I grew up near a Canadian lobster port. My experience below.

The taste of lobsters preferred may be influenced by what you are used to. There is a big difference between the clawed lobsters (found from Nfld. southward to warmer US waters...the majority come from Gulf of St Lawrence to Maine, but smaller numbers are also caught around the UK area) and the ones with no claws or smaller ones.

Better meat quality and content is early spring and late fall/winter, before and after they moult (warm water months tennd to be when they moult). There is an offshore fishery for the big ones off Nova Scotia. The bigger ones are tougher, need longer cooking and get a lower price. The peak size is from one and a half pounds to two pounds...determined by the restrauant business (price serving size etc).

The big lobsters, the really small ones (canners) from Gulf of St. Lawrence in Canada, those that are damaged, those that are soft shelled, newly moulted (meat count can be as low as 18 percent, or as high as 29 percent) are canned....mostly in frozen non-retorted cans. Most of the canneries are in New Brunswick and PEI, and the lobsters come there from everywhere. Tails are mostly from the small (or no) clawed lobster. But, there are some from the big clawed ones...the claws are canned separately with other meat parts.

Lobsters are stored in pounds (and other facilities) year round. The longer they are in the pound, the less desirable the flavour. Same goes for off season storage in stores. Sometimes the lobster guys sell off the old pound lobsters just before the majority of the the seasons open ((beware of April and October/November) at a cheaper price...beware the taste is not as good. You can buy a Maine or Nova Scotia lobster in a store. Lobsters move all around (and accross borders) and there is no guarintee thatthe lobster branded from one location does not come from somewhere else...unless you buy it near a wharf where they are fished. Red Lobster buys lobsters (and owns buying operations) in Canada and the USA for its outlets.

The buyers can tell and normally know if the lobsters are soft shelled (low meat) from a simple blood test. But, some folks try and sell you the poor stuff, if you dont know the difference.

Colour differs from area caught (and there are some genetic odd ball colours). But, it does not impact the meat.

I like lobsters from all areas. I prefer the hard shelled ones from colder waters in May-June or in the November december period. I normally buy one and a half to two pounders...and since I like the Roe, I ask for females. The Green Tomaley in the body (acts like a liver) can contain toxins and heavy metals picked up from the water. Isuggest you don't eat too much of that stuff, as you don't know where your lobster has been.

I use a big knife and kitchen fork when I eat them. I get kind of eager, so, dont get near me when I am opening them...you could get splattered.