Capt. Dan Berg's Wreck Valley Collection   

LOBSTER DIVING
By Capt. Dan Berg

Shipwrecks have been related to being an oasis in the middle of a barren desert of sand. It is true that fish and all types of marine life thrive in and around wrecks because the wreck becomes an artificial reef. Cold water lobsters or Maine lobsters (Homarus americanus) also make their home in and around northeast shipwrecks. In fact, cold water lobsters are the main attraction of some shipwrecks. Before catching a lobster make sure to check out all local laws. Many states have minimum or maximum size regulations and require divers to have a lobster permit.

Lobsters are known to divers as bugs and they are delicious, once captured and cooked that is. To catch a lobster, the diver must first find it. Usually the diver will swim around, looking into every hole with his light until he sees the claws or antenna. The lobster has a great defense with its claws; in fact, larger bugs are said to be able to crush a coke bottle. As a rule, larger lobsters are slower than their younger counterparts. In any case, no matter what the size of the creature, getting bit can be quite painful. The diver must position him self to make what may be his only attempt at catching his prey. The diver must then quickly thrust his hand into the hole, grabbing the lobster just behind or on top of its claws. If the lobster is deep into the hole, you can pin its claws down while slowly working your fingers up its body into position. When the lobster is caught, simply pull it out and put it tail first into a catch bag. Lobsters swim backwards, so, by inserting them tail first, we make sure they swim into and not out of the bag. This, of course, was an overly simplified scenario. The art of lobstering goes far beyond. For example, the true bug fanatic knows which shipwrecks hold more lobsters, usually low lying wood wrecks which aren't visited that often. They also know tricks to get the big bugs out of their deep holes. For example, when a lobster is deep into a pipe and cant be reached from either end, the diver can try to beat the pipe with a sledge hammer. The lobster will usually try to escape the noise and can then be tracked down and caught. When a big bug is deep in a blind hole, you can try a few tricks: first try catching a smaller lobster and releasing it into the bigger bug's hole. Usually the larger bug will quickly come out to guard its territory against the intruder. When it comes close to the opening, grab it. Another trick is to bait the lobster by putting a small piece of fish or mussel meat at the entrance to its hole. After a few minutes, it may decide to come out for dinner. The best trick I know for consistently catching lobsters is to know where the best holes are on a wreck. Lobsters are very territorial and seem to live in a hierarchy of sorts. The biggest lobster gets the best hole to call home. Once you have found one big lobster, make a mental note of where it was caught and simply return on consecutive dives. You will most likely find another large lobster living in the same hole. Some divers use tickle sticks made from either collapsible car antennas or wrapped up wire that can be unwrapped and bent into almost any shape in order to get it in behind the bug. They then touch the bug's tail, and the lobster walks right into their hands. Another trick is to tape a lobster size gauge onto a dive light. This way very little time is wasted. You find, catch and check the bug's size without having to fumble around, putting your light down or trying to find the gauge. A lobster size gauge measures the length of its carapace. That is the distance from the eye socket to the beginning of the tail. Remember to always check the lobster's underside. If it has eggs on the underside of its tail, release it back into its hole to assure a good supply for future years. As with most things, the more you practice, the better you will become, not only in finding and catching lobsters, but also in putting smiles on the faces of your family back home who will surely enjoy eating your catch.


Photo: Ed Tiedaman with a lobster caught while exploring the USS San Diego Shipwreck.

Lobster Seafood Guide
A complete source for the tastiest fresh lobster available as well as lobster recipes and other fine seafood

 

The Shipwreck Diving E-Book  Instant Downloadable E-Book  Shipwreck Diving, by Capt. Dan Berg is a complete how to book about the sport of wreck diving. This book is packed with information and heavily illustrated with over 80 sensational color photographs.

 

All photographs, sketches, images and text

Copyright Capt. Dan Berg / Aqua Explorers Inc

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Baldwin NY 11510
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