Help from a more experienced hunter.....

[Paul Oliver]

Nope, this was in the Leicester, not seen it for a few years now though

[FOOW]

I was always told to place then backwards to stop them swimming out when you open it to stash other goodies. Although I can see the anti-snagging side as well.

Having never tried to place any more than one Lobsters in a bag, any comments?

How big was that one that got away?

[FOOW]

That should read Lobby Front. Finger trouble.

[Adrian Kelland]

Originally Posted by ray

Ha ha ha - Ok, yes I am a girl - and I am also being a girl about catching them. The inside out bag technique it very cool though. I will try this next - I still think I need lessons though.

I can't bloody scream again - I have my street cred to think about.

.


Ok we now no you are a girl, so I will tell you what to do, if they scare you and you do not like touching them leave them alone.

Crabs.f you want one just pick it up firmly from behind so the legs are in your hand and the body is grasped, they cannot reach behind themselves and nip you, when you put them in the bag you have to put them in back wards or they will just open their claws and grab a handful of bag, and will not let go.

Lobsters the bigger the better, on a big lobster you can get your finger in the claw without it hurting you as the claws have a gap between them they are easy to catch as they do not move that fast, its the little ones that are wick!. Same thing put them in the bag back wards and they will not snag.

Anyway even if they grab you it does not hurt much, sometimes I let them grab hold and then just pull them out of their hole, in over thirty years of catching them Ive never been nipped so it makes me yell, I never use crab hooks I always either pick em up or put my hand in the hole and pull them out, except for the time when I grabbed a conger by mistake, now that was interesting![/quote]
Only the gripper claw may have a big enough gap, I don't fancy trying that on the cutter claw.

To the original question, you proably missed some good eating. Any edible crab out in the open ATM is almost certainly a male. The females tend to be hidden away protecting their eggs and, IIRC, not eating themselves.

Out in the open should have been an easy grab and bag from the back, or even 'just' grab a claw. I have a goody bag with a ring to keep it open. Makes the bagging much easier.

Adrian

[Clare Gledhill]

I sooooooo want to catch a lobster...

Can't see it happening though...

Not 'cos I'm a girl but because I'm a coward

[ray]

Hi/


Forgot to say never put crabs and lobby's in the same bag, you will come out with a crab and lobster sawdust, lobster's cant fight!.

Well maybe this one can, 39.5 inches long 18.5 lbs caught on the Pilsudski off the Humber North Sea.

[thewisestfish]

now that's a lobster!

[SoggyFox]

Dynamite, it'll leave your macho credentials intact and show the lobbies and crabs exactly who's boss.

[Allan Carr]

Originally Posted by Paul Oliver

Subsequent ones are a lot more difficult, but i usually find one good size one will do very nicely.

I've found that the plastic cable clamps (ratchet type clip) are very useful for multiple catches. Shake the crab/lobster down to the bottom of the goody bag and fasten the clip around the bag just above it. Prevents the problem of a crab demolishing a lobster if you have both in the same bag. It's also essential if catching squatties because they are so agile that any already in the bag escape if you try and put another one in.

[Allan Carr]

A good days catch - a 9lb and a 7 lb. The 9lb one thought it was invincible and came out in the open waving its claws - stupid thing! It was in the bag in seconds. The 7lb one was hard work. It was at th eback of a hole and took me about 10 minutes to extract.