Editing Crab fishing (section)

==Crabbing==
A medieval crab fisherman would have used relatively simple, low-tech methods to catch crabs, relying on hand-made gear, local knowledge of the sea, and seasonal rhythms. Here’s how a medieval crab fisherman likely operated:

===Location and Environment===
* Coastal Communities: 
** Most crab fishing would have taken place in coastal villages where access to shallow, rocky shores or estuaries was easy.
* Tidal Knowledge:
** Fishermen depended on the tides, especially low tide when crabs were more easily collected in rock pools or shallow water.

===Equipment and Tools===
*Handmade Crab Pots or Traps
** Simple wicker or wooden-framed traps, sometimes called creels, baited with fish offal.
**Traps were lowered by hand and marked with primitive floats or wooden buoys.

*Nets or Rakes
**Small hand nets or crude rakes were used to scoop crabs from shallow waters.

*Baskets and Buckets
**Woven reed baskets or wooden tubs were used to carry the catch back to shore.

* Clothing
**Wool tunics and leather boots or barefoot; waterproofing was minimal, so fishermen were often cold and wet.

===Techniques===
*Baiting and Waiting:
**Crabs were lured into traps with bait like rotting fish, eel heads, or offcuts from the local market.
**Traps were left for several hours or overnight, depending on tide cycles.

*Hand Gathering:
**At low tide, fishermen (and sometimes women and children) would collect crabs by hand under rocks or in tidal pools.

*Seasonal Work:
**Crabbing was often seasonal, peaking in spring and summer when crabs were more active.
**It could be part of a broader fishing or farming livelihood.

===Economy and Trade===
* Local Consumption:
** Crabs were eaten fresh by families or salted/pickled for preservation.
* Markets:
** Surplus crabs could be sold or bartered in local markets or to travelling fishmongers.

===Risks and Challenges===
* Tide Dangers: Risk of being trapped by rising tides.
* Cold and Injury: Cuts from rocks or crab claws, and hypothermia from long hours in cold water.
* Weather Dependency: Storms or rough seas could halt fishing entirely.

===Historical Example===
In England or France around the 12th–15th centuries, a coastal peasant might supplement their livelihood with crab fishing. They’d fish in estuaries or rocky beaches, using handmade pots, guided by family traditions and oral knowledge rather than written manuals.

===Boats===
====When he would use a boat====
* Fishing in Deeper Waters or Estuaries: If the local crab species lived farther from shore or in deeper tidal channels, a small boat would be necessary to reach the right spots.
* To Set and Retrieve Traps: Boats made it easier to set multiple traps across a wider area and check them during the tide.
* To Access Rocky Offshore Areas: Some crabs prefer rocky seabeds that aren’t reachable by foot.
* Transport: He could also use the boat to transport the catch back to the village if traps were set far from the shore.

====When he would not use a boat====
* In Rocky Shorelines or Tidal Pools: In areas with accessible crabbing during low tide, hand-gathering without a boat would be more practical.
* For Subsistence Crabbing: A poor fisherman or peasant might not have access to a boat, relying instead on wading, walking, and hand tools.
* Seasonal Work: If crabbing was just part of a larger livelihood (e.g., farming or fishing), owning and maintaining a boat might not be worth it.

====What Kind of Boat?====
If he did use a boat, it would likely be:
* Small and Wooden: Flat-bottomed or clinker-built boats (like a coracle, dinghy, or small skiff).
* Rowed or Punted: No sails or motors—just oars or poles.
* Home-built or Communally Shared: Boats were expensive, so ownership might be shared or the fisherman might rent or borrow one.

====In Summary====
A medieval crab fisherman could use a boat, especially in areas with deeper waters or inaccessible shores, but many would have done without—especially in shallow tidal regions where crabs could be gathered by hand.

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Possible Crab Types in a Fantasy World
|-
! Name !! Description !! Behaviour !! Use
|-
| Ironclaw Crab || Heavy-shelled, claws strong enough to cut rope. || Aggressive, hides in wreckage. || Shells used for armour; meat is smoky and rich.
|-
| Glassback Crab || Translucent shell, hides in coral reefs. || Skittish, hard to spot. || Valued delicacy; hard to catch.
|-
| Tidegrasp Crab || Burrows into sand and ambushes prey. || Territorial, can drag small creatures under. || Used in potions; claws sold as weapons.
|-
| Cindershell Crab || Lives in volcanic coastal vents. || Immune to heat, glows faintly red. || Used in fire resistance brews.
|-
| Whispercrab || Lives in deep tide caves, emits soft clicking sounds. || Moves in swarms. || Associated with omens and divination.
|}

===The Life of a Fantasy Crab Fisherman===
Lives in a coastal shanty, walls made of driftwood and barnacle-encrusted stone.

Keeps a crab hound (dog trained to sniff out buried crabs).