How to Catch Blue Crabs in Gulf Shores
Just next door to Louisiana, the largest blue crab producer in the United States, Alabama's gulf shore is filled to the brim with blue crabs just waiting to be caught. To save you the trouble, I did some research to find the best public crabbing spots in Orange Beach and Gulf Shores, Alabama.
I found three nearby spots to go crabbing from shore. The Gulf State Park Fishing Pier, Orange Beach Waterfront Park, and Harrison Park are great spots to catch Blue Crabs in Orange Beach & Gulf Shores area.
To go fishing or crabbing at any spots within this article, you will need an Alabama Saltwater Fishing License. You can purchase one at Alabama's Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Website.
I'll go over each spot with information on what to expect. I'll go over what crabbing methods work best at each spot, whether or not there are public restrooms, and so forth.
Gulf State Park Fishing Pier
View this spot on Google Maps.
One of the most popular beginner's crabbing spots along the gulf shore is Gulf State Park Fishing Pier. The pier stretches over 1000 feet into the bay with plenty of room to go fishing and crabbing. There is a small fee for parking and to enter the pier.
The pier offers bathroom options at the entrance and halfway down the pier. There are vendors at the entrance that rent fishing gear if you choose to go fishing. Remember, you will need an Alabama Saltwater Fishing License to go crabbing and fishing at this spot (and all others on this post).
One downfall of this spot is its popularity. This is a heavily-visited spot, so the waters around the pier are very pressured. The term "pressured" is a fishing term to label spots that are overfished, which results in fewer fish being caught at this spot. This is the same case for blue crabs. While you can still catch a nice haul of blue crabs here, it may take longer than other spots. You may also be competing with other crabbers.
The best way to catch crabs on this pier is with collapsible crab traps. I always recommend the Foxy-Mate box traps. The topless Foxy-Mate is not always available on Amazon, but I prefer them (Affiliate Links to Amazon.com). Foxy-Mate's are high-quality traps at a great price, I talk all about them in my article: Foxy Mate: My Favorite Blue Crab Trap.
Unlike other spots on this list, this pier is high above the water. For this reason, I recommend you bring extra rope/line to make sure your crab traps reach the bottom of the water. Blue crabs sit at the bottom of the water.
Another thing to keep in mind is the current. The gulf current can be strong at times, so I recommend you add weight to your crab traps. If you are using a Foxymate, zip tie some cut rebar or a vinyl-coated weight on Amazon (Affiliate Link to Amazon.com).
Orange Beach Waterfront Park
View this spot on Google Maps.
A beautiful, local crabbing spot in Orange Beach is its Waterfront Park. It's a much quieter spot compared to Gulf State Park Fishing Pier. The park is equipped with walking trails, playground equipment, and two separate restrooms.
You can go crabbing here from the shoreline or the pier. I recommend you use either collapsible crab traps or hand lines. My recommended, inexpensive collapsible traps are Foxy-Mates. At this spot, you can also use Hurricane Ring Nets to catch crabs. They work better in calmer waters, such as this spot (Affiliate Links to Amazon.com).
If you choose to go crabbing on the park's shorelines, I recommend you use hand lines. You will need a hand line and a dip net (Affiliate Links to Amazon.com). For a guide on using hand lines, read my article: Crabbing With Hand Lines: The Quick & Easy Guide.
Besides crabbing, this spot has spots to go swimming and picnic areas. The only setback is the lack of parking. It's free to park your vehicle at this park, but it fills up on weekends and holidays. The park has a reputation for being a clean, well-kept area. Be sure to throw out your garbage in the cans near the picnic pavilions.
Harrison Park
View this Spot on Google Maps.
Another local spot in Orange Beach, Alabama Harrison Park. This is a little-known local secret spot to go crabbing and fishing. There are limited parking spaces, but it's almost always quiet and secluded (besides weekends/holidays of course). When it gets busier, people will park along Park Dr. and Bayou Dr.
The small park is home to a 90 ft fishing pier. The shoreline here is not accessible, so you're going to be crabbing with collapsible traps.
There are no public restrooms at this location. Like all other public spots, you will need a saltwater fishing license to go crabbing here.
What I like about this spot is that it is lesser-known. You will not be competing with other crabbers here, compared to the other two spots on this list. This spot is more inland, so the water is calmer here.
Before Anything, Consider a Fishing Charter.
Crabbing isn't overly complicated, but it can be overwhelming for anyone going on their first trip. You will need to buy licenses, gear, and bait to catch the crabs. Once you catch the crabs, you will need a cooler and steamer to cook them. This will add up in price, and it's a lot to carry around. I'm also going to assume you're vacationing here, and don't have all this stuff on hand.
I don't say this to deter you from crabbing, but it's something you have to keep in mind. I recommend you ask yourself why you're going crabbing. If you just want an experience on the water and don't plan to make this a regular activity, I do not recommend investing all that time and money in stuff you'll never use again.
On top of the price tag, there's still a learning curve. If you're new to crabbing, I wouldn't bet on bringing in a bushel of blue crabs on your first try. It takes some experience to get good at crabbing.
Hearing all this may sound a bit discouraging, but I have a solution for you. Beginners will benefit by going crabbing and fishing with a knowledgeable guide. A fishing charter is exactly that. On a charter boat, you do not need to buy any gear as they will provide for you. This includes bait, traps, and sometimes even fishing licenses.
On Fishingbooker, you can browse hundreds of Captains in your area. The site is kind of like Airbnb but for fishermen. Instead of their house, they list their boat. On a trip, they'll take you out on their boat, help you catch fish or crabs, and teach you a thing or two along the way. At the end of the day, most charters will fillet your catch and let you take it home. You get a cool experience and a meal at the end of the day. If you're interested, Click here to browse fishing charters on FishingBooker.com (Affiliate Link).
Your Next Steps
Read Alabama's Crabbing Regulations! To avoid unwanted fines and help conserve Alabama's blue crab population, I recommend you familiarize yourself with the state's crabbing regulations. Click here or the image to get started.
Explore more public crabbing spots in Alabama. There are plenty of public spots to set crab traps in the state of Alabama. Click here or the image to read more.
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