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;

You haven't been in the Northern Chesapeake Bay. There are some fields
(Middle River, Sassafras, and Bush River) where I often brush traps away
on both sides of our about 6' beam (at the waterline). It's highly
seasonal, though. Between one weekend and the next, hundreds of traps
can be set or pulled.

100' between traps is a real luxury and pretty much rates as open water.

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.

Thankfully, there's some sort of law on the Chesapeake that eliminates
most floats once into an anchorage and many creeks/rivers. It could be a
variant on Darwin: With the number of boats on the upper Bay, a float in
a marina approach wouldn't last long. As it is, we move 2-3 crab traps a
quarter mile or so elsewhere each season.

--
Jere Lull
Xan-a-Deux ('73 Tanzer 28 #4 out of Tolchester, MD)
Xan's Pages: http://members.dca.net/jerelull/X-Main.html
Our BVI FAQs (290+ pics) http://homepage.mac.com/jerelull/BVI/

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!

-jeff




"Roy G. Biv" wrote in message
om...
"Jeff Morris" wrote in message...
I missed the beginning of this ... did you change the subject?

I introduced this as a new thread to RBC (from a E-mail list)

Why would someone think its illegal to put a trap in a channel?

I don't know !

Is this one of those "it makes sense to me" laws?

I posted the comments here to prompt discussion among this
geographically diverse group to see if anyone agreed with SailorP, I
thought there might be a local/regional (freshwater or rivers??)
perspective to SailorP's comments with which I am not familiar . . .

Here in New England moving someone's Lobsta Trap would qualify for a Darwin
Award!

Here in the Keys too!


"Roy G. Biv" wrote in message
om...
I respectfully disagree,
if you move a trap the fisherman may not be able to find it- in a
nutshell you have stolen the trap and are a thief !

SAILORP wrote:
It is absolutely not a felony
to move a trap out of a navigable waterway.
However, you may need a license to keep the lobsters.

-------------------------------------------

Sorry Pete-- pulling traps as you describe is a Felony -- viewed the
same as stealing money directly from someone bank account !

SAILORP wrote:
It is illegal to place lobster
traps in marked channels, canals and
navigable waterways. Feel free to to pull such the traps and take the
lobsters for yourself if some idiot has placed a trap where you're in
jeopardy of a prop wrap!.

It's always expensive to run over a trap. I put a line cutter on my shaft so
hopefully it'll never happen to me. Has worked once... found a little piece
of PP line around the shaft, obviously cut free from something else.

In Texas we have a two week moratorium once a year to get rid of abandoned
traps. The first week only law enforcement and authorized people can remove
abandoned traps. The second week anyone can get them out of the water. They
even have stations set up all over to dispose of them. Sure is nice... we
remove thousands yearly.

"Jeff Morris" wrote in message
...
I missed the beginning of this ... did you change the subject?

Why would someone think its illegal to put a trap in a channel? Is this
one of
those "it makes sense to me" laws? Here in New England moving someone's
Lobsta
Trap would qualify for a Darwin Award!



"Roy G. Biv" wrote in message
om...
I respectfully disagree,
if you move a trap the fisherman may not be able to find it- in a
nutshell you have stolen the trap and are a thief !

SAILORP wrote:
It is absolutely not a felony
to move a trap out of a navigable waterway.
However, you may need a license to keep the lobsters.

-------------------------------------------

Sorry Pete-- pulling traps as you describe is a Felony -- viewed the
same as stealing money directly from someone bank account !

SAILORP wrote:
It is illegal to place lobster
traps in marked channels, canals and
navigable waterways. Feel free to to pull such the traps and take the
lobsters for yourself if some idiot has placed a trap where you're in
jeopardy of a prop wrap!.

I would think it's not smart to put your traps in the channel where they will
more than likley get hit and lost.

IMHO

Sterling

I would think it's not smart to put your traps in the channel where they will
more than likley get hit and lost.

