Posted by e-shark on December 06, 2001 at 19:35:28:
In Reply to: Undersized Lobster Photo posted by Bob on December 06, 2001 at 13:13:02:
Thanks for posting the photo, Bob. It's refreshing when a poster on this board shows the data and allows everyone else to come to their own conclusions.
I don't think you need to see more of the eye end of the gauge to tell that the bug is short. There is no way you'll get a 3.25 inch gauge on a lobster with a 3.25 inch or larger carapace, have a 1/16 inch gap at the tail end, and still have the eye end of the gauge go that far down into the socket between the eyes.
Misplacement of the gauge at the eye end (leaving a gap between the socket and the gauge) might make a short lobster appear legal. Essentially, you're just moving the tell-tale gap from the tail end -- where most divers look for it -- to the eye end. But, it won't make a legal lobster appear short. You can't get a lobster gauge over both the tail end and the eye end of a legal size bug.