Well, the spiny lobster season is in full swing here in Southern California. Many boats have been getting their daily quota in just a few hours after setting their hoop nets, but many fishermen have been having a harder than usual time at finding the legal bugs. I’m not sure if it has to do with the El Nino conditions or just heavy fishing pressure in the same areas night after night.
I am amazed that lobster are caught all season long with the gauntlet of private and commercial fishermen out there night after night, but it never fails that a few always seem to squeak through the cracks and survive another year.
The best baits are usually the oily meat fish and Salmon Heads top the list, but with this being a fabulous tuna season… tuna and yellowtail heads have been the hot ticket. I have found over the years that any fresh fish, even rockfish serves its purpose and catches its share of tasty bugs.
We are only a week into the season, but hopefully this turns out to be another great lobster year. The new licenses now run from September 2014 until March, 2015 instead of the typical calendar year style that governed years past. I always love seeing what comes up in the hoops on every pull. it is a lot of hard work, but the rewards are usually tasty crustaceans or a surprise visitor that gets stuck in the net on the retrieve.
Even some friends that have been hooping the pier have had success with some legal bugs. Personally, that would not be my favorite method of lobster fishing, but it suits the needs of many that do not have a means to catch them by any other way.
In any case, the lobster season is here and their are bugs to catch. As the reports come into the forum, I will periodically post them up on the cover page to share for all. I also hope to have a guest “Lobster Killer” write an article for the website to help fine tune your skills at catching these delicious crustaceans!
Until Next Tide, keep your hoop lines untangled and your Cyalume light sticks stocked up!
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