Now that's a big Lobster!

[Larry]

Was doing some scientific diving on a East Breaks BP platform (depth about 800 ft) a few years ago (~ 180 nautical miles southwest of Galveston as I recall). To my surprise several enormous (5 - 10 lb) spiny's had taken up residence on one of the templates at a depth of ~ 80 - 100 ft. We didn't take em becasue it was a scientific trip - damn! The cajun workers on the rig were going nuts when they found out - they wanted a Texas style crayfish boil - les bon ton roulet and all that stuff. The lobsters probably disappeared after word got out among the rig crew. Has anybody else taken lobsters off a GOM rig. Just curious.

[FredT]

10 pounds is about average for bugs that make it that far. Usually big old bulls.

I have seen a few "just settled", but they don't seem to last very long. The Rig will need to have a relativly hard bottom for the bugs to migrate to it.

Be aware that as soon as you get one of those out and in hand, the resident triggers will want a share. Normally this "share" costs the diver parts of fingers and ear lobes if he insists on bringing it up without bagging it. One buddy brought up a carapace that was completely cleaned by triggers. The cleaned carapace was over 10" long.

FT