In the kit
Details
Everything in this kids crabbing kit with bucket, line and guide packs into a Down The Cove drawstring backpack, in dark red, grey, lime green or navy. The crabbing bucket is clear plastic with a crab printed on it, so children can watch what they've caught. The hand line is a 7in frame line with booms and a weight, and the guide is waterproof, so it can come down to the harbour wall and name the crabs as they come up.
Kit A or Kit B? Kit A's line carries 17m of braid with a mesh bag for the bait instead of a hook. Cornwall and Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trusts both recommend a net bag for bait instead of a hook. Crabs hold on to the bait anyway, and lost hooks can harm sea birds and fish. Kit B's line has 14m of twine and hooks, which also catch small fish, so it's for older children who are ready for traditional crabbing with an adult.
Bait isn't included. Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust suggests bacon rind or tinned sardines, and fish scraps work too. The Camping and Caravanning Club recommends crabbing on a rising tide, from an hour or two before high water. Pick a quay or pier with safe access, and keep children back from the edge.
Looking after the crabs is part of the fun. Half-fill the crab bucket with seawater from the same spot, add a little seaweed and keep it in the shade. Cornwall Wildlife Trust says no more than three crabs in a large bucket, with any that fight taken out, and Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust says to change the water every ten minutes. Put them back gently, close to the water, where you caught them.
A crab bucket and line on their own will catch crabs, but this kids crabbing set adds the guide, the activity book and a bag to carry it all, so the core crab catching equipment stays in one place. For a crab drop net and spare lines, see our other crabbing kits and crabbing equipment. Always supervise children near the edge, and take lines and bait wrappers home: Yorkshire Wildlife Trust says lost crab line can take 600 years to break down.
Specifications
How to use
An hour or two before high water.
Bacon or fish, in the bag or on the hook.
Crabs hold on as it comes up.
Back gently where you caught them.
Every review is shown, low scores included. The breakdown chart appears from 10 reviews.
FAQs
A drawstring backpack in your chosen colour, a clear crab bucket, a hand line on a frame, a waterproof crab guide and a sealife activity book. Kit A's line has a net bag for the bait, and Kit B's line has hooks. Bait isn't included.
Kit A, with a net bag instead of a hook, for younger children; it's the method Cornwall and Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trusts recommend. Kit B has a hooked line that also catches small fish, for older children crabbing with an adult.
Bacon rind or tinned sardines, as Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust suggests, or fish scraps. Put it in the bait bag or on the hook. Bring bait with you rather than collecting it from the shore, and take leftovers and wrappers home.
Only a short while. Keep the bucket in the shade with seawater from the same spot and a little seaweed, change the water every ten minutes, keep no more than three crabs in a large bucket, and put them back gently before you leave.
The Camping and Caravanning Club recommends a rising tide, from an hour or two before high water. Late spring to early autumn is the main season, and quieter early mornings and evenings are often best at busy harbours.
Yes. It's a classic crabbing set for a seaside holiday or a harbour day, and of our crab kits it's the one made for a single child: one line, one bucket and a bag of their own. The activity book and crab guide keep them busy between catches.
Yes. The waterproof crab guide helps children identify what they catch, and the sealife activity book has puzzles and things to do. Together they turn a harbour afternoon into a little lesson about the shore.
No. Always supervise children near water, harbour walls and slippery surfaces, and have them kneel or sit to lower the line. Check the tide times and any local crabbing rules before you go.
It's the same idea with more in it. A crabbing bucket and line will catch crabs, while this crab fishing kit adds a waterproof guide to name them, an activity book for quiet spells and a backpack to carry everything.
Still deciding?
We are a small family-run shop. Ask us anything before you order.
Send us a message support@downthecove.comDelivery and returns
Packed and posted by our own small team.
Add for the kids
Est. 2012Down The Cove · founded in Cornwall, 2012
We donate 1% of all profits to Compassion UK, supporting its work with children and communities facing poverty: clean water, healthcare and education. Compassion UK is an independent charity. Visit Compassion UK
