Lobster tails for bait?? - Striper Talk Striped Bass Fishing, Surfcasting, Boating

FISHING_FOOL · 08-25-2010, 08:45 PM

How would you go about using lobster tails as bait? Fish them like a clam???

nightfighter · 08-25-2010, 09:00 PM

I don't believe it's legal to use lobster for bait......

FISHING_FOOL · 08-25-2010, 09:12 PM

They use it every year at the mvy derby.....

nightfighter · 08-25-2010, 09:25 PM

Do tell...... Have you seen this firsthand? Who are" They"? The internet wants to know...

FISHING_FOOL · 08-25-2010, 09:29 PM

The guys who win! I guess its the best bait.... Hard to believe. The only reason this came about was because I was hitting the surf this evening and realized many lobsters had washed up on the beach and died. I figure its worth a shot.

Swimmer · 08-26-2010, 01:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FISHING_FOOL

The guys who win! I guess its the best bait.... Hard to believe. The only reason this came about was because I was hitting the surf this evening and realized many lobsters had washed up on the beach and died. I took the tails :-) I guess this happens once every 10 years or so in certain places and there are no laws governing picking up lobsters on the beach! I figure its worth a shot.

Your not suppose to pick those lobsters up off the beach without a license, same with the clams that wash up. uh oh!

I have been fishing the derby since 1973 more often than not, and every year except one since 1980 and have never heard of lobsters being used by a winner. We have a few winners here. Maybe they can chime in on this statement.

Fishoholic · 08-26-2010, 02:09 PM

I just spent about an hour and a half looking.. Nothing.. I'd be willing to bet you have to keep the receipts and they must be legal size.. Look on the bright side.. Probably won't have to worry about blues!

and on a side note... I DID find that the bastages did close the commercial spiny dogfish season

and the tog regs have changed.

http://www.dem.ri.gov/programs/bnatr...s/082010p7.pdf

Mike P · 08-27-2010, 01:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Swimmer

Your not suppose to pick those lobsters up off the beach without a license, same with the clams that wash up. uh oh!

I have been fishing the derby since 1973 more often than not, and every year except one since 1980 and have never heard of lobsters being used by a winner. We have a few winners here. Maybe they can chime in on this statement.

Actually, you can't pick them off the beach at all, with or without a license--at least in Massachusetts. The only legal way of harvesting lobsters in Massachusetts is by potting, or by free diving. Free diving--more properly called free-handing--includes wading and harvesting them by hand--while they're in the water. You can't even legally keep one if you catch it on a hook and line. Pots have to include an escape vent.

And lobsters can't be harvested by any method at night.

Surf clams can be harvested without a license in certain towns--one would have to check the local shellfishing regs. No permit is needed to take a bushel of sea clams a day in Bourne, for example. All surf clams in Massachusetts have to have a minimum 5" shell length to be taken, even where no permit is needed. The state sets the individual species size limits for shellfish, and the towns regulate permitting and seasons.

MakoMike · 08-26-2010, 03:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FISHING_FOOL

I guess this happens once every 10 years or so in certain places and there are no laws governing picking up lobsters on the beach!
.

You guess wrong there are laws in every state governing picking up lobsters on the beach and I'll bet you broke a few. Good thing the clam cops weren't around.

Piscator · 08-26-2010, 04:12 PM

Geez, now fishing fool is a lobster poacher for picking one up off the beach. You're in trouble now breaking the law

.

I was jigging for bait 2 weeks ago and caught one, had it in possesion for about 30 seconds but I let him go.......

Frankiesurf · 08-26-2010, 07:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Piscator

Geez, now fishing fool is a lobster poacher for picking one up off the beach. You're in trouble now breaking the law

.

I was jigging for bait 2 weeks ago and caught one, had it in possesion for about 30 seconds but I let him go.......

Is that John from CHiPs? They have lobster in los Angeles?

FISHING_FOOL · 08-26-2010, 05:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MakoMike

You guess wrong there are laws in every state governing picking up lobsters on the beach and I'll bet you broke a few. Good thing the clam cops weren't around.

Sure.... you post the law and I believe you. The last time they were up on the beach thick people were everywhere picking them up. My father in-law (retired police office, also the clam cop locally) was there picking them up and spoke with an EPO officer who was there watching and the EPO said there is nothing wrong with it..... Anyone who thinks its illegal should find the law!!

Swimmer · 08-26-2010, 05:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FISHING_FOOL

Sure.... you post the law and I believe you. The last time they were up on the beach thick people were everywhere picking them up. My father in-law (retired police office, also the clam cop locally) was there picking them up and spoke with an EPO officer who was there watching and the EPO said there is nothing wrong with it..... Anyone who thinks its illegal should find the law!!

