Stone Crabbing

(A version of this poem was presented at the Fisher Poets Gathering, Astoria OR, 2/26/11)

Stone crab traps are made of wooden(or plastic) lath strips, about 2 ft square.
Then you pour in 50 lbs of concrete, so they won't go anywhere.
Unfortunately, if you drop them on mud bottom, they tend to sink right in.
So in addition to weight, you have to overcome the suction.

I always set in shallow water, so I pulled my traps manually.
So when my oldest son was strong enough, I took him along with me.
After several traps he said,"Dad, this one's stuck fast, so now what, tell me please".
"Son", I said,"the trick is, at first you pull hard, then she comes easy".

Dungeness, king, blue crab and lobster, are all first rate, gastronomically,
but among gourmets, and gourmands who have sampled the full bounty of the sea,
they clearly favor the stone crab, and I surely do not disagree.