Tickle sticks legal in Mass ?

[DiveNorthShore]

Hello 2 year diver with a few questions. Are tickle sticks legal to use in Mass ? Another question is a lobster snare legal ? I made one but haven't used it or tried it yet.I usually dive up around Gloucester. Oh one more question.......the 5 inch large limit that goes for pretty everywhere in Mass yes ? Thanks for any response

 

[Don Burke]

DiveNorthShore once bubbled...
Hello 2 year diver with a few questions. Are tickle sticks legal to use in Mass ? Another question is a lobster snare legal ? I made one but haven't used it or tried it yet.I usually dive up around Gloucester. Oh one more question.......the 5 inch large limit that goes for pretty everywhere in Mass yes ? Thanks for any response

These guys should be able to help you. A quick look at the rules tells me you are probably okay on the tickle stick and snare.

http://www.state.ma.us/dfwele/dmf/index.html

 

[DiveNorthShore]

thanks Don I checked the rules no mention of tickle stick or snare not being legal but maybe I should contact Environmental just to be safe.Don't need the grief.

 

[padiscubapro]

DiveNorthShore once bubbled...
Hello 2 year diver with a few questions. Are tickle sticks legal to use in Mass ? Another question is a lobster snare legal ? I made one but haven't used it or tried it yet.I usually dive up around Gloucester. Oh one more question.......the 5 inch large limit that goes for pretty everywhere in Mass yes ? Thanks for any response

screw the tickle stick/snare you'll lose more lobsters than you will catch..

The trick is to be fast and don't hesitate.. stick your hand in high and as far back as possible then push down.. usually the lobster backs right into your waiting hand.. if you arent sure of yourself and hesitate.. the lobster will probably get back farther than you and you will pay for it.. the big lobsters can hurt you the most BUT they are also the slowest and easiest to catch.. lobsters that are just barely legal tend to be faster and more able to get their claws in more positions..

 

[Spectre]

I've moved your thread to the NELD forum, as you'll get more answers from here.

First off, snares are definately not legal. anything that can be used to lasso the bugh isn't allowed. I don't know the exact rule, but someone mentioned nothing with over a 90 degree bend, which is probably correct.

If anyone gets visited by the Cape Ann Lobster cops more than I do, I would be greatly surprised. I swear the one guy drives around until he finds my car. He's on me or my group if anything is out of order.

He's never said anything about my tickle stick.

The 5 inch limit can be waived in zone C [I believe], whatever the backside of the cape's zone is. You can get a license for that zone with the 5 inch limit waived, but you can't dive for lobsters in any other zone. If you don't take the exception for the 5 inch limit, then you can dive for lobsters throughout the state, but you're limited to the min and max range.

so your choice is no max and only backside of cape cod; or throughout the state but limited to under 5 inches.

 

[MASS-Diver]

AS Specter said, snares are NOT legal in MA. Tickle sticks must be bent at an angle of less than 90egs (at the end) according to my LDS (North Atlantic SCUBA).

Dipping, spearing, any of that crap is illegal and is very muich enforced.

And remember don't rip off claws (losing the bug in the process), it's poor form and no one likes culls.

 

[Spectre]

MASS-Diver once bubbled...
And remember don't rip off claws (losing the bug in the process), it's poor form and no one likes culls.

And don't surface with more body parts then carapice sections...

[e.g. one body, 6 claws... they won't buy the John Madden Turduckin thing]