On Tue, 16 Dec 2003 08:38:17 -0500, "Jeff Morris"
wrote:

Now that that is cleared up, I'll flip sides! While I've generally been a
strong supporter of the Down East fishing communities, in recent years the
number of lobster pots has increased dramatically. I've heard people being
frustrated by traps in the Chesapeake, where you hardly ever see two within 100
feet; in some parts of Maine (Stonington and Tenants Harbors stand out) there
are fields that have one every 10 feet. One's sympathies start to diminish when
you're trying to maneuver through that. Remember that Down East pots have a
toggle - a second float connected to the first with a 20 foot line that lurks
below the surface, usually down current from the pot. Fortunately my catamaran
can be powered on one engine - its impossible to survive such field with both
engines running.

The other issue I have is with pots in the inner areas of commercial harbors or
marinas. In the old days, when Boston Harbor has heavily polluted I used to
watch local lobster boats pull up to the dock at Bay State Lobster. However, if
you went in the front door, you were told that all the lobster were from Maine!

And I can't for the life of me fathom why someone would put a trap in a marina
fairway!

I have cruised the Maine coast since the late 1970s, and have gone
into Tenants and Stonington on many occasions. I haven't noticed any
vast increase in trap density.

The last time I snagged a potwarp was in 1981, on a chartered boat
with a non-folding prop. Indeed, all three of my snags were with that
same boat. Never a problem since.

When the tide is flowing hard enough to pull a toggle under water, it
is very easy to tell which side to pass the potbuoy on.



Rodney Myrvaagnes J36 Gjo/a


"In this house we _obey_ the laws of thermodynamics." --Homer Simpson