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What is a “Jimmy Crab?”

Each morning before dawn, crabbers fuel up their boats with gallons of gas and bait their traps or pots with squid, chicken, or fish portions. Each, a necessary preparation to catch a jimmy. This daily routine, except for Sunday begins at 4 am and lasts for up to 13 hours. A beating sun, fickle weather, and calloused hands all serve as adversaries in the quest. Ask any crab fan and they can tell you what a female crab is called, a sook, and the male bears the name jimmy, but our jimmy catch describes a specific sized male crab. When sorted from one wooden basket to another, blue crabs boast different sizes. They grow based on their diet, water conditions and Mother Nature. With a life-span of about 3 years, the chance for a meaty crab increases substantially over time.

Yes, with an eye and familiarity in measuring the crab from one point of the shell to the other, crabbers can quickly separate male from female and bays, jimmies, and jumbos from each other.  An official grading metal “ruler” helps keep the measurements accurate. Check out the stats. Bays run 5”-6”, Jimmies, 5.5”-6.5”, and Jumbos, 6”-7”. A jimmy crab is in-between the bays and jumbos and is considered a #1 crab, meaning it weighs heavier than bays and the crab has grown into their shells. A number one crab boasts a generous portion of jumbo, lump, and claw meat and offers a crab for everyone in the family. Crab feast friendly, these crabs find intense popularity. The early morning crab crew know this and search out for a heavy catch of jimmies each morning. When ordering a jimmy, know you're getting a versatile crab for the kids and the adults alike!