IMHO

Sterling

"Jeff Morris" wrote in message...
I missed the beginning of this ... did you change the subject?

I introduced this as a new thread to RBC (from a E-mail list)

Why would someone think its illegal to put a trap in a channel?

I don't know !

Is this one of those "it makes sense to me" laws?

I posted the comments here to prompt discussion among this
geographically diverse group to see if anyone agreed with SailorP, I
thought there might be a local/regional (freshwater or rivers??)
perspective to SailorP's comments with which I am not familiar . . .

Here in New England moving someone's Lobsta Trap would qualify for a Darwin
Award!

Here in the Keys too!


"Roy G. Biv" wrote in message
om...
I respectfully disagree,
if you move a trap the fisherman may not be able to find it- in a
nutshell you have stolen the trap and are a thief !

SAILORP wrote:
It is absolutely not a felony
to move a trap out of a navigable waterway.
However, you may need a license to keep the lobsters.

-------------------------------------------

Sorry Pete-- pulling traps as you describe is a Felony -- viewed the
same as stealing money directly from someone bank account !

SAILORP wrote:
It is illegal to place lobster
traps in marked channels, canals and
navigable waterways. Feel free to to pull such the traps and take the
lobsters for yourself if some idiot has placed a trap where you're in
jeopardy of a prop wrap!.

It's always expensive to run over a trap. I put a line cutter on my shaft so
hopefully it'll never happen to me. Has worked once... found a little piece
of PP line around the shaft, obviously cut free from something else.

In Texas we have a two week moratorium once a year to get rid of abandoned
traps. The first week only law enforcement and authorized people can remove
abandoned traps. The second week anyone can get them out of the water. They
even have stations set up all over to dispose of them. Sure is nice... we
remove thousands yearly.

"Jeff Morris" wrote in message
...
I missed the beginning of this ... did you change the subject?

Why would someone think its illegal to put a trap in a channel? Is this
one of
those "it makes sense to me" laws? Here in New England moving someone's
Lobsta
Trap would qualify for a Darwin Award!



"Roy G. Biv" wrote in message
om...
I respectfully disagree,
if you move a trap the fisherman may not be able to find it- in a
nutshell you have stolen the trap and are a thief !

SAILORP wrote:
It is absolutely not a felony
to move a trap out of a navigable waterway.
However, you may need a license to keep the lobsters.

-------------------------------------------

Sorry Pete-- pulling traps as you describe is a Felony -- viewed the
same as stealing money directly from someone bank account !

SAILORP wrote:
It is illegal to place lobster
traps in marked channels, canals and
navigable waterways. Feel free to to pull such the traps and take the
lobsters for yourself if some idiot has placed a trap where you're in
jeopardy of a prop wrap!.

Maybe we can get together!


"Roy G. Biv" wrote in message
om...
I respectfully disagree,
if you move a trap the fisherman may not be able to find it- in a
nutshell you have stolen the trap and are a thief !

SAILORP wrote:
It is absolutely not a felony
to move a trap out of a navigable waterway.
However, you may need a license to keep the lobsters.

-------------------------------------------

Sorry Pete-- pulling traps as you describe is a Felony -- viewed the
same as stealing money directly from someone bank account !

SAILORP wrote:
It is illegal to place lobster
traps in marked channels, canals and
navigable waterways. Feel free to to pull such the traps and take the
lobsters for yourself if some idiot has placed a trap where you're in
jeopardy of a prop wrap!.

so if your wrap trap, and you have to cut the line off, do you

a: break open the trap so the annimals do not die

or

B:Eat the crabs of lobsters

Or

C. Cut the trap and let it catch and kill

Whadya think? What would you do?

On 15 Dec 2003 11:44:15 -0800, (Roy G. Biv)
wrote:

I respectfully disagree,
if you move a trap the fisherman may not be able to find it- in a
nutshell you have stolen the trap and are a thief !

Isn't this why the big boats all have line cutters on their screws'
hubs?....(c;


Larry W4CSC

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