Different fishing

[snoozer]

Fishing is a little different in the Keys. We just idle along and when we see a hole or structure, jump in and pull out the lobster.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y4/snoozerone/11.jpg

[charlie_the_tuna]

i vote snoozer off the sight... anybody second?

[C YENSEN]

???why ???

[Blue_Runner]

I think its because A) he's catching lobster and B) with little effort ;D

I second the vote!! Get this loser out of here! ;D

[snoozer]

Au contrar.

There is a lot of effort. You have to measure ten Lobsters to find one that is legal. The cooler full of beer and ice that you have to have to keep the crew happy, is very heavy.
Long days in the sun really tire you out.
Pushing the Grouper aside to get to the Lobster, while holding your breath takes practice and stammina.
Keeping your hands off the bikini bottoms is the hardest thing of all.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y4/snoozerone/12.jpg
This is the Gulf side, lest than ten feet of water, as far as the horizon. The hurricanes have changed a lot of the features, but the grass is doing well. In five hours of ideling, we counted seven turtles, rays and fish-too many to count.

[Blue_Runner]

Pretty, thanks for the pics and info snoozer :D

Crawdads are about as close as I could come to catching a lobster from NC :(

[C YENSEN]

WISH I WERE THERE :-/

[Blue_Runner]

Me and you both...heck, I'd even volunteer to load and unload the cooler ;D

[Pipe_Dream]

Only serves to remind me that I haven't been to the Keys in . . . :'( shoot, I can't remember it's been so long.

You keep up the good work, snoozer and























Post more pics! 8)

[C YENSEN]

YEAH, LETS SEE SOME OF THOSE BIKINI BOTTOMS YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT. ;D

[parishht]

Just so they don't look like pink thongs. ;)

[reelapeelin]

I think we got a new DAWG ::) ...



...any ''bug'' pix?....

[charlie_the_tuna]

ok thats it! your outta here!

[snoozer]

Sorry Charlie.

[snoozer]

Time goes on, and now its time for stone crab season. Residents can put out five pots. Neighbors and I put out twenty pots this week, baited with pigs feet.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y4/snoozerone/headingtosea.jpg
I'll try to remember to post a picture before we eat the claws.

[Stinky_Hooker]

Yep, snoozer sucks!! :D

[willy]

Snoozer don't listen to them jealous b@stards, I love ya man, remember my name I may be looking for property down by ya soon, maybe sooner if you keep posting those pics ;)

[C YENSEN]

lets us see some of them crabs when you pull the pots

[parishht]

Is there a website that sells those crab traps?

I have never seen any like that.

[Blue_Runner]

Let's see, isn't it a renewable resource? Can't you take the biggest claw and relase the crab to grow another? That's what I heard one time and I thought that was pretty darn cool. :D

[Blue_Runner]

OK, just read a little about the subject:
Both claws of a stone crab may be harvested lawfully if they are both of legal size. Although it is currently lawful to harvest both of a stone crab's claws, usually only one claw is taken from an individual stone crab during harvest for conservation purposes. The practice of removing both claws of a stone crab threatens the ability of the resource to renew itself. Stone crab claws are a renewable resource because only the claw may be harvested and the crab is left to regenerate a new claw. Should both claws be of lawful harvest size and removed, the crab would be left with little means of defense and no mode of acquiring food. This drastically reduces its chance for survival and re-growth of a new claw is highly compromised without a proper nutrient supply.

[Sean]

Wow, that pretty cool/intersting.
WHats a stone crab look like?

[reelapeelin]

Good find, BR...love the way these guys write...why not just say:''for all you greedy b@stards, taking BOTH claws will most likely KILL the crab"...






Think of all the paper they'd save by just gettin' to the point ;) ...

[willy]

I don't know but they taste good, at least the claw. Claw's shell was really differrent to me, made up of a stuff almost like hard porcelin or ceramic. Had them in Key West, bring a lot of cash they are very proud of them :o

[reelapeelin]

Is there a website that sells those crab traps?

I have never seen any like that.




Nope...looks like ya juss gonna have to mosey on down to the Sunshine State and get ya some ;) ;D ...

[reelapeelin]

Wow, that pretty cool/intersting.
WHats a stone crab look like?


He's probably the one on his back holdin' a funny lookin' smoke in his claw ::) ...

[willy]

You can always find them, just yell " Hey Lefty "

[Blue_Runner]

That's just too funny ;D

[Airslot]

Here's your crab...
http://www.environmentaldefense.org/content_Images/Florida_stone_crab.gif

Ya know, we got a bunch of Dawgs round here anymore. *Time to add a qualifier. *If your weather station doesn't record annual snowfall, you a southern dog. *Us northern boys, even in the Carolinas just can't compete with them true southern dawgs.... ;D


Airslot

[reelapeelin]

So some years I'm a DAWG and some I'm not >:( ...





I WANNA BE A DAWG!! ;D ....

