Lobster Bait

You will find lobster traps lining the docks of virtually every commercial marina in the state. New England lobsters fetch a high price throughout the nation, and the industry is a mainstay among the region's fishermen. Did you ever wonder what they use for bait in those traps, though? The answer is in today's photo. Here's a local fisherman preparing skate to be used as lobster bait. The skate, a distant relative of the shark, is one of the oldest living species on the planet. It's also edible and quite tasty, having a flavor and texture similar to local shellfish. As this fisherman explained, the skate are abundant, they're easy to catch, and the lobsters love them, so they make an ideal bait fish. With popularity increasing in some of the better restaurants throughout New England and the mid-Atlantic states, though, one wonders when they will transition from trash to treasure.

Post processing started with a photo pop filter in Topaz Adjust. I adjusted adaptive exposure, contrast, strength, detail boost, and sharpen sliders. In PSE I adjusted the levels a bit for contrast.

[Rachel B.]

I really like this shot! The subject and the story it tells. I love how you let the grunginess come across...I can almost smell it! I live in Seattle and I love seeing all the fishermen at work and hawking their wares. I also love how the blue of the barrels is the same color as his gloves :)