# If a bushel is equal to 32 quarts



## Thrifty Angler (May 5, 2002)

then is it a safe assumption that a cooler with a 32 quart capacity can be filled to the top with around 95 or so 5 inch crabs to meet the "bushel per day" maximum for an individual recreational crabber?

Or is something lost in the translation between a dry bushel container and the 32 quart liquid equivalent capacity of coolers?

Seems to me a larger cooler (minus ice) would be necessary to hold the "bushel per person" daily allowance. 

All opinions...with the exception of algebric formulas or equations  ... welcomed. Don't ask!  

Thanks


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## catman (May 28, 2001)

*Hey Thrifty - Timely Post*

Just bought a 150 qt. cooler at BPS for $34.88. It holds 2 bu. of large and extra large crabs (1 bu. ea. steamed), 12 10oz. crab cakes and 10 lbs of ice. Take my word, I just got through packing it to take with me on an early morning flight to San Francisco tomorrow.  

Catman.


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## derek (Nov 6, 2003)

Oh my aching head.

1 bushel is about equal to 37 U.S. liquid quarts. You should be good to go with that cooler. 
http://www.convert-me.com/en/convert/units/volume/volume.bushel.en.html


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## wizardude (May 19, 2002)

Thrifty Angler said:


> then is it a safe assumption that a cooler with a 32 quart capacity can be filled to the top with around 95 or so 5 inch crabs to meet the "bushel per day" maximum for an individual recreational crabber?



Depends on how many time you step on 'em  

And if your catching that many, I wanna go


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## Smoothbore54 (Jun 8, 2003)

*1 US Bushel (dry) = 2,150 cubic inches

2,150 cubic inches = 32 US Quarts (dry)

32 US Quarts (dry) = 37.2 US Quarts (liquid)* 

I don't know for sure, but I would think that a cooler would be measured in liquid quarts.

So your 32 Quart cooler will only hold .86 (86%) of a US Bushel (dry).

I think as long as you stay in Va. you should be OK with these figures.

If, however, you should *lose your mind, *and attempt to go fishing or crabing in Maryland, *all bets are off ! ! *

They've got a set of rules in Md. that would confuse an IRS auditor.

And every third guy you meet, has a Badge from a different agency, with different rules. 

The only thing they have in common, is a universally *Bad Attutude.*


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## wizardude (May 19, 2002)

Smoothbore54 said:


> *
> The only thing they have in common, is a universally Bad Attutude.*


*

Thanks for the info, Maryland can keep their crabs *


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## Thrifty Angler (May 5, 2002)

*Yep*

I caught that many crabs.

Sad news is............I threw back well over 150 (that's one hundred fifty legal crabs).

I need to clarify that statement.

Seems I have been misinterpreting the 5 inch minimum size on crabs. That measurement (5") implies for "male" crabs only. Also there is a minimum size requirement for "peelers" and "softshell" crabs.
*The 5" rule does not apply to mature females.......those being females who have the classic "white house" shaped apron. Not the upside down triangle. * 

It was hard enough at night distinguishing partly orange sponges from brownish ones. So to be on the safe side.....I threw nearly every sponge crab back. 
What nearly sent me over the edge as I was exiting the pier was finding out that I didn't have to throw back that 100+ non sponge bearing female crabs that measured in at 4 inches and above.  I can't begin to tell ya how hard it was on my back to bend down to the planks over a couple hundred times to engage in a "measure each crab (yep...I measured each keeper), check for sponge stage, remove the keepers without letting the typically *1* lone keeper crab in the pot/basket out of 3 or 4 get loose (that reminds me...no more canvas shoes while crabbing ...maybe invest in some tap shoes instead )." Those dang crabs didn't make it easy for me. It was a bit like playing dodge ball with tongs. Considering it was between the twilight hours of 2 am and 4 am......I think my lethargic arse did well. I did slip up a couple times and reached into the basket with my bare hands.  I got a grip and woke my butt up real fast after that, lol. 

However...I'm sure quite a few of the motorists I pulled up beside at red lights while on the ride home thought I had my groove on. If only they had known I wasn't doing karoke. I was b******g and sw*****g and going bonkers about the nearly back breaking work I had just put myself thru. I could have filled that cooler a couple hours earlier...and had time to focus on fishing.  Only caught 1 tiny roundhead all night.  

I'll know better next time. Just think......I've been under that 5 inch minimum assumption all these years.  What a waste of thousands upon thousands of released crabs.  
Yep........I'm just that good!  

