AGAIN!! We are not looking for opinions!!!:smash:

Why would you think you don't need a lobster license for collecting them? I don't think anyone is finding the specific law that says no because it's common since. What if a 75" tuna beached itself? As ridiculous as it sounds you aren't entitled to it. Best you could hope for is some serious officer discretion.

In Mass. the deer after being hit is supposed to be tagged. If the driver of the car doesn't want it then a passenger in the car that hit it can take it. Other than that occuribng the deer is supposed to be taken and disposed of by an official. After spending about 33 years as a police officer I told this kid that witnessed the deer/car crash he could have the deer, because the driver didn't want it. Then an officer who was working that shift started going up one side of me and down the other. He had gone out of his way to find out the regulations. Secured the deer tags. Then took most of the deer for himself when no one wanted it that could take it. He was an %$%$%$%$%$%$%$, first class %$%$%$%$%$%$%$. What he would is badger the driver of the car or just assume they didn't want and take it for himself. We had it our big time in the middle of route 18. Unfortunately he was right. There is only two people who can take the deer. Most towns dont have an officer who knows this chit. Most towns have an animal control guy who comes out and will take the deer to someone who needs it and will eat it.

The POS, who I argued with over who gets the deer, was a Sgt., and was just fired shortly before I retired. He was a real piece of work.

it baffles me that dead shellfish washed up on the beach wouldn't be free for anyone.

I watched a seagull on Narragansett Town Beach pick up a surf clam under the legal limit and carry it above the high tide line. I did'nt think they were that smart. Good thing he did'nt get caught.

lobsters as bait........
 

I would like to know the MA reg. that prevents you from using legal/ legally caught lobsters for bait???? A CMR # would do.......

Thank you.

I have yet to be able to find a law that makes it not okay.

your not allowed to take lobsters with out a license, so unless you have a reciept from a fish market, your breaking the law- if you find and use a baby lobster, or a lobster with a notch cut out of his tail, your really breaking the law.. But if you have lobstering permit, then you can use one for bait as long as its legal size to keep

Exactly what law do you speak of?? Does it apply to dead lobsters??

Seems like you're determined to not accept the multiple responses that say taking any lobster, dead/alive, without a permit is illegal. With the severely aggressive way lobster poachers tend to be handled, I'd take their word on it - that is unless Neptune himself came up to you and said you are destined for a 50lber if you use lobster tails as bait.

Yes and no. I am just wondering. Everyone has an opinion but I am fairly sure that it is fine based on my father in-law (retired harbor guy/old clam cop). I do agree with everyone here that it could go bad in any number of ways.

Call EPO? :huh:

You really are a fool. Best of luck to you with your lobsters. :hihi:
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Simple answer - so that poachers can't say "Gee officer, I just found it on the beach!" The fact that they may actually see it sitting there, and see you pick it up innocently doesn't matter to the law. The law is there to protect against poachers, so 'finders-keepers' gets ruled out in all cases.

They used lobster back in the 1800s because it was cheap and plentiful.They also fed pigs lobster on Cape Cod back into Colonial days.

On a related note, there was a law passed restricting the number of days per week servants could be fed salmon. Seems the servants were tired of eating so much salmon and protested.

Ha! How old are you?

Old enough to know rules and regulations and to listen to the 10 people who are telling me that it is illegal.
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Are the 10 other people retired clam cops? Do they have any facts? I love the speculation. Good luck fishin!

It would certainly catch me. why anyone would not put it in a roll and eat it is beyond me.

Let's say that you find a dead schoolie on the beach. Do you take it home? You didn't catch it. There are no laws that say you can't take it home. But what you do have to follow is possession laws. If the schoolie is over 28 you can take it home. With lobsters, the possession laws are A certain number of inches from the eye socket to the back edge of it's carapace. If the lobster is above legal size and you have a lobster liscence, you are allowed to possess them.

Also, the legal possession size for scup is a certain number of inces-9 I think. You are not allowed to liveline scup shorter than that..

So go-ahead and use lobsters as bait, but possession of them is illegal without a rec liscense
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The laws read that any possession must be a certain size (that includes using as bait), along with being a permit holder. And if they catch you, its on your a#@$ to prove that the lobster was of legal size.

That said, go for it, but get caught and you're most likely screwed.

Lobster violations seem to be treated much harsher than fishing violations. Good luck to you. Like I said, have you called EPO? I've called them in the past and they've been more than helpful.

Sergi di somov(sp?) " the mad Russian who won the derby a few times did use lobster tails for bait. It is mentioned in " Reading the Water". It was stated that he would buy a few bugs, eat some with his wife for dinner, and save the tails for bait. He kept it very quiet.
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Yes they are.
Bugs are worth bank compared to most fish.

10.5"

You can usually scarf up a few (sometimes quite a few) along East Beach when you have a low tide early in the morning of a hurricane swell. Just get there before the gulls see them.

But, but, but-----that's just speculation. You're not a retired clam cop :rotf2:

When you buy the soft shell lobstah's at MB, don't tell them it's for bait. They will look at you like you are crazy. Not that I would know anything about buying human grade food for bait. ;).

It's not much of a moral dilemma. It's either you or the gulls who gets them. Sure the DEM could bust you. If someone calls them, tells them the make and model of your car, where you are parking, and what you are in violation of. If you are still there an hour later when they show, they'll have you cold and it will be front page news.
I don't know why they don't go to Hazard Ave on bluebird weekend days when there's a hurricane swell on and check licenses or otherwise discourage people to fish for their own good. I guess failing to protect is not much of a moral dilemma either.

True, but non-retired "clam cops" can speculate you a hefty fine. I don't think retired "clam cops" can help with that. :hihi:

:rotf2:

Yep, have EPO's checking at Hazard and Beavertail. And DCYF for the brilliant parents that bring their young kids :smash:

Give the Narragansett cops the authority to check fishing licenses and they'd do it with vigor.

Once again,

If you procure the lobsters through legal means, and they are of legal size and sex, you can do whatever you please with them.

As for picking them up off the beach, if they are dead, eating them would be the LAST thing I would ever consider.

Here's a "loophole" for the beachcombing collectors: If you have a rec license for lobster, wait until they are "underwater" and collect them. Since there is no specific ruling relating as to how deep they have to be, underwater means UNDERWATER. Not 20 feet, not 10 feet, not even 3 inches.

Although the poaching aspect sounds more important today, I would logically speculate that the beach-combing restriction would be to prevent people from collecting dead shellfish and eating them.

As for the "posession" argument, you need to specify that it relates to coming FROM and taking FROM the ocean. The blanket rule mangling that has been bantered about here would mean that if you go to a reputable fish monger, buy a couple of lobsters to cook at home, once you leave the store you are in violation unless you have a lobster license, since "posession" was the point. That's absurd, but that's what has been presented here.

Let's all take a moment and check out the Marine Fisheries Abstracts regarding shellfishing. That's where I went right from the beginning.

Like I said legal lobsters obtained legally can be used for bait.......I did NOT say anything about using shorts, v-notched females or eggers for bait.....just legal lobsters obtained legally.......:)

Market Basket- 3.99 a lb. this week, keep receipt.