Bude's canal and harbour area gives a genuinely good, sheltered spot for crabbing, distinct from the open beaches nearby and well suited to a calmer family activity.
The area around Bude Wharf, where the canal meets the harbour, gives easy access to calmer water than the open sea — a naturally sheltered spot that tends to hold crabs well, and one that's easy to combine with a wider canal walk on the same day. Check current access at the wharf itself, since conditions can shift with tide and season.
The classic approach holds true here as much as anywhere else on this coast — a strip of bacon tied to a length of string, lowered to the bottom and left to settle, draws crabs reliably. A simple net on a string, rather than a hooked crabbing line, is the best way to actually land one once it's taken hold.
Lower the bait gently, wait rather than jigging it around, and lift slowly and steadily once you feel resistance — a sudden pull tends to lose the crab right at the surface, exactly when the net needs to already be positioned underneath.
Bacon, string, a net, and a bucket — worth bringing your own kit from home or a nearby supermarket, since this is a quieter spot without the tourist-facing crabbing kit shops found in busier harbour towns.
Given Bude Wharf's position right along the canal towpath, a crabbing session pairs naturally with the flat, easy walk we've covered elsewhere on this site — a genuinely relaxed way to spend a morning without needing a car at any point.
Bude's canal and harbour area is somewhat more sheltered from tide extremes than an open sea harbour, which makes timing a little more forgiving here than elsewhere — though checking current levels at the wharf before you start is still worth doing.
Given the wharf's position right on the canal towpath, it's genuinely easy to combine crabbing with the flat canal walk on the same outing — a relaxed, low-cost morning that doesn't need a car at any point.
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