Would you believe I rescused a hard crab from certain death

[smokeythecat]

Well, no one can make up this stuff, it's true. I went to the beach yesterday, and detected for about an hour, got two 14k gold small items, sinkers, and coins. But I got bored. I had brought my fishing gear and trotted down to the one jetty and set up fishing for sport.

I caught one pathetic little Norfolk spot, way too little, and threw it back.

A bit later I felt something heavy on the line. So I jerked once and started reeling it in. I knew it wasn't a fish but thought it might be a horseshoe crab. Not.

As it gets closer to me I go like WHAT? First out, was what I thought was a stick, about 7" long or thereabouts and as it got closer I realized it was a crab bait, a leg bone of something with meat still on it. It had about 8' of stout cord which is what I had snagged. But wait, there's more! I look and say WHAT it that? And get it closer to me...it's a live, legal size Maryland blue crab, and a mono fishing line and sinker and the poor crab is wrapped tighter than...a good Cuban cigar. I got my knife out, cut the leg bone bait off first, then the mono and hook and sinker and then spent at least 5 minutes, it seemed a lot longer snipping the line off this poor crab. It had even tied its claws to itself, as well as most of its legs, mouth and both flippers! It was so worn out it didn't even try to nail me. I tossed it back, it didn't lose any legs, and it swam off fast. After all it had been through there was no way I was going to take it home.

I lots of other times pick up mono line lying on the beach. Jeez!

 

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[sandchip]

Good man.

 

[smokeythecat]

I also throw stranded horseshoe crabs back in the water after they get stranded and live conchs too.

 

[Xraywolf]

Nice save, I even save drowning insects, for sure I would have saved the crab.

 

[smokeythecat]

Xraywolf, when I was working more than once I'd rescue a harmless bug from our office. I'd normally keep it in a cup or such till lunch time then take it outside. It was on its own after that. Amazing how people will freak out over something like a stink bug inside.

 

[Trezurehunter]

Nice job Smokey. The Crab lives !

 

[CoinFetcher]

I always try to get all the monofilament out of the water...

That crab on the other hand.... might look good in a stockpot!

 

[newnan man]

For some reason I find myself rescuing turtles quite often. Sadly here in Florida they are trying to build over every square inch of land as fast as possible. The old song about paving paradise comes to mind. Anyway turtles start crawling out to find a new home and when I see one I scoop it up and drive to a secluded lake to release it.

 

[ArfieBoy]

Smokey to the rescue! Thanks for being a wildlife rescuer!

 

[smokeythecat]

Well, yesterday I wasn't so nice. I opened my basement door and right under the door itself was a little snake. Well, that's why you look before you leap. Little POS was EXTREMELY aggressive, and I had to almost do a golf shot to flick it away and get it out and away from the house. Fortunately for it, I don't have golf clubs but I bet plastic hurts. At least it didn't bite one of my cats. It was about 10" long and very chunky, with a two toned brown pattern. Didn't look like a timber rattler, although with a tail that small it could have been. The other two possibilities are northern water snake, but in the basement? or copperhead. It was NOT a milk snake, racer, or garter snake. Little POS. Still mad. Should have squished it. I hope it yelled "I can fly" as it got tossed outside! Hope a hawk got it! Still mad. Once upon a time ago I had TWO state troopers come over at midnight (I called them) to rescue me from a 6" garter snake that was in the couch. The one cat had caught it in the basement and brought it upstairs as a present. Nothing like being almost asleep and hearing your kid yell "The cat's got a snake". Some years later, I went to pick up one of my "fishing lures" from the basement floor, wondering how it got there and as I almost touched it realized it was a dead baby garter snake. Now I know why Dusty was biting at his tail! Apparently it bit him. Ignorant cat! Still mad! They have the whole woods to play in after all! And the lawn! And the creek! And the swamp! Still mad.