Recreational lobstering with MFG cartop fisherman

[John Painter]

I have been using my 12' MFG to do some lobstering here in Maine, it has been a very stable if cramped boat to play around in the small bay where I have a cottage. The boat has worked well and its in pretty good shape for the age, but I recently got a good deal on a Shell Lake Tri-14 so will switch over to that. I'm wondering if anyone else is using one of these old boats like this, maybe crabbing?

One of the last hauls of the season I got an egg bearing female, had to notch the tail and throw her back, luckily four of her boyfriends did not get off so easy. :highly_amused:

 

[John Painter]

If anyone is interested this is what it looks like lobstering in an old MFG cartop fisherman.

 

[Bayou Dave]

12' is a tad small for lobstering. The pot itself must take up close to 3' when you haul it up. That 14' will be much better room wise and more stable. But any boat is great that can get you out to get free lobsters.

 

[KJM]

Do you need a licence for that in Maine? There are lobster here where i fish but you can't touch them unless you are a licenced fisherman.

 

[John Painter]

Do you need a licence for that in Maine? There are lobster here where i fish but you can't touch them unless you are a licenced fisherman.

Yes Maine has a "recreational" lobster/crab fishing license.

My wife still beats me up now and then for giving up my commercial license years ago, once in awhile I'm wistful too, then I remember I was just talking with an old friend who said his bait bill for last year was $40k. You can imagine what his diesel fuel bill was.

 

[KJM]

I wish they would come up with something like that here, it would be great to go out and get a few lobsters when you want. The commercial fishermen would likely kick up a racket over it though.