I just thought of a place that I go to quite often in Wakefield Rhode Island:
Industrial Marine Marketing
401 782-4412
Basically they sell to commercial interests, but should you need any kind of traps or pots for Rhode Island waters, they will have it. They will sell to anyone, even if you need just one pot. However, I am sure the commercial guys get a better deal since they are purchasing in quantity. Still, their prices are reasonable and you can check out their products by running your hands over them (I do not like sharp wires sticking out anywhere.) The reason I mentioned commercial interests is much of their stuff is meant to be used with a hauler. They sell what has been known to work well, and the smaller recreational traps, while easier to haul by hand, sort of suck when it comes to catching lobsters. The bigger commercial traps work much better. If you do not fish them in a strong current area, they are not that bad to haul by hand as you will not have to put in all four bricks in them to prevent walking (three or sometimes two bricks might be OK.)
Take your wallet with you when you visit this warehouse as it is almost impossible to walk through it and not buy something you had not even thought about. For example, they sell two different sizes of white plastic tubs (about 15 to 20 gallons) with a cover and a locking plastic ring to keep the waterproof cover on at three for $10. You just have to match the covers with buckets and locking rings which is not all that easy to do as several times I had come home with mismatched sets .
I have also purchased traps from Ketcham Trap company (the ones Capt Dom has) and they make a very good trap as well. One year old trap is essentially new, as they should last a least a decade if you do not store them on the ground in the off season. The thing that has messed up my traps is I do not clean them out very well at the end of the season and rodents eat up the mesh which retains the smell of the bait. Another reason for purchasing commercial pots is unless you wish to take up weaving your own funnels, you will find it very hard to get replacement netting for the smaller recreational traps. I do not know of anybody that weaves nets anymore since Brown (a famous local pot maker) died three years ago.
Do not ask me how to get to this place! I have to take my wife to find it. I am just terrible at directions so if you decide to visit them, call first for directions. |