Lobsta Divahs do it for the claws.

[MSilvia]

Are you allowed to use a net, tail snare, mop, chlorine bottle, or anything in the process of catching these mutants?

The rules don't prohibit anything other than spearing, as far as I know. Tickle sticks are pretty popular, but snares (if you could get one on a clawed lobster) would likely result in a lobster that intentionally auto-amputates it's claws in order to escape. I don't know anyone who uses one, and I'm not aware of any stores that sell them locally. I've heard they're not legal, but I've yet to see a regulation prohibiting them. I believe they aren't used because they wouldn't work very well.

I mean, do you have to freehand those suckers?

You don't have to, but many people feel it works much better than any other method. The tickle stick is the only competition free handing has that I'm aware of.

You said "Notch the female's tail", does this change with a molt?

Yes, but gradually. After the first molt, the V-notch might be 80% as visible, etc.

Can you take females?

Yes, if they aren't notched or "berried" with eggs.

Obviously no prego's with eggers I am sure.

You got it.

 

[paulthenurse]

I do not forsee myself EVER diving north of Daytona Beach in this lifetime, but do I have a few questions on the catching of those Yankee bugs.
Are you allowed to use a net, tail snare, mop, chlorine bottle, or anything in the process of catching these mutants?
I mean, do you have to freehand those suckers?

I'm in agreement with everything Matt said, except to add that I don't like to use the so called tickle sticks. Part of it is a sportsmanship thing, I feel that if you want the bug bad enough you should man up, stick your hand in the hole and see who wants to win more, you or the bug. (Maybe 'man up' is a poor choice of words given the inordinatley large set of cajones Alice displayed by sticking her hand into the hole that Lobzilla was hiding in.)

The other part of it is that I've used the sticks in the past and found that for every lobster it might allow me to catch ( By sliding the end of the stick past the bug and tapping him on the arse, so that he comes further out towards the edge of the hole.) I end up losing twice that many by allerting them to your presence. I've decided that the absolute best way to do it is just work your way very quietly into position at the front of the hole and then jsut quickly reach in and try to get your hand behind the claws onto the carapice. Key words of that sentence being "behind the claws." You really don't want to be dangling digits in front of the claws. Honestly, the lobsters really aren't thrilled with the whole idea of some dufus in a rubber suit messing with them and they tend to display their dissapointment in the strongest possible lobster terms. I figure if I only loose one fingernail a season I got off easy. I consider it a sort of quid pro quo. I'm going to be biting him later on that night, if he gets in a good lick on the way to the dinner table that's only fair.

PTN

 

[MSilvia]

I'm in agreement with everything Matt said, except to add that I don't like to use the so called tickle sticks.

I have mixed feelings about them myself. They do help trick some lobsters that I might not be able to get otherwise, but they also waste time and allow a good number of lobsters a chance to reposition so there's no way to get 'em out. The majority of the lobsters I take are taken without a stick, but that might change now that I have a stick that doubles as a flounder spear.

 

[pdive]

The rules don't prohibit anything other than spearing, as far as I know.

I have never been able to find specifics on the Mass Fisheries site for recreational permits. I assume it would be the same then for commercial permits. The commercial regulations say "Spearing, dipping or dragging for lobsters is prohibited."

No idea what dipping is. Anyone?

 

[RIOceanographer]

Jeesh Paul, your posts are always so serious! You definitely need to lighten up and joke around a little!

Those things are monsters. That's great. We definitely don't see many of them that size here in RI. It was sort of pointless when RI adopted an over/under size restriction like MA last year because oversized lobsters in RI are about as common as honest politicians.

On the other hand, we do have boat loads of quahogs in RI so I loaded up this weekend (I bagged the limit in about 15 minutes in 10 ft of water) and made a nice big batch of clam chowder which I brought to work for everyone to share!

 

[MSilvia]

No idea what dipping is. Anyone?

Yeah, it's the ugly practice of using chlorine bleach to dissolve the glue holding the eggs to berried females, so that they appear to be legal non-egg-bearing females when inspected, even if they are subjected to a chemical test that would discover the residual glue left behind if the eggs were scrubbed off with a brush.

Catch of Berried Lobsters

 

[RIOceanographer]

Yeah, it's the ugly practice of using chlorine bleach to dissolve the glue holding the eggs to berried females, so that they appear to be legal non-egg-bearing females when inspected

I'd never heard of that before but with people being the greedy short-sighted creatures they often are, I can't really say that it surprises me.

 

[MSilvia]

I'd never heard of that before

I'm pleased to say I hadn't heard of it either until I went digging for an answer to pdive's question. Hopefully, the practice isn't at all widespread.

 

[BGF]

oversized lobsters in RI are about as common as honest politicians.

The mob.....in Providence...say it ain't so!

 

[David Sutton]

So what was the peferd method of cooking those little puppys??

Looks like it was a great day at sea sir....

I am taking my boat to rockport again this weekend, have done very well with the little critters , and its real nice to see areas you have not gotten to see form the few spots you can get at lockedupport LOL