Southport Magazine

What: Children’s Crab Derby
When: Monday, September 1st, 8:30 a.m.
Where: Southport Waterfront, Old Yacht Basin Pier
Yacht Basin Drive, Southport
Bring: Small collapsible crab trap, string, net and bait (chicken legs suggested)
Info: http://southport.insiderinfo.us/kids-stuff/go-fish/childrens-crab-derby/profile/ or
http://southport-oakisland.com/index.php/event/1482/childrenscrabderby 

Calling all young crabbers! The 28^th annual Children’s Crab Derby, hosted by Southport Parks and Recreation, will take place on Monday, September 1st. There will be prizes  awarded for the most crabs and the largest crab caught in each age group. The age limit is 15 years old and younger.

Joe Medlin, a local here in Southport, started the Children’s Crab Derby in 1986, to get kids involved with the community, having fun and learning a little along the way. This has been popular for kids in the past and Southport Parks and Recreation hopes the trend will continue for many years to come. It is a true privilege to live in or visit the coastal shores of North Carolina, so it is necessary to teach young ones how to live enthusiastically by the salty sea and catch crabs the old-fashioned and exhilarating way.

Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. on Monday, September 1st, at the Old Yacht Basin. The derby is free to participate, but those interested must register early to ensure they get a free T-shirt. Crabbers must bring their own crabbing equipment, including a small collapsible crab trap, string, net and bait (chicken legs suggested). However, it is stressed that no commercial crab pots are allowed.

Parents and guardians are welcome to help the children with crabbing, but let them do most of the work. Heather Hemphill, Director of the Southport Parks and Recreation, reminds, “Parents are only allowed to help the children bring the crab up on the line or help with the net in bringing the crabs up.”