[BlueChip]

The Blue Crab Year -
The Search for Megalops – July 15th 2011- Report 9
You do not need to be a scientist to report!

Reports 1 to 8 are available – email Tim Visel at tim.visel@new-haven.k12.ct.us

• Blue crabs reach the Connecticut River, July 9-10 and enter in large numbers
• Reports continue to support easterly movement at night from Milford/western areas
• Niantic Bay is now watched for crabs
• Concerns expressed as crabbers wonder if small crabs will appear east of New Haven
• A post Megalops hatch is now expected for most of Connecticut shoreline – comments from crabbers in next report.

Warmer temperatures and less rainfall appear to have increased crabbing in central sections. A possible time/track scenario is now possible for central Connecticut as the movement east of adult crabs is now outlined.

The first reports-

Some nighttime striped bass fishermen noticed around June 10th large patches of “football crabs” – (one claw tucked swimming on the surface like catching a pass) heading toward West Haven. The first report was actually generated because of loud splashes which caused a look towards the beach area and it was large fish, striped bass apparently chasing the crabs. I do have historical references of soft shells and even lobsters used as striped bass bait a century ago, but always thought it was the small crabs that stripers consumed. A gut cavity analysis would prove the point- do large stripers eat mature crabs?

The extent of the eastward push of larger sized crabs had been mentioned in many reports — “It was large.” “Or sudden.” That would make some sense out of the timeline of one month between Milford/Stratford region to the Connecticut River.

June 10th: Reports of Adult Blue crabs swimming east along West Haven Beaches.

June 15-30th: Masses of crabs reported at Housatonic River, 3-4”.

June 15-20: New Haven Harbor, 3-4” crabs caught in trawl nets.

June 25th: Branford River reports large catches – many 3 to 4”.

June 30th: Crabs are seen moving up East River in Guilford by state launch ramp, swimming along banks.

July 1st: Neck River, Madison reports large crabs by Town Dock.

July 4-5th: Adult crabs enter Clinton Harbor in large numbers.

July 7th: Westbrook reports crabs at Town Dock and in nearby rivers.

July 7-8: Oyster River, Old Saybrook experiences surge in crab catches (incoming tide change).

July 8th: Striped bass fishermen at North Cove, Sheffield Dock report adult crabs swimming on surface – first crab reports also from area.

July 10th: Crabs reported at Dock n’ Dine Restaurant, CT River.

July 11th: Crabs caught on Baldwin Bridge, DEP Fishing Pier (July 8th, no crabs) - Expect blue crabs will arrive at Essex Town Dock by July 15th.

July 11th: All Old Lyme crabbing areas show increases –

Lieutenant, Blackhall Rivers; Smith Cove/Niantic River should have crabs in a few days. First to perhaps see increases: Point of Woods, Four Mile River, Pattagansett Bridge.

I had another two reports for Clinton Harbor that crabs hit here on July 5th.

Also, a couple of reports from long time crabbers mention that once crabs hit a creek or tidal river, they tend to move quickly with the tide up the system into the marshes when the tide changes; they dig in, so in the spring/summer, the incoming tides are the best to fish. They are on the march in, ebb tides not. This explains some of the large catch differences in the same location according to another one veteran crabber, for example, the first adult wave hit the Branford area around the third week in May, large catches were reported for the Branford River, but then other reports had few or none. This crabber went on to say that in the late summer/fall, crabs tend to leave the marshy areas for deeper water so then it is best to fish the ebb tides then, they are on the move out. This also matches an earlier report of large numbers of 3 to 4” crabs massing at the mouth of the Housatonic River preparing to march up the river. Apparently this report was 100% accurate. Thousands of crabs are now marching up the Connecticut River perhaps helped by the strong moon tides. These crabs are not native to the Connecticut River, they got here from other areas. If you get a chance check out the United States Geological Survey (USGS) monitoring site at Essex Island in the CT River. http://waterdata.usgs.gov/ct/nwis/uv?cb_all_00065_00010_00095_90860_00300_00301_00400_63680_00010_000aa95_90860_00010_00095_90860=on&cb_00065=on&format=gif_default&period=7&site_no=01194750 It is an excellent doorway into how large an influence the Connecticut River is on the entire ecology (fisheries) for eastern CT. It is a great source of information and I may add, it’s actually understandable and helpful. My son Willard has a shad license and in late May and June we tried to catch some CT River shad, no luck but we did count many trees, poles, logs, stumps and building lumber. It was like watching a flood on the Weather Channel™. We will never forget it!

So the moment of crabs into the CT River appears to be instinctive and not by chance. They are not “born” in the river, but transplants from other areas. A couple of comments from crabbers mentioned that this eastern “push” has been known for a long time, several comments also refer to the dry summers and during them Blue crabs can make it as far north as Chester, CT.

It’s becoming clear to me that the ecology of Long Island Sound is much different now than when I first started crabbing 50 years ago. I do not remember this amount of Blue crabs nor the numbers of juveniles – an occasional year or two were good, but not like this. Some crabbers wrote in on the study with some ideas about egg dispersal and prevailing southerly winds. As I write this report some indications of yet another huge post Megalops event is taking place in the west. This is most likely too late for legal size this year but could be the beginning of that 3 to 4” size that was so prevalent this spring. According to one veteran crabber, next year’s crabs are already here, and making their way to the east now as very small crabs.

I can’t thank these veteran crabbers enough for sharing insights and experience and I hope they will continue to do so.

Observations this year will help guide the survey methods for next year.

Every observation is important you do not need to be a scientist to participate!

The Search for Megalops is part of a Project Shellfish/Finfish Student/Citizen Monitoring Effort Supported by a 2005 grant to The Sound School from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation grant #2005-0191-001.

All observations are valuable; please email them to me at tim.visel@new-haven.k12.ct.us.

Program reports are available upon request.
For more information about New Haven Environmental Monitoring Initiative or for reports please contact Susan Weber, Sound School Adult Education and Outreach Program Coordinator at susan.weber@new-haven.k12.ct.us