See ya later, Alligator!

   For the past few years, our crab traps have been robbed of their bait on almost a nightly basis.  At first, we blamed the otters.  These likable critters have the smarts to unhook most any latch that they encounter. We figured that the otters had taken a liking to our crab bait and found it an easy meal.  Not that I mind sharing a bit of bait with them but without bait, I would catch no crabs.  That made me unhappy indeed!  Then the blame moved on to the snapping turtles that seemed to find the crab traps a delightful perch on which to spend the day.  I admit that I was more prone to blame the snapping turtles since they are not so cute and comical.  They have a tendency to have a foul temper and do have strong jaws that can rip into the traps.  I had noticed that the bait doors were not simply unlatched they were removed!  Turtles...definitely turtles were damaging the traps and stealing the bait!  Then one morning as I sat watching the sunrise, the true culprit ventured under the pier.  An eight foot long alligator decided that the chicken legs that Mark used as bait the previous evening, smelled mighty fine. I watched as the gator slipped under the pier, chomped down on the trap mangling it and then removing the bait.  Chicken parts were floating everywhere making the gator extremely happy and making me extremely unhappy!  I apologized to the otters and turtles and started blaming the gators!  There was not a lot we could do about the gator stealing the bait as it actually would rip the wire.  The traps were more or less rendered unusable.

  This week, I noticed a few crabs crawling about under the pier.  Mark set about devising a new bait door for the traps.  It had to be tough enough for the gator to at least have some trouble breaking it yet simple enough to open so we could stuff the bait in the box without difficulty.  He pondered a bit and then headed off to the building supply place for parts.  This morning, he toted all six traps back to the pier.   He had rigged up a grand door for each trap using a piece of steel sheeting and some rods.  This should work!  Yep, now my traps may be able to capture a few crabs instead of sitting baitless under the pier.  

  We shall raid the freezer tomorrow in search of possible crab bait. Since crabs are not particularly nit-picky about their diet, it should be relatively easy to find enough chicken or fish to bait the traps.  Then we shall sit back and wait.  I will sit observing the gators as they attempt to filch their breakfast.  Hopefully, the steel plates will hold and nary a bait will be lost to the would-be robbers.  Hopefully, I will get enough crabs this summer to replenish the freezer.  See ya later, Alligator!  Go elsewhere for your breakfast!  This cafe is closed!  (I hope!)