Buddy and I were fishing CCB when he tangles in the bottom. Not a single lobster trap in sight so it couldn't be that right? Wrong. It was a trap with a 2011 tag and about 100' of rope. Looked like the buoy got fouled in a prop and cut off. Small plastic piece still attached.
I didn't want to just drop it for fear of the ripe rising and really fouling someones prop. We were only in about 25' of water. Then we thought we would cut the bridle rope and drop it but what a waste to leave the trap on the bottom. What about just bringing it into the ramp and leave it there? Figured a bad idea as it's probably illegal to posses someone elses trap. So we called the EPO's. They ha a boat 20 minutes away so they came by and we dumped it with them. They said they would contact owner.
So...what would you do? EPO dispatch didn't know what to do. What if they were not around? Bring it in? Return it to the bottom as is?
I'm just curious. Glad they can get it back to the owner as it was fairly new. Oh yeah...there was a keeper lobster but no bait. EPO pitched it back in. Lobster's lucky day