[willy]

I hope I can clear up some confusion here, I will give it a try

Geography has nothing to do with whether you are one or not

Dawg is a state of Mind 8)

[Blue_Runner]

SLOT, WILLY, RAP I AGREE WITH YA ALL! ITS NOT THE CLOTHES YOU WEAR OR THE JIVE YOU TALK....DAWG IS INTANGIBLE... BUT IF YOU ARE EVER A DAWG...TRUST ME YOU WILL KNOW AND FROM THEN ON YOU WILL BE ABLE TO SPOT A FELLOW DAWG IN A CROWD OF DEE DEE DEE's FROM A MILE AWAY ;D 8) 8)

[Airslot]

Oh, I agree with everybody...Simply stating that them southern boys have more D A W G edly oppotunities due to conditions. If I could get to bluewater in 7 miles, man, I'd be a daily DAWG. Then again, I'd have that purty center console, cause I'd prolly be a single DAWG ::)

Airslot

[Blue_Runner]

The stream is 15 miles outta Hatteras Inlet - does that make us NC boys 1/2 Dawg by default? ;D

[Airslot]

Yep, I make 15 mile runs without flinching just for Rock or FLounders. I'd be in the stream whenever the weather permitted at those ranges.

Airslot

[Blue_Runner]

I only made one summertime Hatteras trip this year and had all intentions of getting out.....but the darn inlet gnashed its teeth at me. Coulda gotten out behind a big sporty to flatten it out for me, but my instincts kicked in and let me know real quick that it wasn't gonna happen. Its simple really:

Option 1:
Don't catch fish and live to try again.

Option 2:
Catch fish and die trying.

I'll take option #2 thank ya! Maybe next year :-/

[macojoe]

Option 1:
Don't catch fish and live to try again.

Option 2:
Catch fish and die trying.

I am going to die any way might as well be fishing!! #2 for me also!

[Airslot]

Blue, your in a V-21 for goodness sakes, you should be knocking it down for the sporty's. ;D Ever stuffed the bow on a V-20 :o, let me tell ya, it ain't easy, but I've taken a few over the bow in OC inlet. Heck, some of the weather I've fished in, it's a wonder I've made it this far ;)

Airslot

[willy]

Air " Shhhhhh "

[snoozer]

Woolf
The stream varies a lot here in Marathon. Some days its close (five miles) and some it is as much as 45 miles offshore. The reef is always five miles off.

The stream has not been within 17 miles for months. When it comes in to the reef, offshore becomes a magical place. Right now it looks like a series of fronts are marching through, and the water is pretty stired up. Usually you can see bottom and everything growing there in 15-20 feet.

On the first soak the twenty pots produced five pounds of crab claws. There are new studies coming out all the time on these crabs. I do not know where Blue quoted from but the latest I've seen on the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission website says a crab can replace its claws in one molt cycle, probably a year, no longer than three. I have not seen any indications that they have a problem feeding themselves. The commercial fleet takes both claws, and so do I. You CANNOT take any from a female bearing eggs. The season runs from Oct. to May. The crabs molt in the summer, and the pots are brought in. The small wood piece in each trap is called a chew out panel, if the trap is lost (like from cutters on boat shafts) the crabs can chew through the wood and escape. Ghost traps are a major problem that everyone is looking for an answer to.

I'll try to post some pictures of the process, there are a lot of other stuff in the traps too. But no stingrays.

[reelapeelin]

Snoozer :D ...reckon how those critters feed themselves w/ both claws missin'...thanks for the correction ;) ...

[snoozer]

Well, I've never watched them.
They do have a bunch of legs left you know. I have wondered about it, but the ones with no claws keep climbing back in the traps so they must manage OK. The taking of both claws started a few years ago. Stone crabs bring a big bunch of money to south Florida and I doubt the state would let anything happen to the resorce if they could prevent it. They are looking for a good harvest this year being that hurricanes left us alone.

The claws get cliped at the first joint, if you break or tear the claw off you risk killing the crab as they bleed. The claws pop when they come off; it seems to be an escape mechanism, like a lizzard's tail coming off.

[snoozer]

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y4/snoozerone/bigboy.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y4/snoozerone/morecolossalclaws.jpg

[parishht]

Nice crabs. Can you anly take the claws or can you keep the whole crab?

[Blue_Runner]

Wow thats a nice crab! Good info too!

Thanks snoozer! About the both claw-thing, I took what I read online with a grain of salt.

Question: do they draw blood if they pinch you? I'm assuming yes since I've had blood drawn by much much smaller blue crabs. :D

[reelapeelin]

Snoozer...you just havin' too much fun down there... ;D ... 8)...

[snoozer]

Yep, fun with a profit.

Just keep the claws.

Yes they draw blood, they will break a finger bone if the handler is not quick enough.

We had a black grouper in the first trap yesterday that was two inches too short. It is a sight to see the ruckus a fish will put up if he does not have to fight the line, and is not dead tired when he comes over the rail.