Crabs may be taken with any legal crab trap, crab dropnet, trawl, skimmer net, butterfly net, trotline, handline, bushline, dip net or cast net. Dredges shall not be used for the intentional taking of crabs.

The taking of crabs by means of trawls in inside waters is permitted only during the open season for shrimp and with a legal mesh size (see Shrimp - Trawls).

No person shall possess or sell adult female crabs in the berry stage (i.e., carrying the eggs or young attached to the abdomen). All crabs in the berry stage taken by any means shall be returned immediately to the waters. However, a legally licensed commercial crab fisherman may have in his work box an incidental take of crabs in the berry stage equal to not more than 2 percent of the total number of crabs in his possession.

Crab Traps: The baiting, tending, checking or removing of crab traps, the contents of crab traps or their lines, buoys or markers is prohibited in public waters from one half hour after legal sunset until one half hour before legal sunrise.

It is the responsibility of the crabber to place traps so vessels can safely navigate and to properly dispose of his unserviceable traps on shore. No crab traps shall be set in navigable channels or entrances to streams. A crabber who retrieves his trap with a commission approved common float shall return the common float to any shrimper for reuse.

No person other than the licensee or his agent shall intentionally damage or destroy crab traps or the floats or lines attached thereto, or remove the contents thereof.

Crab fishers may utilize a plastic bait box cover to mark trap ownership or a two inch stainless steel, self-locking tag attached to the center of the trap ceiling. Either must be legibly engraved or embossed with the commercial fisherman's license number. Crab traps may be attached to a trotline to which at least one end is attached to a non floating line and a visible float of at least six inches in diameter or half gallon volume size. Crab traps located in areas designated as freshwater north of the northern bank of the Intracoastal/Waterway and west of LA Highway 70 are not required to be marked with a float and float line. Each crab trap on a trotline shall be registered with the department and shall have attached thereto a tag bearing the crab fisherman's license number.

All crab traps must be marked with a solid float, six inches in diameter or greater, attached with a non-floating line 1/4 inch minimum diameter or better. Each crab trap must have a minimum of two escape rings 2 5/16  inches in inside diameter, excluding the ring material. Rings must be placed on the vertical outside walls flush with the trap floor or baffle with at least one ring located in each chamber of the trap. Except from Apr. 1-Jun. 30 and from Sept. 1-Oct. 31, escape rings shall not be obstructed with any material that hampers or prevents exit of crabs. Escape ring mandates shall not apply to crab traps placed in Lake Pontchartrain.
 
Metal tackle or metal crab traps shall not be used in any of the public waters north of the Intracoastal Waterway in the Calcasieu River or in any body of water comprising the Calcasieu River System north of the Intracoastal Canal or in the waters of Vermilion Bay from Cypremort Point one mile offshore to Blue Point.