I know for a fact in Marshfield/Brant Rock in recent history after storms the law went down to the beach and if I remember correctly they even had a few troopers there because so many people drove to the beach to grab what they could, making people put everything back in the water. That included quahogs, steamers, lobsters and whatnot. I have a buddy who lives right there and saw it happen.

Nothing that happens in Hull would surprise me, nothing. It would not surpise that the Hull Warden wouldn't know or would not bother to enforce the regs.

What makes you thinks because you didn't have to swim for it, trap it, or dig for it that you don't need a permit. Oh the storm gave it to me I didn't have to go to the town hall to get a permit for these.

robc22 · 08-28-2010, 02:57 PM

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

FISHING_FOOL · 08-25-2010, 09:31 PM

I haven't seen it first hand.....

bigbuck28 · 08-25-2010, 09:58 PM

If i were you id break them out of there shell and depending on where you fish let them drift with maybe a rubbercore sinker just to get it down. Let us know how you mak out.

niko · 08-25-2010, 10:07 PM

happens more often then that, especially on that beach. a couple of years ago i was picking up clams and bugs off the beach and came across an enormous blackfish had to be 16-18 pounds

FISHING_FOOL · 08-25-2010, 10:05 PM

Will do... Kind of expensive and would never pay to try.

FISHING_FOOL · 08-25-2010, 10:11 PM

I was shocked. Found some a little alive others in just parts. Ive never seen it but had heard about it.

Piscator · 08-26-2010, 06:41 AM

The old Charles Church World Record 73# had a lobster in her gut.

I know a diver that has "hand fed" small lobsters to Stripers while diving (so he claims).

Read it was used frequently back in the day before prices went up.

CaptMike · 08-26-2010, 08:20 AM

yeah wasn't that the bait that all the fishing clubs used, like cuttyhunk for example?

tlapinski · 08-26-2010, 08:27 AM

"Back in the day," it was one of the main baits supposedly used off the bass stands. The gaffer would chum the water with bunker while the fisherman would sit atop the bass stand with a lobster tail baited on the bottom. An old timer I fish with told me some stories about how he used to use small live lobsters down at beavertail. He would fish them like an oversized crawfish and insert a single hook in the tail so as not to kill the bug and allow it to swim around. Used to do VERY well like this, but my impression was that it was now illegal to use them as bait. Could be wrong, though, as I never had enough $ laying around to buy a few dozen to try.

I have found plenty of lobsters in the stomaches of bass the last few seasons, especially in one spot in CT that I fish that is littered with lobster pots.

BIG TIM · 08-26-2010, 09:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tlapinski

An old timer I fish with told me some stories

Thats no way to talk about Rich!!!

JoeBass · 08-26-2010, 08:21 AM

A couple of weeks ago I was on a boat in Maine when my friend pulled out a rubber lobster lure. Looked like a one pound lobster. Said he had gotten a couple on it in the past. We fished the rocky shoreline with no luck.

Pete F. · 08-26-2010, 09:19 AM

I've seen 6-8" lobsters on rocky bars at night, always thought they would make good bait.

FishFighter · 08-26-2010, 10:28 AM

Tried this once, never made it passed the grill the night before.

clambelly · 08-26-2010, 11:21 AM

bass follow lobster boats like seals follow surfcasters...

timmah · 08-26-2010, 12:10 PM

I'm pretty sure the previous RI record was caught on a lobster tail.

FishermanTim · 08-26-2010, 01:11 PM

I just checked the State's Marine fisheries website, and the abstracts regarding shellfish does not have any regulation regaring the use of a lobster.
As long as the lobster was obtained legally and is of course of legal size, sex and within the daily limit, than you should be able to use them as bait.

Of course how many of us are willing to part with that much $$ for bait that pretty much any fish would love to tear apart in a heartbeat?

Maybe there's a market for Beluga Caviar as chum?

JamesJet · 08-26-2010, 01:35 PM

Right now Lobsters are $3.99 a pound at Market basket. At that price it rivals live pogie prices I have heard quoted and you would have the receipt as proof you bought it/them. For 20 bucks you could go out with 4 1.25lbers.
I am guessing they are that cheap due to being soft shells -which must be good for both the hook placement and possibly the bass can sense it.
While everyone is throwing pencils or jigs in the next couple days maybe I will take out the 1209 and find a spot to freespool a lazy lobster.

Seriously though I really doubt its legal given the restrictions on taking them. Additionally I don’t think its legal to take them off the beach without a proper permit.

If nothing else $3.99 is so cheap - even if they are sofshells - making lobster rolls at home would be well worth it.