There are dozens of species of crabs in North American coastal waters, from the eraser-size Florida mole crab to giant Alaskan king crabs that won't fit in a washtub. All of them have in common that at some stage of their lives, they are high on the list of edibles for local game fish. Pass CrabsIn Florida, there's no better spring and summer tarpon bait than the "pass crabs" that drift through the west coast passes by the thousands from April through July. They max out around 4 inches across the carapace, and have well-developed swimming legs on the back of their shell. Catching pass crabs is straightforward; get out on the early part of an outgoing tide near one of the passes, find a rip stacked up with grass, foam and debris, and dip-net the drifting crabs. You can also sometimes find them along the beaches at dawn ...![100-0411crabs 1]()
