Lobster fishing on Käringön
ENJOY AUTUMN AT THE EXTENT OF THE SEA BAND - JOIN LOBSTER FISHING
September and October are by far the best time of year for seafood. Commercial fishing for crayfish, crab and lobster is still carried out on Käringön. We have the privilege of being able to buy these fresh delicacies directly on the pier.
If you want to go lobster fishing with us, that's great. We take you out to sea and to the best fishing spots at Måseskär and outside Vallerö and Tornö. In addition to participating in the fishing itself, you will learn more about how lobsters live and about the Western Sea. We fish from sturdy boats and adapt the trip to weather conditions. Floatation overalls and life jackets are available to borrow.
A stay on Käringön during the autumn gives you the opportunity to feel the island's calm, something that is usually experienced as very beneficial.
Five-course lobster dinner
During the lobster fishing season, we serve lobster at the hotel's restaurant Käringöns Brygga. It is fantastic to be able to work with such fine and locally produced ingredients. Our talented chefs prepare a five-course menu where fresh Swedish lobster is the highlight. Those of you who book our weekend package also get Friday's dinner included. After arriving on Friday afternoon, you get to meet the islanders who often attend the island pub's after work. Our lovely breakfast buffet is also included.
Lobster fishing - it's really exciting!
Our experienced skippers take you out to sea where you can participate in fishing for the sea's crown jewel - the lobster. In addition to the fishing itself, you will learn more about the North Sea and about the lobster's life on the bottom. We fish with our own boat IRIS and, if necessary, we take help from our friends at Havsguiderna who fish with two sturdy boats from the brand Brandskär. The tour is adapted to the weather and the wishes of the participants.
We can often carry out the fishing trips even if the weather is a bit bad. There are plenty of protected waters inside Käringön and Hermanö. However, it is important to be able to set aside some extra time and plan because, if necessary, the lobster fishing may have to be rescheduled from regular trips during Saturday to Friday afternoon or Sunday morning. Bring your own rain gear, hat, gloves and boots. In cold weather we provide wetsuits. Life jackets included.
The lobster - this mythical creature
Lobster (Homarus gammarus) lives at a depth of 10–30 meters on rock bottoms or rocky bottoms. Along the Swedish coast, lobsters occur in the Skagerrak, Kattegatt and northern Öresund.
Our North Sea lobsters are actually pretty good. Apart from us humans, the fully grown lobster has quite a few enemies. Even the smaller lobsters are doing better now that the cod is not present to the same extent as in the past. In the past, the big cods ate plenty of both lobster and crab.
The lobster is most active at night and it lives on rocky or mountainous bottoms because it has its burrows in rock crevices. It seems to thrive where the sandy bottom and the rocky bottom meet. The lobster has strict temperature requirements. Below 5°C it does not eat and at 20-22°C it dies. For reproduction, it requires at least 15°C and sufficiently salty water. The females can carry up to 40,000 rum grains which are usually laid in the summer months.
The lobster carries many different pigments. The most common are astaxanthins, which belong to the chemical group carotenoids. All these pigments together make the lobster often look dark/black. When you boil the lobster, the heat-sensitive protein to which the pigments are bound is destroyed, then the color suddenly turns red! The neon blue lobsters are mythical and because the color is due to a mutation, they are extremely rare. The very highest profit in the context, however, is albino lobsters, which are as rare as one in 100 million. Vivid red specimens are also present, according to statistics, only one animal in 10 million has that color.
The lobster premiere falls at 07.00 on the first Monday after September 20 each year. Recreational fishermen may fish with a maximum of six approved lobster tenors and professional fishermen with up to 40 tenors. Recreational fishing is permitted until the end of November and commercial fishing until the end of December. A lobster trap must have at least two circular escape openings with a minimum diameter of 60 millimeters located at the lower edge of each room's outer wall. For lobsters, the minimum measurement is 9 centimeters, measured from the back edge of the eye socket to the back edge of the head shield, so-called carapace length. If the carapace length of the lobster does not amount to at least 9 centimeters, it must immediately be released back into the sea. Females that are rum-bearing, i.e. have their rum grains under the tail, must also be released back.
