The Maine Lobstermen's Community Association and the Consortium for Wildlife Bycatch Reduction worked with lobstermen in the Gulf of Maine to document the range of fixed-gear lobster fishing methods for the first time. The publication provides new data and illustrations on how lobster trap gear is configured and deployed by season and location. It fills a major gap in our understanig of the characteristics of trap gear, and it is intended to help fisheries managers and scientists better understand the fishery and evaluate the relative impacts of potential regulatory changes involving lobster gear. It is also a tool for further enganging lobstermen in constructive dialog about the kinds of gear and fishing methods that may pose the lowest risk to whales from rope entanglements.