Fire Blog

There’s no way around it. Crabbing is becoming more popular in the Pacific Northwest (and Nor Cal/BC/Alaska). After last weekend’s Washington shrimp opener I’m getting excited about the coming crab opener (it’s open in Oregon and Nor Cal now). At the end of last season I discovered how easy Pautzke's Crab & Shrimp Fuel is to use and how quickly it’s taking the crab and shrimp pot season to a new level.

I’m convinced this formula attracts crabs from greater distances than with other scents I’ve used in the past. This scent is a family formula of oils and amino acids from salmon eggs. It’s a killer for attracting crab and shrimp. This past Puget Sound winter crab season I used it and found that it doubled the amount of crab in my pots.

There’s several ways to apply the scent. Personally, I use Crab & Shrimp Fuel to presoak my bait. Regardless of what baits I use (parts of salmon heads/backbones which I save for crab bait, herring, chicken/turkey parts) they all go in to a container. Then, I add Crab & Shrimp Fuel and mix it up thoroughly. I use disposal gloves for this part. After a thorough mix, put it in the fridge or cooler and let it soak overnight.
After 24 hours your bait is fully charged and ready to fish. Remember, fresh bait is the key regardless of what bait you choose. Crab like fresh bait! As you fish the bait the Crab & Shrimp Fuel will leach creating a tantalizing scent trail for the crab to follow back to your pot.

How To Prepare For Numerous Trips:

Some crabbers choose to prepare their baits the night before they head out. However, I opt to make a bunch at once and freeze it. I save fresh salmon parts and when I have 3 or 4 salmon filet caresses ready to go I cut all the parts up so they fit into a quart size freezer bag. Then, I soak them for 24 hours in Crab & Shrimp Fuel. Once completed, pull the bait parts out and stuff them into the plastic freezer bags until they’re full. I place these into the freezer. Tip: don’t use cheap freezer bags and better yet, don’t ask me how I know this!

When I go crabbing I’ll head to the fridge and grab a few of the frozen bags. Once on the water I take one bag of frozen bait and drop it into each crab pot bait container. The contents of these bags fit perfect in the standard size Danielson crab bait container. Drop this bait down to your favorite crabbing spot and as the bait thaws it will create a burst of chum and scent that any crab in the area just can’t stay away from.
Pautzke pro staffer John Keizer is a saltwater guru in the Northwest. He operates The Salt Patrol. To learn more about his endeavors please visit www.saltpatrol.com