Welcome to Great Crab Gear... Your home for the best crab/lobster gauges and more!

Hello and welcome to the online home of some of the best crabbing gear you will find anywhere, made with pride and care by recreational crabbers in the San Francisco Bay Area. We are proud to have recreational, commercial, and law enforcement customers in several Pacific, Gulf, and Atlantic states using our gauges.

Click the buttons to see what we have to offer:

Recreational Crab and Lobster Gauges

Do your crabs/lobsters measure up? Even the most careful measurement is only as good as the gauge you use... and an inaccurate gauge can result in a steep fine for keeping undersize crabs or lobsters. Gauges can be inaccurate for a number of reasons, such as:

  • Bending: A gauge that is even slightly bent or warped can cause an inaccurate measurement, even if the bending is too small to notice at a glance. If your gauge is not perfectly square, you could be risking a huge fine. This almost happened to us... and is where we got the idea to make law-enforcement-grade gauges available to everyone.

  • Bad measurement angle: Hold your gauge at the wrong angle and you could think you have a "keeper" only to be proven wrong by a game warden, with expensive consequences.

  • Inaccurate gauge: Believe it or not, some gauges are just plain inaccurate from the start. You could think you have a "keeper" only to find out that your gauge is off when it's too late.

Our crab and lobster gauges solve these problems once and for all! Use our gauges as described below (or as appropriate for your area/species) and have the best possible assurance that the crabs and lobsters you keep really are keepers.

Order yours now!
We also need help some new designs.

What makes our gauges different?

Here are some of the reasons why our crab and lobster gauges are second to none (see the image below the description):

  • Thick material (1): We machine our gauges from either 1/4" aluminum (SERIES 1) or 3/16" stainless steel (SERIES 2) that won't bend, warp, or break under even the toughest use. This thickness also ensures that the gauge sits level on the shell for greater accuracy

  • Precision manufacturing (2): We create each gauge using the latest CNC milling technology that is positionally accurate to +/- 0.005" (five thousandths of an inch). That is 6 times thinner than a credit card!

  • Two-sided steps (3): Many gauges have one smooth side and one stepped side. Our gauges have steps on both sides to ensure a level measurement. Combining the steps with the thickness of the gauge gives you perfectly square measurements in both axes every single time for maximum accuracy.

  • 1/8" increments (4): Where possible, our recreational gauge designs include both the legal minimum size and at least 1/8" larger using two 1/16" steps (one on each side). This gives you the option of deciding to keep only crabs and lobsters that are slightly larger than the legal minimum for extra peace of mind.

  • Handy tools (5): Our recreational gauges include lanyard holes, bottle openers, and line cutters. More uses means fewer items you need to pack.

  • Engraved markings (6): Engraving the markings directly in the metal means they will not scuff or scratch off.


Crab gauge example (CA/OR SERIES 1 model shown)


All packed up and ready to go!

Great design and precision manufacturing are great, but even that is not enough for us. We frequently test our gauges to ensure that they meet our extremely tight tolerances. When properly used, if one of our gauges says your crab or lobster is a keeper, then it's a keeper... period!

The peace of mind knowing that your "keeper" crabs and/or lobsters really are keepers is worth the cost by itself. Throw in the extreme durability of our gauges that makes the one you buy the last one you will ever need (unless you decide to try crabbing in a new location with different size requirements), and you can see that no other gauge comes close to matching our value at any price. So what are you waiting for?

We have recreational crab and lobster gauges available for every coastal state in the United States. See below.

Don't see a gauge for your area? Need a custom design for your specific needs? We are happy to provide gauges for recreational, commercial, law enforcement, and other applications. These gauges can be custom-designed and engraved to fit your specifications (including unique serial numbers, for example). Coordinate-Measuring Machine (CMM) reports are also available if needed to verify accuracy. See the bottom of this page for contact info.

Order yours now!
We also need help some new designs.

How do I use this gauge?

Our crab and lobster gauges provide a perfectly level measurement in two axes when properly used. Measurement points will depend on the species you are measuring and the regulations that apply in your area. Here is an example of using our California/Oregon crab gauge to measure a Dungeness crab:

  1. Lift both claws up and out of the way. The best way to do this is to raise the claws and then hold them with one hand while you measure the crab with the other. (This method also prevents the crab from pinching you!)

  2. Place the gauge across the crab shell just behind the points at the widest part of the shell. If your locality uses a different method to determine size, then use the method appropriate to your location.

  3. Lower the gauge down evenly until the steps on either side contact the shell. A keeper crab must fit tightly between the indicated steps for the appropriate size. Even the smallest amount of wiggle room means you have an undersized crab that needs to go back in the water immediately!

