Don't be discouraged when your well-loved crab pot's gate, breaks. Crab traps, over time take a beating, especially in heavy currents. Replacing pots every season can get expensive. So the rule of thumb here is, reinforce and then replace. Replacing and reinforcing your pots gate, will not only keep your crab in once it's in, but it will save you money that you can spend on going crabbing again.