Crab tying will save you lots of time and trouble when cooking a muddy or a nice sand crab. Tying is a very important skill if you plan to catch and cook crabs, and it’s well worth learning. Remember to check rules and regulations though, as female sand crabs and mud crabs aren’t a legal take in Queensland. Here is a step-by-step on how to tie your crab for cooking.

1

Cut a piece of flat twine about 1m long. Lay the middle of the string under the crab making sure the twine is under both front claws, aligned between the front legs and the claws. This shows the location of the twine. Pull the twine's running ends upwards and around the front of the crab –the twine should run above where the claws join to the body, but below the carapace. Then pull the twine out to the front of the crab.

2

Pass the twine between the pincers of each claw.

3

Pull back on the running ends of the twine so that each of the two front claws are drawn into the front of the body.

4

Pull both ends of the twine all the way back to the rear top of the carapace.

5

On each side, tuck the ends of the twine under the shell in front of the rear leg.

6

With the crab flipped upside down, pull the running ends of the twine into the centre. Tie the ends together with a few overhand knots, or any old knot will do.