Look out over Lake Pontchartrain today and you’ll notice something — a lot more crab trap floats!
While the Styrofoam ovals may not mean much to the average fisherman, they’re a great sign for the future of Lake Pontchartrain’s blue crabs. After years of disappointment following the oil spill and repeated spillway openings, the lake’s blue crab population has finally bounced back to levels not seen in over a decade.
Jamie Hakenjos has lived in Lacombe his whole life and sells boiled seafood for Da Crab Trap in Lacombe. Hakenjos said it’s been a tough run for crabbers who run traps in Pontchartrain ever since the oil spill and numerous openings of the Bonnet Carré Spillway.
“2010, 2011, and 2012 were some tough years, and then that spillway got us later on,” Hakenjos said. “But that’s all behind us now, and the crabs are back!
“It’s booming — there’s a lot of big crabs in the lake right now — I’m seeing 30-40 trucks a week taking No. 1’s up north. The rest of them — the No. 2’s and No. 3’s — we boil up and sell locally.”
Hakenjos said he knew it was going to be a good season when one of the boats put down a few traps as a test in Lake Pontchartrain. The next day, when they checked the traps, the team was encouraged to see them chock-full of blue crabs.
“We even had some speckled trout in those traps, so that’s always a good sign for the trout fishermen,” he said.
Large crabs
Francis Motichek was born and raised in St. Tammany Parish and has been crabbing in Lake Pontchartrain all his life. He is a commercial crabber who runs traps between the Causeway and Lake Maurepas. Right now, Motichek is seeing the biggest crabs he’s seen in over a decade.
“I used to find a lot of small crabs in the traps,” he said. “We’d pick up those traps, and there were a lot of small crabs slipping out of the holes and going everywhere. Now, it’s a rare sight to see those small crabs.”
On Motichek’s most recent trip, he had four boxes (240 pounds) of No. 1 crabs with only 15-20 pounds of No. 2’s to put it into perspective. A No. 1 crab in Louisiana stretches 6.5 inches from point to point, with No. 2’s measuring 6 inches.
For those wanting to catch crabs in Lake Pontchartrain, Motichek recommends using pogies, catfish heads, and even chicken leg quarters that he cuts in half.
“As the water starts to heat up, those leg quarters last longer in the traps,” he said.
For the most part, blue crabs aren’t picky. Motichek has even seen crabbers using corn on the cob for bait.
Soft-shell success
While sorting out crabs on the boat, Motichek mainly concentrates on collecting “shedder crabs” or “peelers.” These are crabs that have begun the shedding process and are close to reaching the soft-shell stage. He brings the crabs back to his home, where he has numerous shallow tanks. It’s there that the crabs finish up their shedding and become highly prized soft shells.
“I’m shedding some big beautiful No. 1 crabs right now,” he said.
When targeting peelers, Motichek recommends crabbing near grassy areas in the marsh. It’s there that the crabs seek out structure for protection while in the vulnerable stage. Over the years, the life-long crabber has learned that seeking out protection is their main concern and has even baited his traps with wood.
“While I haven’t done it recently, I used to stuff wax myrtle branches into some traps just to create a structure or a hiding area that those shedder crabs are looking for,” he said. “Crabs are naturally curious creatures and will investigate anything that is out of the ordinary. I would sometimes pull a bushel of No. 1’s just from a trap with branches in it.”
During a crab’s lifespan, which is approximately 18 months, crabs molt more frequently when they are younger and still growing, but as a crab matures, it sheds every 6 to 8 weeks throughout the year. During the summer months, Motichek said, you have about three to four shots at catching a peeler.
Crabbing on the bayou
Kenneth Snyder lives on Palm Lake in Slidell. The lake is connected to Lake Pontchartrain via Bayou Bonfouca. Snyder has been teaching his grandson, Rowan Verdin, to catch crabs and said the 10-year-old is getting pretty good at it. He recently had a great day running his traps off the wharf.
“We baited the traps with fresh-cut fish and hung them off the dock,” Rowan said. “When I pulled up the crab traps, I was excited to see six blue crabs.”
The youngster not only enjoyed catching the crabs, but he also liked eating them at the family’s next crab boil.
“I love when my Paw Paw gets the family together for a crab boil,” he said. “Fresh crab meat tastes really good.”
While the family primarily crabs from the dock at their house, occasionally Snyder will run traps in Bayou Bonfouca. When crabbing in the bayou, Snyder recommends using fish scraps for bait and positioning the nets in a certain location in the bayou.
“I find that I catch more when I set my nets just outside of the grass as opposed to inside the grass,” he said.
Don’t forget your license
Before your next crabbing trip, make sure you’re properly licensed. LDWF updated fishing license requirements for state residents in 2022, including new rules specifically for recreational crabbers. If you’re planning to use crab lines or nets and don’t already have a Saltwater License, you’ll need to pick up the new $5 Hook and Line License. Those who already hold a Saltwater License can set up to 10 crab traps without any additional permits.
The state also tightened up trap identification rules. Each trap must now be marked with either a 2-inch stainless steel self-locking tag attached to the center of the trap ceiling or a durable plastic bait box marker displaying your recreational crab trap gear license number.
Popular roadside crabbing spots in Louisiana
Lake Road: Located in Lacombe, Lake Road may possibly be the No. 1 crabbing destination in Lake Pontchartrain because of its length and unfettered access to the water. About 1.21 miles of this gravel road touch the water, making it very accessible. While most crabbers run lines, there is a fishing dock near the end of the road at the boat launch where running nets is an option.
Seabrook Bridge: Located at the mouth of the Industrial Canal, this area offers great crabbing from the rocks along the shoreline. What makes Seabrook such a productive place to crab is the current that is created by the bridge’s structure. The nearby Seabrook Harbor provides easy access to the lake for those who use nets or traps from a boat.
Bonnabel Boat Launch: This Jefferson Parish public boat launch not only serves boaters but offers excellent bank access for crabbers. The protected cove and concrete seawall make it ideal for dropping crab lines, especially in the early morning or evening hours.
Northshore along Lakeshore Drive: The stretch of Lakeshore Drive between Mandeville and Madisonville offers multiple roadside pullover spots where crabbers can access the lake. The shallow, grassy areas near the shore are particularly productive during the summer months.
Irish Bayou: Just off I-10 east of New Orleans, Irish Bayou provides access to both the lake and connecting waterways. The small bridges and roadside areas along Chef Menteur Highway offer convenient spots to drop lines or nets, with the nearby marshes creating ideal crab habitat.
The Lakefront in New Orleans: Several sections along the New Orleans Lakefront are popular for crabbing, particularly around the sheltered areas near Lincoln Beach and the Lake Vista neighborhood. The concrete steps and breakwaters provide stable platforms for crabbers of all ages.
