What is a Crabbing Snood?
A crabbing snood is a short line (typically 6–8 inches) used to connect bait or bait bags to a long main trotline, which can stretch 600 to 1,500 feet. If you’ve ever wondered what a crabbing snood is used for, it’s designed to let bait drift slightly away from the main line so that crabs can “swim” with it—reducing the chance they’ll be shaken off by vibrations. Most snoods are made from elastic “shock cord,” though despite the name, they don’t actually stretch much under a crab’s weight. They’re favored because they grip bait securely when tied with snubs.
History of Crabbing Snoods
The use of crabbing snoods dates back to the early 1900s when they were first used by commercial crab fishermen in the Chesapeake Bay area. The snoods were originally made from natural fibers such as cotton and linen, but they have since been replaced by synthetic materials such as nylon and elastic shock cords. Crabbing snoods are not only used in the United States but also in other parts of the world such as the United Kingdom and Australia. In Australia, crabbing snoods are commonly used to catch mud crabs in the estuaries of Northern Queensland.
Benefits of Using a Crabbing Snood
Bait tied directly to main trotline allows vibrations to be felt by crabs and they will drop off line before reaching the surface to be dipped. Snoods allow the crab to swim freely with the bait and not feel vibrations from main trotline thus increasing the catch rate.