Several weeks ago, we told you about an amazing folding crab trap called the Stow-B-Low Crab Pod. I’ve got a small boat, and I’m primarily a cruiser, but golly, I like crab. If only I could have a crab trap with me, all the time, without having an enormous, hideous rusty-pokey-snaggy thing monopolizing the cockpit. The Stow-B-Low seems like a great alternative. The only thing (besides the price) dissuading me is the fact that it doesn’t really LOOK like other crab traps you see. I don’t really know that much about crabbing. This rig MIGHT work great, but… Suffice to say I’m waiting to hear the good news before I buy one.
And then I stumbled across a serious competitor. Behold the Flex Fold Crab Trap.
This one ain’t cheap, either, but wow…it looks like a 3/4 scale version of the big commercial rigs. It has real gates. It’s made in Victoria, Canada, by a fellow named Mark Philbrook. It collapses in a really clever way, stowing into a bag that is just 17 inches in diameter and 2 inches thick. Heck, I’ve even got a spot like that on my boat. I think it may be time to procure a Stow-B-Low and a Flex Fold, and have us a crab-off! Manufacturers, please feel free to contact Navagear about providing review samples 
5 responses so far ↓
Josh Jackson // May 8, 2007 at 2:11 pm
I wanted to say that i bought a stow-b-low crab pod from the Tacoma boat show in Washington. I think that it is a great product, I used it down in westport,WA. cause the season is year round and it work great and fishes great. and the material is durable and strong. I also think that the weight system is incredible, i dont ever have to touch them if i dont want to and when i sank it, it stay put the entire time and their was a current that day. as far as the flex fold crab trap, i think that it looks way too complicated to open and close (too many moving parts), and the weight system (what weight system)?
barry magelle // May 25, 2007 at 3:40 pm
i bought one of these flex and fold crab traps and wasnt as satisfied with it it as i thought i woulb be. Now at first, you think its pretty flashy and neat untill you have to assemble and de-assemble the trap. It took me nearly a hour and a half to set it up and still have not figured out how to put back to storing size. the spring opening that it features is cool however potentially dangerous. as far as cathing more crabs than the other traps , I tested it with other regular crab traps and found that it didn’t catch any more crabs than the others but about an equal amount. all in all i am still looking for a more safe, easier callapsable crab trap, But for the $150.00 i spent on this trap im sure there should be a quicker, more efficient trap out there.
Tim Flanagan, Managing Editor // Jun 6, 2007 at 3:47 pm
They had a Flex Fold out at Fisheries Supply here in Seattle, so I got to play with it today. I didn’t have any trouble folding it up, and I didn’t have instructions to look at. Maybe I did it wrong, but I got it small enough to fit back into it’s nylon bag.
However, I just about dislocated a finger when I unfolded it! This thing EXPLODES open…watch it!
All in all, I was impressed, it appears to have features that would make it an effective crab catcher, as anticipated, and it folds up into a package I could fit onto my little boat without undue hardship. I want one. I just don’t want one $150 worth!
Folding Crab Trap Great for Small Boats | Navagear.com // Jun 29, 2007 at 6:01 pm
[...] the Flex Fold crab trap? We took our video camera into Fisheries Supply, one of our favorite marine stores in [...]
Navagear Top Content, Thanks to Google | Navagear.com // Oct 12, 2008 at 9:52 am
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