    Tip: Our recreational gauges may include steps that are 1/8" above the minimum legal size(s). For added peace of mind, consider keeping only crabs that fit that slightly larger size, as shown in the following image (clicking the image opens larger version in a new browser tab/window).




Order yours now!
We also need help some new designs.

Order your crab or lobster gauge now!

Don't see the design you need? Email or call to discuss your needs
(info @ bottom of page).
We also need help some new designs.

We currently offer the following proven gauge designs for sale:


California/Oregon: These gauges include the following measurements:

  • 4" rock crab
  • 5.75" Dungeness crab
  • 5.875" Dungeness crab
  • 6.00" Dungeness crab

Not for use in Washington!


SERIES 1 (1/4" ALUMINUM)

DISCONTINUED -- SERIES 3 GAUGES COMING SOON!

SERIES 2 (3/16" STAINLESS)

DISCONTINUED -- SERIES 3 GAUGES COMING SOON!


California/Oregon/Washington: These gauges include the following measurements:

  • 4" rock crab
  • 5" rock crab
  • 5.75" Dungeness crab
  • 5.875" Dungeness crab
  • 6.00" Dungeness crab
  • 6.125" Dungeness crab
  • 6.25" Dungeness crab
  • 6.375" Dungeness crab

May be used in WA, OR, and CA


SERIES 1 (1/4" ALUMINUM)

4 in stock.

Price: $25.00

Shipping and applicable sales tax included.

SERIES 2 (3/16" STAINLESS)

DISCONTINUED -- SERIES 3 GAUGES COMING SOON!


Gulf Coast (AL, FL, GA, LA, MS, SC, TX): These gauges include the following measurements:

  • 2.5" stone crab claw
  • 2.625" stone crab claw
  • 2.75" stone crab claw
  • 3" spiny lobster
  • 5" blue crab
  • 5.125" blue crab

For crab/spiny lobster use in AL, FL,
GA, LA, MS, SC, and TX only!


SERIES 1 (1/4" ALUMINUM)

DISCONTINUED -- SERIES 3 GAUGES COMING SOON!

SERIES 2 (3/16" STAINLESS)

DISCONTINUED -- SERIES 3 GAUGES COMING SOON!


East Coast (Maine to North Carolina): These gauges include the following measurements:

  • 3.00" lobster/peeler crab
  • 3.25" lobster/peeler crab
  • 3.375" lobster
  • 3.50" lobster/peeler crab
  • 4.75" crab
  • 5.00" crab
  • 5.25" crab

May be used from Maine to North Carolina only!



SERIES 1 (1/4" ALUMINUM)

1 in stock.

Price: $25.00

Shipping and applicable sales tax included.

SERIES 2 (3/16" STAINLESS)

3 in stock.

Price: $30.00

Shipping and applicable sales tax included.


Commercial Gauges

Measure once, and then rest assured. Your crew needs to process as much crab and other shellfish as quickly as possible to maximize profits... without sacrificing accuracy and risking a hefty fine. Our commercial gauges are all business and are built for speed and minimal confusion. They do not include the bottle opener, line cutter, or 1/8" larger steps found on our recreational gauges. These features are great for recreational use, but can slow down your production.

  • Our Series 1 gauges are cut from 1/4" aluminum. These gauges are light and accurate.
  • Our Series 2 gauges are cut from 3/16" stainless steel. These gauges are heavy, accurate, and extremely durable.

Tip: To reduce corrosion caused by electrolysis, consider purchasing a gauge that matches the material of your boat hull. For example, if your boat has an aluminum hull, then consider purchasing a Series 1 gauge. If your boat has a steel hull, then consider purchasing a Series 2 gauge.

Our gauges are machined to an accuracy of +/- 0.005" (six times thinner than a credit card). The thick metal will not bend, warp, or break under even the most punishing use, and the level steps on each side assure a perfectly square meausurement every time when properly used. All gauges include a countersunk lanyard hole to help prevent accidental loss. We frequently test our gauges to ensure that they meet our extremely tight tolerances. When properly used, if one of our gauges says your crab, lobster, or other shellfish is a keeper, then it's a keeper... period!

We are happy to offer a small but growing variety of commercial shellfish gauges to meet our customers' specific needs in a given geographic area. Our general process for adding a new commercial design is:

  1. A customer requests a new design and provides the needed measurement(s).
  2. We draft the design and provide renderings to the customer for feedback at no charge.
  3. Repeat Step 2 until the customer approves the design.
  4. Fulfill the customer order (including any custom features and/or engraving, if requested)
  5. Offer a general version of the design for public sale.

