This past weekend was the opening of lobster season for non-commercial fisherman and like the 3 years before it we have set out of Dana Point in the boat to see if we can score ourselves a couple lobsters. We have tried our hand at this many times before but have been mostly unsuccessful, other then catching one lobster that was too small and we had to throw it back. We were all hoping to have better luck during this time around.
Lobster fishing itself is done by loading up a trap with bait that you drop down onto the ocean floor. The trap lays flat and you wait for a couple hours then head back to the trap to pull it up. Since we are not using commercial traps, when we get back to pull it we have to pull it as fast as possible because as soon as the trap moves the lobsters have a chance of getting out. This is easier said than done as the traps are very heavy when under the water but there is a rush in pulling them up and seeing if you got anything. We set out and laid our traps right when the sun was starting to go down.
We were even greeted by a couple dolphin swimming right next to our boat when we stopped to drop a trap.
After that we headed back to the pier to let our traps sit while we enjoyed some dinner.
In the years before when we have gone there is hardly ever many boats out on the water but this year was the exact opposite. There were probably 20 other boats attempting to lobster fish with us which made it really difficult to find your trap in the see of light sticks (these are used to mark your trap on the top of the water). The night proceeded with us pulling up a trap and dropping it back in only to find different varieties of small crabs munching on our bait, which all got thrown back.
After a couple hours of this we decided to head back in and call it a night. We asked a few other people if they were able to find anything but most had the same luck as us. Having to fight the massive crowds for lobster is not something I want to do again.
Hopefully if we go out again this year we will have better luck but it is always fun to hang out on the water at least. Have you ever lobster fished? Let us know what your tips are in the comments.
Related posts:
We on the opening night , hooped just outside the jetty out of Marina Del Rey, We picked up about 50 bugs, but only 14 were legal , and we did have to fight the crowd, looked like LAX with all the glow sticks lighting up the water. Strange I have had good luck at Dana Point in past years.
Better keep trying , switch out baits, and check you hoops about every half hour or so. And don’t forget to fill out your card b4 you go out on the water, I forgot and cost me $100.00 1st time.
corona bug eater 69
Stevo,
Thanks for the update! Glad you had better luck then we did! What is your recommended bait? Also thanks for heads up on filling out your card!