Hooping for Lobster - 12/11/08

[Sea Hag]

Terrence invited a few of us to come out and hoop for Lobster last night on The Boat.

So we met up with him at King Harbor in Redondo Beach at about 4:30 Thursday night and headed out. It was a short ride out in beautiful calm seas, partly cloudy skies, with almost no wind.





We got to the spot Terrence had picked out for us, and we baited the Promar Nets with a variety of tasty treats; chunks of giant squid, chicken, and tuna bellies, as well as other chunked fish.










We dropped nets at the outside of his spot, and the inside. Then went back around and pulled the first outside net. Nothing.

The second outside net had only a small snail in it. The third, a lobster about 1/2" short.







We kept that net in the boat, and went and pulled another on the outside. Nothing. We took both nets back toward the inside and dropped those two in closer. Then we pulled a couple on the inside that had been soaking. We got another short, this one only lacking about 1/4". And the next one came up with a nice sized crab hanging off the bottom.

[Sea Hag]

Well, Kenny and I weren't going to be able to stay out so late. Terrence and Stew debated, should we just pull them all and head in, or leave them, drop the two of us, and go back? It was looking slow, and with the full moon, maybe not such a great night for it. They decided they'd call it and we'd pull them all.

Well, the first net came up with a really nice sized lobster in it!!





Terrence and Stew changed their plan, and dropped the net where we'd pulled it from.

So, we ran back to Redondo, and Terrence and Stew headed back to pull nets again. (While I made off with our one legal lobster....) For their effort, though, they only got a few more shorts, 10 of them all together.

Could be that the full moon isn't the best time to hoop for lobster. But we all learned a lot about rigging and setting bait, and we'd all be a little more prepared if we try this again.





(Stew was really smart bringing his rain slicker pants... pulling the nets ends up being pretty wet work!!)

[Mutt]

Yum lobster

[Sea Hag]

We ate him on Friday night for dinner. I weighed him before I threw him in a nice warm bath. 1 pound, 14 ounces! It was GOOOOOD!

If you like Maine Lobster and you've never had any of the California Spiny Lobster, you don't know what you're missing! Maine lobster come from COLD water and have all that white stuff (FAT!) under the shell. Our local lobsters have none of that, and they're just sweet and tender.... Mmm-mmm-mmm!!!

[Mutt]

Where is my bite?? lol I will one day get to eat one of them. Sure looks like fun going after them maybe one day I will.

[PADavid]

Awesome report

Now I am hungry

[Mutt]

I am always hungry lol. THen I get to see one of my favorite foods lobster hehe Heck you should see my keyboard now I took a big bite out of it.

[Sea Hag]

Sorry, I tried to e-mail a chunk to each of you but I got a message back saying the attachment was an "Unrecognizable format". What's up with that?

I sure how I can get out and do that again. Now that we've had some rain and the full moon is gone, the guys going out for them now have been a lot more successful!

[Mutt]

Figures it wouldnt allow you to send the attachment lol. Well I am glad they are nailing them I know I would love one myself.