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cudun
09-20-2007, 12:15 PM
I just have a question regarding lobster hooping. From the regulation, it is clear that the season starts at 12AM on Sat 9/19/07. Could it be interpreted that as long as I do not harvest any lobster before 12 AM, I may drop my hoop nets before that.
A different way of looking at it is I'd drop my hoop nets as if I was hooping for crabs, which is not restricted by the same time line as lobster.
Please educate me ! Getting in trouble with the law is the last thing I want (on the other hand, it'd be nice to "reserve" your sweet spots though) Thanks.

daydrmr999
09-20-2007, 05:23 PM
as long as you do not possess a lobster before the season is open you're ok

CoffeaRobusta
09-20-2007, 10:06 PM
You mean Saturday, 9/29/07, NOT the 19th!

Tracker
09-20-2007, 10:33 PM
as long as you do not possess a lobster before the season is open you're ok
No, you're not. You can not "take" lobster before the season is open. Fish and Game Code section 86 defines take as to "hunt, pursue, catch, capture or kill- or attempt to hunt, pursue, catch, capture or kill". Posession, (pulling in your net and stuffing the bug in your goodie bag) is not a part of "take". Divers that start a little early and hang underwater until 12:01 are cited every year.
Why split hairs? Wait until midnight to drop your hoops.

mg2969
09-21-2007, 06:20 AM
Crabbin is allowed 24/7/365.
Tell em your crabbn.
You can not be in possession of lobster till 1201.
So you could even catch lobster but leave em in the hoops until 1201. Accidental by-catch. Just don't remove from the nets till the stroke of midnight

Tracker
09-21-2007, 09:02 AM
I don't think I could ever suggest that someone lie to a game warden. You might get lucky on opening night, when wardens from all over are out there- You know- one from the desert might be a little out of his element and less knowledgeable. But one from the coastal environment would be a different story.

mg2969
09-21-2007, 05:13 PM
Lie ?
Crabs are good eats and legal 24/7/365
min 4 "
35 bag limit
Whose lying ?

fishmaniac
09-21-2007, 05:39 PM
Crabbin is allowed 24/7/365.
Tell em your crabbn.
You can not be in possession of lobster till 1201.
So you could even catch lobster but leave em in the hoops until 1201. Accidental by-catch. Just don't remove from the nets till the stroke of midnight

I believe you MEANT to say:

JUST GO crabbin. :)

mg2969
09-22-2007, 07:47 AM
yeah
:wink:
Depends on who you talk to local crab is actually more tastier than local lobster. Just an opinion.

Troutman65
09-26-2007, 12:53 AM
as long as you do not possess a lobster before the season is open you're ok
No, you're not. You can not "take" lobster before the season is open. Fish and Game Code section 86 defines take as to "hunt, pursue, catch, capture or kill- or attempt to hunt, pursue, catch, capture or kill". Posession, (pulling in your net and stuffing the bug in your goodie bag) is not a part of "take". Divers that start a little early and hang underwater until 12:01 are cited every year.
Why split hairs? Wait until midnight to drop your hoops.


This is good sound advice.

TM65

Tracker
09-26-2007, 04:01 PM
This is good sound advice.

Thanks for the vote. It just sounded to me like someone was thinking about taking their first step down a slippery slope. Then, several wanted to push him over while telling him how to remain upright.
A guy I know was cited last year by a warden for hunting ducks with lead shotshells. He didn't shoot lead at any ducks, he just had it in his vest. It seems he got some advice on the internet: "It's OK to have lead in your possession when you hunt ducks as long as it is during that part of the season when quail is open too. Just tell 'em you'll be quail hunting later in the day".

mg2969
09-26-2007, 06:31 PM
I don't know how we got into diving. I was referring to hoop netting. Hoop net is the only approved device for catching lobsters and crabs. Perhaps my words are misconstrued. Go crabbing. If you catch a lobster before 1201 throw it back. After 1201 keep it. Thats what I meant to say with out any slippery slope theories.

I apologize if anyone's impression was that I was trying to elude to something illegal and immoral

BTW
Its not possession if it an accidental by catch, especially of your not targeting it, thats why you throw it back. Possession is just that possession. While its in your rig it is not possession. How could you measure it then ? Under that theory you should be fined for every short, cause your in possession ? Possession means in the bag not in the rig, not in the hand for measuring

Tracker
09-26-2007, 08:12 PM
Crabbin' is cool. Especially since you can do it all year. It's just that the OP said, "... as if you were going crabbin'.. " I'd bet he's a crabber now. :D

Possession means in the bag not in the rig, not in the hand for measuring
No argument there. I mentioned possession to separate it from the idea of "take". Take is a real specific idea, and it is used extensively in fishing and hunting regulations. My bad for not explaining about the diver reference. They get in trouble at 1201 AM when the warden watches them and their lights hanging in mid-water or floating on the surface since 1155PM. The warden's observations are what is important whether it's hoopin' or divin'.

StoughtyRods
09-28-2007, 04:14 PM
From what I understand.....as long as yo have a crab measuring device on the vessel, you can go ahead and drop the hoops down before midnight. If you pull in a hoop before 12:01 am and it has lobster in it....throw them back!

cudun
10-05-2007, 12:00 PM
Thank you for your input. I listened to your advise and waited until the next day (Sat) to launch rather than trying to to beat the crowd.
We had a great time on the first trip of the season. There were 8 of us on two boats. We launched around 11AM from Huntington Harbor ramp and fished the break wall about 2hrs for bait then left for the island. It was a bumpy ride than usual considering that it 's still very early in the afternoon. We got to the island around 3 PM, and started the recon. for some spots. Dropped the unbaited hoops early to secure the spots then went catch some more baits. Baited the hoops around 6 PM. Set the anchors, tied up the two boats and we just sat there chit chatting having a few beers and enjoying the sunset while waiting for the bugs to crawl in. After two rounds I got 18 bugs for the three of us on my boat and released more than a dozen of short ones. My buddy got 26 for the five guys on his boat. We tied up the boats again to have dinner and just then we were boarded by the F&G wardens but everything was cool. They counted and measured every bug that looked small and searched the boats inside out. The wardens were very courteous and professional. I truly appreciated their hard work to keep people honest.
After the wardens left, we pulled up the third set to find only 5 lobsters and my buddy'd boat got 10 or 12 By now the moon had gone up and we knew it was just too bright for them to crawl. Since I had a two day-limit permit, I dropped the hoops in again only to find out half an hour later that they didn't want to be with us any more. We decided to abandon the initial plan of staying til the next morning to fish for yellowtail and headed for home. The ride home was pretty smooth. Got home to my cozy bed around 4AM. It surely beats sleeping in my center console any day.
The only bad thing was when I read the fish report yesterday, I learned that people had a wide open yellowtail bite in the morning in the area we were at. Bummer !
All in all, it was a good opening day. We got our limits so it's a good sign of a great season.