Lobstering in Maine Everybody Loves Lobster! It's hard to imagine that lobsters were once so plentiful that people could simply gather them by hand while walking along the shoreline. Things have gotten a lot more complicated since then! Trapping became the preferred method of catching lobsters by around 1850 and today it's estimated that there are about 2.5 million lobster pots on the ocean floor off Maine. Each pot is attached by rope to a buoy that floats on the surface of the water. Lobstermen and Lobsterwomen identify their particular buoys by painting them with distinctive colors and designs. The buoys dot the harbors all over Maine and remind us that this is the best place to get a fresh lobster dinner!