crabs. Place a small amount of bait in the bottom of the box and wait until crabs take the bait. Enjoy the crabs you catch with your crab pot.
Tags: crab staples, entrance funnels, using crab, using crab staples, meshes long, piece wire