Berkeley and Parker are right on about this one...

I also use the "hold the legs/pinchers and whack 'em on the edge of a board" technique. Pop off the shell, shake off the guts, pull off the gills, and give them a good rinse in cold water. Do this within minutes of when you're going to cook them, and do your darndest to keep them lively until then.

Next, 7-9 minutes in water that is really boiling hard, preferably sea water, with a good dose of pickling spices dumped in.

Besides tasting better and removing most possible toxins, they cook a lot faster. The water tends to lose its boil pretty quick if you toss in a whole crab. You can also cook two or three crabs at a time, rather than one.

A quick reminder...if you do this in the field, keep the carapaces and abdomens on hand until you leave so you can prove the size/sex of your catch to the gamies. And don't forget to mark your punchcard for dungeness!

Also, my last couple of times out I've found that my usual supply of hatchery steelhead/silver carcasses is still working well, but that a small can of salmon flavored cat food with a dozen holes knocked in it along with the fish carcasses has really been the ticket. I think the super oiliness of the cat food gets 'em in, and then the presence of the salmon keeps 'em there.

Fish on...

Todd.