Thanks everyone.


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## Thrifty Angler (May 5, 2002)

*I missed the dry/liquid equivalent differential.*

I was thinking 32 quart liquid measure was standard for coolers. 

Good point Smoothbore54.

Can someone clarify whether a fishing cooler is measured by *liquid* or *cubic* .

I'm thinking a 40 quart cooler would be a safe option.

Thanks


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## wizardude (May 19, 2002)

Dude, your making me tired from your story  

Don't know what pier you venture, but I'd sure like to help you ease your pain a little  

Keeping up with the laws, can be a real pain at times, hate to even think of all that good meat that went back over, after all the hard work  

Tight lines, and more Crabbies  

Wes...


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## catman (May 28, 2001)

*Keep It Simple*

Hey guys, just keep it simple like I do. Don't keep any females and the males under 5 1/2" go back. As for the crab police in Maryland - they're everywhere, even at the dock. We have at least 4 different agencies riding shotgun over our waters. The worst is probably the Coast Guard Auxillary. They write their own rules.

Catman.


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## johnnyleo11 (Dec 17, 2003)

I'm active duty Coast Guard and I'm not entirely sure what the CG AUX does, but they loved it when they would have an active duty Coastie on their boat helping them doing Law Enforcement. It's like having an active duty guy onboard turned their Fish n Ski into a CG Boarding platform and a war ship. We did have an AUX that helped out on my patrol boat. He was retired and and older gent. He didn't do too much because he was missing one of his hands.

only thing I know about Algebra is that it's the underwear that Swamp Thing wears.

For the crabs though, I'm pretty sure that not filling up the entire cooler will not make you go too hungry. Fill up with some more beer. I'm pretty sure that most DNR guys don't have the answer to your question about if a cooler is measured in lqd or dry qts.


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## Thrifty Angler (May 5, 2002)

*I had a conversation with a Maryland resident while on the pier*

And from what I was told...along with some of the comments on this thread..........I wouldn't get caught dead crabbing in Maryland.

Another interesting thing I was told by a Va local is that if the game warden catches you with just *1* illegal sponge crab in your bucket/cooler......they give you a choice of taking a fine or dumping out your entire catch of the outing.  

Probably exceeding that 1 illegal minimum with result in a fine, dumped catch, and gear confiscation. And that's just in Virginia. I'd hate to see what they do to you if caught in Maryland.  

BTW: I have only been out crabbing twice this year. I'm still recouping from the all nighter I pulled on the pier. But the crabs were well worth it. As well as the quiet time I had out there. All crabs have been cooked...legs and claws mostly eaten right away. The bulk of the meat was picked and turned into crab cakes. With the help of Wonder Bread...I managed to stretch those 5 and a half dozen crabs pretty far.


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## Tom Powers (Aug 2, 2001)

They are wrong there Thrifty. 

You are allowed 10 undersized crabs per Bu. 

You are allowed 10 dark sponge crabs per Bu. 

You are allowed 10 undersized peeler crabs per Bu. 

They are all called out seperately in code. The code DOES NOT say any where that you are only allowed an aggragite (sp) of 10 crabs that are either undersized or dark sponge crabs. When they write you a ticket they have to cite a specific code section they can not say 3 from section xxx and 8 from section YYY.

Anyway, I don't know if I would want to have a combination of 30 crabs that would nominally illegal. . . but 10 are certainly legal.

Tom



Thrifty Angler said:


> Another interesting thing I was told by a Va local is that if the game warden catches you with just *1* illegal sponge crab in your bucket/cooler......they give you a choice of taking a fine or dumping out your entire catch of the outing.


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## Thrifty Angler (May 5, 2002)

*Thanks Tom*

I followed the rules (as I had been interpreting them) down to measuring all crabs. 
It's just the 5" minimum understanding that threw me. I can tell ya one thing.....on another post you mentioned not getting caught with illegals. I kept that in mind. 
Thanks for the info on the three exceptions to the rules. I'll try and not let any illegals find their way to my cooler. There is an abundance of crabs out there.....what's 10, 20, or 30 fewer in the cooler.


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## jay (Feb 19, 2004)

well, from my experince, ( sorry for spelling) with working with my dad, He's a commercial fisherman, and every day u can expect any wheres from 35-50 crabs per bushell(I know the -50 part is wrong but i think it's more like 35-48). But that on the boat when i'm culling them, after they have clamed down, and setteled down their can be room to  Pack some more in


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