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Lobster: Thoughts and tactics

Thread Status: Hello , There was no answer in this thread for more than 60 days.
It can take a long time to get an up-to-date response or contact with relevant users.
Rock salmon = greater spotted dogfish or bull huss.
You dont see so many of them but they do grow quite big, to about 20lb.
The lesser spotted dogfish is far more common but only grows to about 3lb.
Both are edible & quite nice.
You need to skin them, look on utube....
 
The only thing ive seen on my last two dives have been dog fish and I had to poke them to move but they look solid and strong they will take me for a walk!!!! Thanks boys theres some fab fish on the hall of fame. Something to aim for. Any of them Beauties would do!!So the odd big wrasse would be ok for mypot and bits for my lobster pot as well!!
 
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Mr X !!...please don't tell me a man of your experience has succumbed to shooting wrasse !!!...you'll be shooting dog fish next and entering 'competitions'....dear me.....disappointing.
 
Society has become far too soft. I don't shoot wrasse but I do take crab, flatfish and pick my own vegetables! They are just as easy hah! As long as it is done in a sustainable, manageable way then surely it is just a way of man going back to his roots and providing a meal for the table??
 
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Reactions: bobdonny

My sentiment exactly!
 
nothing wrong with munching a few dogs, they are like a plague down Gower, im allways bumping into them in the surf, the other day actually scouped one up by accident when I was paddling out for a surf. Plus you spend the time and effort searching for the freshest juciest jelly peeler crabs and 9/10 mr bass gets beaten to it by the wooffers!
 
Back to crustaceans..... We were out diving last night, and I came across the biggest edible crab I have ever seen. He was in a deepish hole but within reach. I could just about get my hand around one of his claws they were that big. I gave him a pull, but from then on, it was game over. He pulled his claws in and wedged back, and thats where he stayed. There was absolutely nothing I could do to shift him, short of putting a grenade in his hole. If I can find the hole again, I'll try to get him, but I fear the outcome will be the same. rofl
 
I hate the way crabs wedge themselves in with their legs pressing their shell up against the rock. I find edible crabs the hardest of all crustaceans to catch. Spider crabs are easy, lobbies OK 50% of the time but edibles are an absolute pain.
 
I came across a huge eddible crab on open white sand in 6m of water I ran my finger around the pork pie edges and it got bigger n bigger I found the edge at last and went to pull I moved in! Hes stayed still ,floating up for air it disapeared even tho I was staring at the spot After 10mins checking every ripple in the sand I gave up! Im sure it was A4 size with the corners cut off.Lesson learned
 
nice, i've never managed to find decent edible crabs, plenty of lobsters and good sized spiders. Taken a few edible crabs but all only just over the legal size limit. I want trophy crab, something that needs to be attacked with a mallet to get into for picking. Big spring tides coming up, fingers crossed
 
How about this for a trophy crab? Caught by Ollie (Crazywind) a couple of years ago when we had a DB meet up and BBQ in South Devon. It weighed about 6lb.
 

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What I would love to do is be able to catch a big crab or lobby, but then eat it in a way that doesn't destroy the exoskeleton - I want to be able to preserve a monster like that and sit it on the table or the wall - any ideas...
 
Id like to do that! but the missis anit to keen! would you boil the crab/lobby n loose its colour then try n make little holes in it n pick out the meat? Take it to bits carefully the glue it back together with a hot glue gun ?If it isnt cleaned out it will pong for ever .ive found 3 crabs intact so far diving with tanks that are stripped clean bythe sea and little critters. Aired and dryed theRE fine in the house but very delicate thats where the hot glue gun comes in if you have little fingers in the house rippin the legs off!!!!!!Im intrested has anyone else got any idears.
 
James, OMD did just that with a 9lb crab & it still lives as a display in his old school where he worked (I assume).
You can eat most of the meat by picking it out & simply reassemble the crab. Dave filled the empty shell with plaster of Paris & put it in a glass fronted display case bedded on more plaster, he painted the scene to suit.
Here is an 8lb crab
 
That looks fantastic nearly alive. you have just caught that haven`t you !!! is it wired back together? I was thinking about drying the crab out. may lose the colour or gain some by drying it in the oven on v low heat for hours/days( possibly microwave it on 50% power not leting it get hot ive just found on a site on the net) put it in the green house for a few weeks?Depends if you going to eat it first which i hope we all would.May try with my next spider crab?
ooops just read your post again it is alive sorry!
 
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cool t shirt foxfish, is that name patented

Thats an awesome crab aswel. How did you get it?
 
I have never found any decent size crabs in the sand, we do see them all the time but they tend to be the small discards from crab potters, the only way I know how to catch big crabs is to look in big holes.
I have a few favorite holes that I visit every now & again, I caught two big crabs in one hole a few years back but that was the only time I have ever seen this!
There was a picture of those two that my brother put on the forum for me but he must of deleted it as I cant find it anymore.
I dive on the low tide & look for holes in the base of reefs, any holes I find are normally hidden behind kelp, so you do need to look hard.
 
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