Monhegan…2 months later….
Sitting indoors at my computer, warm and dry, with rain beating at my window and wind whipping up the waves in my harbor a continent away, I find myself wondering how the lobstermen and women of Monhegan Island are fairing now.
Little Tiny One!
It’s so hard to imagine that this little teeny tiny, barely post larva lobster could grow into a huge 200 lb creature, but it’s true. This fully formed lobster, just weeks old, is ready to drop to the bottom, find a place to hide among the rocks and begin the hard work of eating, shedding and avoiding predators. It takes 6 or 7 years until this little guy will reach “maturity” and be ready to mate – or be trapped.
The big guy that Jason is holding up is probably over 40 years old. 
Scuba divers have reported seeing lobsters in deep water that weigh an estimated 200 -250 lbs. No one knows for sure how big or how old lobsters can be in the wild, but all lobsters start out as these very cute little critters.
Can I Keep It?
“Mom, can I keep it?” I’ve heard that a billion times, and usually I say no. But when you are out on a lobster boat, and they pull in a whopper like this one that sternman Chris is holding, you assume it’s a keeper, right? Wrong. Maybe in another state, but in Maine, this is an over sized lobster and must be tossed back. Why? Because these “Grandes” of the deep only like to breed with other “Grandes” and they produce lots and lots of little lobster babies. Tossing the really big ones back along with the little tiny ones is one of the ways that the lobstermen of Maine protect their breeding stock and their future livelihood.
What are They?
Nope, these are not “Live Stong” bands or AIDS bands or any other kind of wrist wear. These colorful bands are the tags that must be affixed to each and every trap a lobsterman sets. The number on the tag identifies the lobster fisherman and the color denotes the year. If these tags are yours and you email me, I’ll buy you an ice cream cone next time I’m out that way….
What is a “shedder”?
“Shedder” is lobsterman speak for a lobster that has recently crawled out of it’s now too small shell. Read more