So as an experiment one of these days I'd like to rig a live lobster as bait. The smallest you can legally have would be just under a 1lb lobby I'd want a soft shell. I was thinking about a larger hook 7/0 - 8/0 through the shell in the back where the tail meets the body. I'd also poke a couple holes in it to get the scent out there.

Has anyone ever tried this? What do you think?

Think it's illegal

Just try one of those huge plastic lobsters...I think M&Ds had some.

Think it's illegal

Think you're right.

well I do know humans are the #1 most consumption of lobsters..

#2 would be the stripers...mostly when the shots are thrown back....

#3-YES!!!! VERY ILLEGAL...

but kinda like a largemouth bass hitting a mudbug...same thing only 10x's bigger!!!!

just don't get caught with da lobsters for bait!!!!

J.D.

rumor has it, superglue

I like your thinking. When you get it all rigged up can you drop it off at Whole Foods. :bl2:

You would just be fishing Old School.

(the quote that I used in my signature is from Woods "New England's Prospect" published way back in 1634)

Why would this be illegal if the lobster was of legal size? When pulling my traps I often wonder just how many shorts hit the bottom before getting chowed.

perfectly legal if you have a rec. lobster liscence. :D

You would just be fishing Old School.

(the quote that I used in my signature is from Woods "New England's Prospect" published way back in 1634)

lobster tails were the bait of choice for the exclusive fishing clubs such as the one on Cuttyhunk. also, the native american's told a tale of a certain member of the tribe who was assigned to go fishing for dinner. he was tired so tied the string to his foot and tossed a lobster tail out and dozed off while atop a large rock. he was only awoken upon being hauled into the water by a large bass!:bl:

Now I ain't saying I ever did this BUT, in the CC Canal, if you happened, by accident, in a very rare circumstance, totally without trying, I mean he snagged himself, it was an accident, really it was, a baby lobster on a slack tide in the middle of the night, and there he was , without your knowledge of course, impailed by accident agin, on your hook on a bait type fishfinder rig which happened to be attached to a 4 oz. bank sinker, what a coincidence:huh: , and you caught a 35 pound bass within a minute of the lobster getting snagged by accident, what would you do?:huh:

During the Schaefer Tournament in the early 60's a guy they called "The Mad Russian" won it 3 years in a row. Rumor has it he used lobster tails as bait. I believe his winning fish were all 50+ with a 60+ thrown in one of the years.

The "mad Russian" , Vlad Evernoff never used a neck light. NEVER!

lobster tails were the bait of choice for the exclusive fishing clubs such as the one on Cuttyhunk. also, the native american's told a tale of a certain member of the tribe who was assigned to go fishing for dinner. he was tired so tied the string to his foot and tossed a lobster tail out and dozed off while atop a large rock. he was only awoken upon being hauled into the water by a large bass!:bl:
That was supposed to have been Plymouth Rock.

Now I ain't saying I ever did this BUT, in the CC Canal, if you happened, by accident, in a very rare circumstance, totally without trying, I mean he snagged himself, it was an accident, really it was, a baby lobster on a slack tide in the middle of the night, and there he was , without your knowledge of course, impailed by accident agin, on your hook on a bait type fishfinder rig which happened to be attached to a 4 oz. bank sinker, what a coincidence:huh: , and you caught a 35 pound bass within a minute of the lobster getting snagged by accident, what would you do?:huh:
I think I'd accidently be pretty happy

Now I ain't saying I ever did this BUT, in the CC Canal, if you happened, by accident, in a very rare circumstance, totally without trying, I mean he snagged himself, it was an accident, really it was, a baby lobster on a slack tide in the middle of the night, and there he was , without your knowledge of course, impailed by accident agin, on your hook on a bait type fishfinder rig which happened to be attached to a 4 oz. bank sinker, what a coincidence:huh: , and you caught a 35 pound bass within a minute of the lobster getting snagged by accident, what would you do?:huh:


Get rid of the remaining lobsta on yer rig...
take a pic of the bass,
gut the bass, pack it on ice ,
go home,
say you got it on a popper....:walk:

Since when is USING lobster as bait illegal ?

It may be illegal to catch lobster without the proper permits, etc. but If one were to purchase a legal lobster and use it for bait, I don't see the illegality.

Since, I never researched the rules/laws, etc, I may be wrong.

Interesting !!

Legal or not... If I used lobster for bait w/o bringing it home for the missus... I'd be sleeping on the couch for a week... lobster is like gold in my house...
Now the cooked bodies and shell fragments... we would never accidentially freeze them and use them for blackfish chum.. accidently of course :D

From someone I know that used to do it, before he got busted one night and received some HEFTY fines, super glue and a treble hook. The un-named surfman would get a bucket full of live, 4" - 6" lobsters. First tear the claws off, then pat dry the back of its shell. Next, put a dab of super glue on the dry shell and stick the treble hook into the glue. Open your bail and toss the striper candy out into the surf by hand. Close the bail, count to 5, set the hook. Often pondered it, never tried it. :vamp:

short lobsters = goodbye gear/truck/boat/etc.

enivrocops are on the warpath now.

If you walked into a market and paid for a chicken lobster and then went fishing with it, how would that be illegal?

Years ago, sitting in court one morning when two fiish and game guys come in along with a defendent in a possesion of short lobster case. They had an agreed disposition. Guy stands up when his case is called and the judge asked him if he, the defendent agrees with and understand the $50.00 fine. He sayd he did and he does. Judge says o.k. that'l be fifty dollars. The two fish and game guys jump and says judge that is $4850.00 in fines. The guy had just shy of 1000 lobsters. Judge says o.k., he then says to the defendent, "is that what you understood?" Defendent replies, "yes." O.K. $4850.00 it is then. Judge asked the defendent one more question, how come it is that your not fighting this by going to trial? Defendent replies, "cause thier letting me keep my boat judge."

If you walked into a market and paid for a chicken lobster and then went fishing with it, how would that be illegal?

i think its because there is no way of proving that you bought the lobster and didn't catch it. even if you have a receipt, who's to say its the same lobster. i know its splitting hairs, but thats the law. if you have a rec lobst permit, then i think you would be fine....

Well, I have my rec permit but I'll call and check to see if that is legal first and, if it is.... I really want to try this. So taking the claws off would be recomended?

in order to posess a lobster while in a fishing environment, you must have a current lobster liscence, rec or comm.

Caught a 25lber this morning in the ditch with 5 lobsters in her belly. 1 looked like it was going to walk away when I cut her open. Will post pics later.

Yum.

Hook in the Tail

Believe me the thought has crossed my mind. (esp when checking the pots and tossing back a short) I have access to some keeper softshells, some with one claw that I have in my live lobster storage facility) But like RIhound, my wife knows how many there are in there too, she asks me almost daily. Using one for bait seems like a waste of good lobster to me. Frankly I use the heads/tails and entrail waste of my take home fish catch to catch the lobsters, not the other way around.

You guys need spider crabs? I got plenty of those!:jester:

[QUOTE

You guys need spider crabs? I got plenty of those!:jester:[/QUOTE]

Amen to that.... :liquify: too many of them!!!