We are happy to provide gauges for recreational, commercial, law enforcement, and other applications. These gauges can be custom-designed and engraved to fit your specifications (including unique serial numbers, for example). Coordinate-Measuring Machine (CMM) reports are also available if needed to verify accuracy. See the bottom of this page for contact info.

Order yours now!
We also need help some new designs.

We currently offer the following proven gauge designs for sale:


East Coast Commercial Jonah/Blue: These gauges include a 4.75" measurement for Jonah crabs and a 5" meaurement for blue crabs.

For commercial Jonah/blue crabbing
only, where applicable!


SERIES 1 (1/4" ALUMINUM)

14 in stock.

Price: 25.00

Shipping and applicable sales tax included.

SERIES 2 (3/16" STAINLESS)

3 in stock.

Price: $30.00

Shipping and applicable sales tax included.


North Carolina Commercial: These gauges include the following measurements:

  • 1" clam
  • 3" oyster
  • 5" blue crab

For commercial shellfish in NC only!


SERIES 1 (1/4" ALUMINUM)

3 in stock.

Price: 25.00

Shipping and applicable sales tax included.

SERIES 2 (3/16" STAINLESS)

2 in stock.

Price: $30.00

Shipping and applicable sales tax included.


Clam/Oyster Tools

If clams or oysters are your thing, we've got you covered New for 2019, we are pleased to add a universal clam gauge and stainless steel oyster hammer to our lineup.

  • Our Series 1 gauges are cut from 1/4" aluminum. These gauges are light and accurate.
  • Our Series 2 gauges are cut from 3/16" stainless steel. These gauges are heavy, accurate, and extremely durable.

Tip: To reduce corrosion caused by electrolysis, consider purchasing a gauge that matches the material of your boat hull. For example, if your boat has an aluminum hull, then consider purchasing a Series 1 gauge. If your boat has a steel hull, then consider purchasing a Series 2 gauge.


Oyster Hammer: This tool combines two measurements with a sharp tip for shucking. It is cut from 1/4" stainless steel. Not available in aluminum because of hardness requirements. This tool includes the following measurements:

  • 2.75" oyster
  • 3.00" oyster

May be used wherever 2.75" and/or 3" oysters are legal.



1/4" STAINLESS STEEL

2 in stock.

Price: $125.00

Shipping and applicable sales tax included.


Clam Gauge (Universal): These gauges include the following measurements:

  • 1.00" clam
  • 1.50" clam
  • 2.00" clam

May be used in multiple jurisdictions for multiple clam species.



SERIES 1 (1/4" ALUMINUM)

8 in stock.

Price: $30.00

Shipping and applicable sales tax included.

SERIES 2 (3/16" STAINLESS)

NOT CURRENTLY AVAILABLE.

Price: $EMAIL FOR PRICE

Shipping and applicable sales tax included.


Law Enforcement Gauges

Our law enforcement gauges are custom-designed to meet the specific needs of each agency. Our gauges are currently in use by the following law enforcement agencies:

  • California Dept. of Fish and Wildlife (pictured below)
  • Maine Marine Patrol
  • Massachusetts Dept. of Fish and Game
  • Rhode Island Dept. of Environmental Management

Some of the custom features that have been requested include:

  • Custom measurements (such as a single-species gauge that only has one measurement).
  • Custom engraving (such as the agency name and/or badge).
  • Unique serial numbers for each individual gauge.
  • Coordinate-Measuring Machine (CMM) reports to certify accuracy.

These gauges are every bit as heavy-duty as our recreational and commercial designs:

  • Our Series 1 gauges are cut from 1/4" aluminum. These gauges are light and accurate.
  • Our Series 2 gauges are cut from 3/16" stainless steel. These gauges are heavy, accurate, and extremely durable.
  • Custom materials and machining also available. For example, the California gauge pictured above is 1/8" stainless with a machined 1/16" lobster tang.

Tip: To reduce corrosion caused by electrolysis, consider purchasing a gauge that matches the material of your boat hull. For example, if your boat has an aluminum hull, then consider purchasing a Series 1 gauge. If your boat has a steel hull, then consider purchasing a Series 2 gauge.

Our gauges are machined to an accuracy of +/- 0.005" (six times thinner than a credit card). The thick metal will not bend, warp, or break under even the most punishing use, and the level steps on each side (if included) assure a perfectly square meausurement every time when properly used. All gauges include a countersunk lanyard hole to help prevent accidental loss.

