6-15-08 canal lobster report or where the heck are the lobsters?

[robc22]

Checked my gear today. Pretty dismal fishing. Usually it starts to pick up this time of year.I can't even blame the poachers for poor fishing this week. I hope the lobstering starts to get better soon.

Anyhow.....

3 keepers,couple of shorts and a egger or two.
The big day saver; one of the keepers I caught was a very large female. She was just under the max. size allowed by law. Her, along with the steamers soaking under my boat, made for a nice sunday meal.

The fluke bite has completely shut off in buzzards bay. My buddy could not catch a fluke anywhere between Cleveland's and the canal yesterday.

Ive been seeing alot of young,small winter flounder in my traps the last couple of weeks.


Speaking of the canal, the cape cod canal is a somewhat unique place. It's relatively short length and shallow depth( 7 miles and 32 feet at MLW) join two very different bodies of water. The mid-atlantic watershed and the gulf of Maine. It was dug by a fella named Belmont who would charge tolls for the shipping that used it. He hoped the shipping companies would see the canal as a timesaver and lifesaver(steaming around the cape and east of chatham could be a hazard to life and property). They did and they started using the canal on a regular basis.Early last century,the federal government took over the canal. They widened it and have been managing it ever since.

The only other place the gulf of Maine and the mid-atlantic body of water meet is E. of Chatham. Folks think there is alot of current in the canal. Yet, Ive been tuna fishing off of chatham and seen big A2 polys dragged under the water by the current. That's some serious movement of mass and weight.

Game 5 of the NBA finals tonight. It won't break my heart if the laker's win and the series comes back to the garden. The leprechauns are waiting and ready.

[BlueSpider 9/7/11]

Checked my gear today. Pretty dismal fishing.

The fluke bite has completely shut off in buzzards bay. My buddy could not catch a fluke anywhere between Cleveland's and the canal yesterday.

Ive been seeing alot of young,small winter flounder in my traps the last couple of weeks.

The leprechauns are waiting and ready.

If you or someone else still catches this post, what bait did you end up catching your flatfish with? Even though I've have much great success catching Gulf Flounder on my own, I'd still appreciate & enjoy hearing any of your flatfish crabbing tips soon. Please, post any of your Flounder Pics too, whether (still) inside or outside of the pot, bucket, rack, line, dish, boat, scale, mousepad or wherever, alright? Much thanks to those whom oblige.

[robc22]

If you or someone else still catches this post, what bait did you end up catching your flatfish with? Even though I've have much great success catching Gulf Flounder on my own, I'd still appreciate & enjoy hearing any of your flatfish crabbing tips soon. Please, post any of your Flounder Pics too, whether (still) inside or outside of the pot, bucket, rack, line, dish, boat, scale, mousepad or wherever, alright? Much thanks to those whom oblige.

I catch flatties in my lobster gear year round.......the two most common species are winter flounder and summer flounder(fluke). I have also caught sand dabs and windowpane flounder.....Here is a pic of a couple of winter flounder I caught....one of my favourite eating fish........

[flounderpounder]

awesome!!!   THANKS FOR SHARING.. [dang] i'd love to be able to catch those suckers...I would give up crabbing in a heartbeat..well maybe not but it sure would be fun !!