Funny coloured softbacks.

[stevieboy]

Hi,
After gutting a bass last week I checked out the stomach contents. 2 large pebbles, 1 baitfish (sprat?) and 2 and a bit softback crabs. The thing was, the softbacks were bright orange. Is this normal, or do you reckon it's bleaching from the stomach acid? Are there peelers around at the moment? The shells were definitely very soft, maybe again due to the stomach acid?

Steve.

[solehunter]

Thats the acid mate, i have had them many times.

[stevieboy]

Ah, thought so. So were they hardbacks when they went "in" ?

[solehunter]

Dont know about that! Mine have always been hard when i find them.

[Pete B]

[anthonyk]

I have caught quite a larage number of fish, mainly cod, with hard back crabs in there stomachs, one even had a plastic cup, but never caught one using a hardback.

[dean macey]

used to be a bloke on deal pier when i was a kid who would crush a hardback crab,whip it on shell and all and get cod.