We are happy to provide a CMM report, work with your Department of Weights & Measures, and/or take other steps to verify the accuracy of our gauges. From there, if your wardens properly use one of our gauges and it says that a crab, lobster, or other shellfish is undersize, then... write them up!

WE DO NOT OFFER LAW ENFORCEMENT GAUGES FOR GENERAL SALE.

Our general process for creating a new law enforcement design is:

  1. An agency requests a new design and provides the needed measurement(s).
  2. We draft the design and provide renderings to the agency for feedback at no charge.
  3. If needed, repeat Step 2 until the agency approves the design.
  4. If needed, we provide one or two prototype gauge(s) at no charge to the agency.
  5. If needed, repeate Steps 2-4 until the agency approves the prototype.
  6. Obtain a CMM report and/or work with your Department of Weights & Measures to verify accuracy.
  7. Fulfill the agency order (including any custom features and/or engraving, if requested)

Every law enforcement gauge is a custom order. Please see the bottom of this page for contact info.

Prototype Gauges

Help us test these prototype designs!

These designs look great on paper, but there's only one way to know for sure. If you live in one of the following areas and want to help us test our designs, we will gladly:

  1. Ship you a prototype gauge for your area at no charge.
  2. Accept any feedback and suggestions you have for how to improve the design.
  3. Repeat Steps 1 and 2 until we get it right.
  4. Ship you two production-model gauges at no charge, with our thanks.

Don't see a gauge for your area? Need a custom design for your specific needs? We are happy to provide gauges for recreational, commercial, law enforcement, and other applications. These gauges can be custom-designed and engraved to fit your specifications (including unique serial numbers, for example). Coordinate-Measuring Machine (CMM) reports are also available if needed to verify accuracy. See the bottom of this page for contact info.

We currently need your help in the following areas:


Alaska: These gauges include the following measurements:

  • 5.50" Tanner crab
  • 6.50" Dungeness crab
  • 7.00" King crab

PROTOTYPE. Please email or call if interested in helping us test this design (info @ bottom of page).


Price: TBD


Hawaii: These gauges include the following measurements:

  • 2.75" Slipper lobster
  • 3.25" Spiny lobster
  • 4.00" White/Kona crab
  • 6.00" Samoan crab

PROTOTYPE. Please email or call if interested in helping us test this design (info @ bottom of page).


Price: TBD


Loop Snares

Loop snares—a box of bait attached to the end of a cast fishing line with lasso loops to snare crab legs—are a tried and true way to catch crabs. If you use loop snares, then you know that they are very good at what they do. You also know that the basic snare design could use a few improvements. We at Great Crab Gear thought so, too... and we set out to rethink the traditional loop snare from tip to leader.

Coming soon: A completely new snare design built to fly far and last a long time while reducing environmental impact. The following renderings show a concept design that give you a very general idea about what we're cooking up, without revealing all of the innovations we've built in to this design. Check them out, and then keep reading to see just why this new design is so great.



Some of the key features of this new design will include:

  • Stainless steel main body resists corrosion.
  • Flat blank shape saves money by letting you order easy-to-build snare kits.
  • Unibody construction requires no special tools to assemble. Just bend and crimp.
  • Mesh bait door sits flush with the top of the snare to enhance aerodynamics.
  • Fewer edges and no exposed wire reduces accidental cuts or snags.
  • Empty weight of about 5.5 ounces requires no additional weight under normal conditions.
  • Perfectly-sized bait holes allow crabs to reach the bait but are not large enough to promote waste.
  • Airfoil shape minimizes air and water resistance for longer casts and easier retrieval.
  • Smooth rounded body lowers the chance of snagging the snare on the bottom.

That's just for the body, but we haven't forgotten the loops. The loops on this new snare will:

  • Resist closing when they're not supposed to (while still closing when needed).
  • Encourage the crab to get more tangled up, making it less likely to fall off.
  • Use a crimping method that ensures a nice, tight loop to better keep the crab.

Swag

We currently offer the following shirts and gifts:

T-shirts: Great Crab Gear shirts are available for men, women, and kids. Customize your color and size when ordering!

Note: Clicking the link opens the selected product in a new browser tab/window.



Mugs: Enjoy the happy crab logo while sipping your favorite hot or cold beverage from one of these great mugs. Seven styles to choose from, plus an assortment of colors.

Note: Clicking the link opens the selected product in a new browser tab/window.




Great Crab Gear is operated by:
Anthony Hernandez
San Francisco, CA
anthony94122@outlook.com
(415)786-2081



hit counter website