When do Peelers moult?

[Appleman]

Bristol Channel...Clevedon

I am thinking of investing in one of those little crab pots you can buy on the tinterweb to target peelers....I have a hot spot where I know there are plenty of crabs but need to know when the little fellas are taking their coats off...Plan here is to harvest enough peelers to freeze down and use at my leisure...In the past I have paid plenty for them at the tackle shop but dont see why I cant gather these up myself...

Thanks in advance for the tips guys...!

BTW did I mention caught a Cod earlier

[Portland Pirate]

you wont get a peeler in a crab pot. They look for shelter when they are peeling, hence the reason the pro's use drain pipes as traps. If you want to try gathering then when the tempreture starts to rise in late march or early April strat to look under large stones and rocks.

[KKK]

Around the Penarth and Barry area the crab will peel usually on the first warm day in May but you can get them from April onwards if the water has warmed up but as already mentioned they will not be caught in pots as tey don't tend to feed and the seek shelter high up the beach around the high tide mark away from preditors, however if you get the hard backs in March and you own a fish tank devoid of fish you may get them to peel by spaying them with a little warm just luke warm sea water and also fill tank with sea weed and rocks put at an angle and put a little sea water in it do not put any carbs in there with shinny green shells in as they have probably already peeled use the crabs with barnacles on them. You may get this to work first time but it may take a bit of practice. Use about 10 crabs at a time to get it to work do not use velvet swimmer crabs as these can harm your health, edibles tend to peel around september. The cock shore crabs work better for this method.