In July 2007 I discovered that Blue Claw Crabs were prevalent in Shelter Island waters. Audrey and I spent many hours down at Dickerson Creek hunting for Crabs and anything else that lives in the tidal zone. My methods are somewhat unorthodox, but give the right weather conditions and the right tide I could catch better than a dozen keepers an hour.
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Dickerson Creek is a mud bottom bay with a very narrow inlet. The mud can swallow you up to your mid thigh in spots and is a blast to watch newbs walking in. It holds a lot of floating seaweed and is an ideal mating place for Blue Claws.
When the tide goes out in Dickerson Creek these tidal pools stay full of hermit crabs and tiny bait.
The inlet at Dickerson Creek can be treacherous when the tide is really ripping, but having to plan when to get your boat in and out is a very small price to pay for having one of the best home sites on Shelter Island.
I rigged up a small cooler with a wire shelf and was able to drop some ice in and keep crabs just peachy for days. These guys are so tasty.
I cooked these with 2-3 cups of white vinegar, about 3 cups of water, and a mess of Old Bay. Bring the mixture to a boil dump in a dozen and a half crabs and let them cook for 18-20 min.
They almost always popped their claws which might not be preferential if you are serving them in a restaurant, but just fine if you are planning on picking them yourself for the meat.
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