Crabs & Lobsters

In addition to the nets we also have 120 pots the aim of which is for them to be filled with huge juicy crabs and lobsters.

The pots are baited with salted herrings and mackerel 'frames'  (the bits left over after the fillets have been taken off) this smells HORRENDOUS but the lobsters & crabs like it ! !

The baited pots are set down near rocky areas - ours are off St Michaels Mount - and left for a couple of days.  The above photo shows undersized brown crabs all of which went back into the sea, also going back are any berried lobsters - females carrying eggs -

Any crabs which look like they may be too small are measured, if they fit into the measure they are too small and go back, this one is only a centimetre to two too small but it goes back 

as does this lobster, it will be another 3 years before this one is big enough to grace the plate, when it will be about 8 years old

this one however is a keeper, they are measured from back of the eye to the ridge at the beginning of the tail.

once sorted the keepers are put in a box of seawater for the journey back to port, on arrival at the mooring they are transferred to a holding pot kept submerged until there is enough to take to W.Harvey the shellfish merchants, then there is a weeks wait until the exciting bit - getting the cheque ! !

conger eels also like the lobster bait and are sometimes an unpleasant surprise when the pots are lifted, as a friend of ours says "they are meaner than a two headed snake" however they can often make for a nice little extra on the market, if not they can always be chopped up and used as bait.

These pictures were of the last hauling of pots, hopefully today's will produce even more.  The nets are out tonight so hopefully there will be a birthday bonus of lots of soles tomorrow ! !