I'll be going down to Destin towards the end of May. I always surf fish and have fun catch reds and pompano, but figured I'd try something new this year. I've never caught blue crabs (or any kind of crabs..... ) so I don't know the first thing about it. I'm guessing it's not gonna happen in the surf and I'd need to go on the bay side? Any tips, pointers, things to look for....thanks!

They will come near shore in the gulf in the Fall but most are females. The bay at night is your best bet. They are killing the pompano daily at the Panama City county pier.

Shoot over to Valparaiso ( bay side north west of Destin about 15 miles) find the “T pier” on Bayshore drive. East of the parking lot is a rock sea wall. You can walk it with a net or throw out traps. Take a flash light and go after dark.

Go to the bay side where it looks crabby (this is generally everywhere) and find a comfortable spot. Carry a fried chicken dinner or bucket and a dipnet. Eat the chicken and throw the bones in the edge of the water. When they come up to get it, scoop them up. You have to be mostly still when you see them coming. I do the same thing with shrimp but chicken is way cheaper if you already eat it. You can do the bone or piece of chicken on a string or fishing line thing (just reel very slowly) and scoop them when they get close to the bank but it's more work and no more return. Use raw chicken if doing that with chicken pieces.

Is it really that easy? Is it worth it to buy a trap or two or just go with a net and a bucket? Is there a "best time of day" to go or just go whenever? I saw where you cant use traps at night

It's always been easy to catch crabs in and around Destin. It's easy enough that you really have to be somewhat careful. AJ's, Hog's Breath, Tailfins, Coyote Ugly have all been hotspots over the years. Your best luck will probably come between 11:00 and last call.

On a serious note, anywhere in Choctawhatchee bay along seawalls, rock jetties etc. Just take a dip net and dip them up or do like others have said and use a crab net baited with chicken. Nothing to it.

Yes - it's that easy. My best crabbing spot is a park bench with a palm tree for shade right next to the beach in St. Mark's. I sit on my behind and fish and catch a dozen to three dozen an hour with no traps or crab net or anything - just throw some bait in the edge of the water. I've not noticed any better times but I have heard people say lower tide is better but I seem to be the opposite. I think the higher tide makes them more comfortable (deeper water = better cover for them). I don't do it at night for several reasons (massive gators, massive sharks, hideous bugs and snakes that eat the gators and sharks).

I have some serious traps in Talley and never catch more in them and it's hard work. The dipnet method (get one for everybody so they can all join in the fun) works just as good and is WAY LESS strenuous. You can also sweep around any cover while wading with the butt end of the net (rocks, pilings, wall edge, etc.) and scoop them when they break cover and flee. More work but just as effective (nowhere near as hard a work as running traps).

Use the cheapo dipnet with a long wooden handle and green nylon mesh with 1" or so openings for crabs. The ones with white fabric mesh are too slow through the water to do good on crabs. Make sure it's the long handled ones - not the short handle as you'll need the extra reach to score - they are fast when fleeing. I use a great big one just cause it's easier to catch them (read....I'm lazy) with it but you don't have to have a big net and they get tangled easier and take more work to untangle in a larger net.

The best crabbers I've ever seen is an asian couple that owns a fish market in town. Every day at low tide they come down and walk the flats with a net and a bucket for about an hour - they always have two full five gallon buckets (5 or 6 dozen each) and they sell them for a dollar each. I often buy live blue crabs from them for fish bait. I catch as many grouper on crab as I do pinfish. If you see a cobia - a live crab thrown to them will score every single time.