Big ol' lobster 3-15-08

BIG OLD LOBSTER, BUDDY. Saturday, 3-15, 2008
Ruth woke me up with the revelation that it was time to leave for Little San Salvador, because it was totally calm out. So we got packing. Before that though, we went and checked out our fish trap in the shipwreck, only to find that the smaller fish were swimming in and out of it, through the holes, while the bigger fish were sitting back and laughing. I think I also smelled cigar smoke, but I’m not sure. There was another big fish I was follerin’ around for a bit in the big wreck, but he gave me the slip. We busted out for LSS, and since the weather was so nice, and the water so calm, we decided to try some reefs on the way there for lobster and fish. We hit up the north side, since they can’t get picked on as much due to weather. I went straight to the shore, hitting up rocks and coral ledges, and Miss Sparkle stayed a bit deeper. Right about the time I shouted that there was a lobster under this rock, she was hollerin’ to me that there was something really big in the water. She wasn’t sure if it was a shark or what, but she came scootin’ to shore really fast.
Well, that lobster I saw was a monster. That sucker was big, and in there deep. I kept taking breaths and going into this rock, at least up to my waist, into this opening that was maybe three feet wide, 24 inches tall at most, and maybe 6 feet deep. I tried to grab his antennae, but the one I got ahold of broke off and he was scooting hard backward. Ruth was trying to grab him from the small hole on the other side while I was going in the front door. Finally, I shot him with the spear through another hole on the side. Ruth held the spear, hanging out of the hole, and I grabbed the lobster, and yanked him off it, but he was struggling mightily. I finally took that sucker and pushed him hard against the bottom, and finally we took the spear and ran him through from the top, right between the eyes, and he seemed to go to his glorious reward pretty quickly after that.
We swam him to the boat and took the pictures you see. We figure it was around 6 pounds or something, and was 36 inches from antenna to tail. Wow, our first one was the biggest we’ve seen.
We had lobster in melted butter for dinner, and barely dented that tail, it was so massive, that and Ruth made some wicked potatoes that filled us up while we steamed it. So that was yesterday, so today we shucked it all, filling a large bowl for lobster salad, another Tupperware for me to make lobster with cream sauce over some pasta, and then we ate the rest of the tail for dinner. Then I made cookies on the grill, while we listened to This American Life on the radio. We threw out a line for a bit and I hooked another triggerfish for a while, but she finally gave me the slip, and went off to gloat while I hung my head in shame.
Tomorrow, we’ll check out two shipwrecks, and then swing around the south side of the island, to find a creek to the inland lake where we’ll hole up during the front, till Wednesday or so. After that, we’ll jet to Eleuthra, which is a really big island, (maybe 2 miles wide, generally, but really long, like 40 miles or something. Or a hundred. Who knows. We’ve had this place to ourselves, though we did see onc cruise ship earlier today, no doubt coming into Half Moon Harbour, which is a spot on the south side of the island that they frequent. It’s otherwise deserted. We did see three Bahamian dudes on a speedboat earlier today, who yelled to us, asking if we were okay. And we heard a plane, but you could barely see it. I guess I tell you this to give you an idea of what this is like.
Good times, very quiet, and not much to report. We’re filling our days with slow everything, reading, sleeping in, and Ruth’s been making music. I did for a bit today, but my computer is usually used more for watching the Sopranos or blogging. My music is mostly me bleating away on the clarinet, much to the dismay of the fish, and few others. Okay, I guess that’s it.

I miss St. Cash hardcore. And St. Mick. And you guys a little bit too.