It isn’t always easy to cut through the bullshit and find out what’s truly worth listening to, so we did it for you: Here are the 20 best podcasts about crabs and crabbing that have debuted in 2018.
1. The Dredge
The Dredge is a fun, lighthearted gabfest hosted by big-name Delaware crabbers Kat Latimer and Dylan Gelman, who discuss issues like crab trap prices and how crabbers can pass the time during the off-season. Along the way, Kat and Dylan throw in plenty of witty banter and a healthy dose of sass. At 30 minutes an episode, it’s the perfect weekly treat for a commute or long walk.
2. Murder At Crab Manor
An exciting new entry into the field of scripted crab podcasts, Murder At Crab Manor takes listeners through the gruesome unsolved murder of a family of blue crabs, stopping at nothing to provide hair-raising suspense and horror. Listener discretion advised!
3. The Crab Hour With Paul Scheer
Comedian and actor Paul Scheer launched this self-described passion project just a few months ago, but it has already grown a steady listenership thanks to it’s fun and in-depth interviews with L.A. celebrities about cooking, eating, and catching crabs. The heartbreaking story about a summertime crab feast Jason Mantzoukas tells in episode six is especially worth a listen.
4. Crustacean House Recap
Yes. Please. For anyone who binge-watches 2015’s breakout reality TV hit Crustacean House, you need to download this new recap show immediately. Host Andre Nelson (you probably know him from the much-loved Crabterviews pod) goes through each episode and breaks down the drama with illustrious guests, including the undisputed king of the Maine crabbing scene Sam “Hutch” Freeman.
5. Chesapeake Bay Insider
You might have guessed by the title that this podcast can get a bit inside baseball, but if you’re the type of person who enjoys hearing experts discuss the nitty gritty of Maryland’s crab world, this is the show for you. Its coverage of a recent EPA ruling on the use of insecticides in the bay is surprisingly emotional.
6. 200 Crabs All Clacking Around
A perfect break from the monotony of your workday, 200 Crabs All Clacking Around (produced by Earwolf) provides the sounds of 200 crabs clacking around on a linoleum floor for 45 minutes. It’s first season just wrapped up last week, and work has already begun on season two!
7. How I Got Bit
This podcast gets real about the pains and difficulties of the crabbing lifestyle with refreshing honesty. Each episode focuses on a crabber’s experience being bit by a crab’s claw or sharp little mouth, and the results are raw, real, and fascinating.
8. Untitled Busy Philipps Crabbing Project
Although we’ve only heard a trailer for this brand-new podcast, we’re ready to admit that we will probably binge-listen to every single episode as soon as they drop. Busy’s fun and relatable takes on what crabs look like, how crabs move around, and whether crabs love each other are sure to be addictive to say the least.
9. Amazing Buildings And The Crabs That Live In Them
We would be remiss not to mention Amazing Buildings And The Crabs That Live In Them, a podcast that brings architecture to life by describing truly incredible feats of construction and how they attract hundreds and hundreds of crabs to make homes inside them. The episode on the crabs that live in the Chrysler Building is both educational and creepy enough to keep you up at night.
10. The New York Times’ Crab Roundup
This no-nonsense roundup of how many crabs are present in the United States and what they are up to is exactly the type of hard-hitting journalism one would expect from The New York Times. We’re beyond thankful they added it to its growing roster of well-researched crab podcasts, including the 2016 investigative hit Why Crabs?
11. Conservatism In Crabbing
It’s important that we not listen to crabbing podcasts in an ideological bubble, which is why we’re totally addicted to Conservatism In Crabbing, a weekly panel discussion on right-wing issues in the crabbing world.
12. CraBFFs
CraBFFs feels like a catch-up session with your own BFF, in the best way possible. Crab writer Nora Goldthwaite and fisherwoman Janelle Perkins discuss everything from love to work to crabs, and it’s always fun and uplifting.
13. People Who Catch More Than 4 Crabs In One Day: How Do They Do It?
We have to thank host Spencer Davison for creating this awesome, self-help-style podcast in which he interviews successful crabbers on how exactly they manage to catch more than four crabs in a 24-hour period. Aspiring crab catchers will not be able to get enough of the inspiring stories on this pod.
14. Hardcore History (Crab Version)
In early 2018, Dan Carlin turned his classic hours-long monologue format to the topic of crab history, and we couldn’t be more excited. Unlike some other recent crab history podcasts, this one keeps listeners interested from beginning to end. Carlin’s obvious enthusiasm for crabbing is infectious, and will make you want to listen to each four-hour episode in one sitting. Don’t miss the three-episode special about a crab that escaped from Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium and fell into a storm drain in 1944.
15. Is It A Crab?
Legendary crab expert Sam “Hutch” Freeman puts his crab knowledge to the test by asking celebrity guests to describe objects to him and then guessing whether or not the object being described is a crab. Freeman’s ability to distinguish between things that are crabs and things that are not crabs is absolutely stunning, though he does find himself stumped in the season one finale when guest Michelle Obama describes something “red with claws and legs,” and Hutch guesses “not a crab.”
16. Big Crabs With Ira Glass
We’d listen to Ira Glass talk about literally anything, so this podcast about the biggest crabs he’s ever seen is a definite yes in our book.
17. Kent Island
This seemingly straightforward investigation into a 2017 crabbing boat crash on the Chesapeake Bay takes a shocking turn two episodes in. We won’t spoil it, but trust us—this fascinating story does not turn out how you’d expect, and it will change the way that you eat crabs forever.
18. Crab For Crab
This 30 For 30 spinoff offers fun and informative stories about humans trying to teach crabs how to play different sports. The episode about the birth of the East Coast’s largest crab soccer league is an especially compelling one.
19. Secrets From The Crab Lab
As far as science podcasts about crabs go, this one is the best of the year, if not the best ever. Hosted by two crab researchers at Johns Hopkins University, the podcast delves into fascinating and esoteric topics like crab emotions and whether crabs can form romantic bonds with other types of crustaceans. This is the kind of show that you’ll feel smart listening to.
20. The King: A Blue Crab’s Life, Death, And Legacy
This incredible eight-part series tells the story of an enormous crab killed by a falling rock, and of the smaller crabs that swarmed his carcass and ate it over the course of three harrowing days. Both informative and emotional, The King is one of this year’s absolute can’t-misses in the world of crab podcasting. Happy listening!
