Dana Point (2 trips)

[marzocchi]

I went with my buddy John on his boat to do some lobster exploring south of us in the approx. Dana Point area. We tried some deeper spots to avoid the rampant shorts that seems to be plaguing the area. Very good hooping out a bit deeper. The quality and quantity is pretty amazing. I have a new favorite spot to hoop now. 2 memorable trip pictures for my 2013/2014 season:



My new lobster recipe: bluefin, yellowfin, yellowtail, salmon, and my favorite pike mackeral.



Upgraded my bait cages this year. I saw the underwater camera test of bait cages vs PVC pipes. Not much difference. The lobsters hangs for a bit then move on. I havent seen any difference either with all my lobster trips this season.



Got to the spots a bit too early, so we dropped down some baited hooks to see what reef critters we can get. As I suspected, lots of jumbo scuplin.



Here is my disguised friend John with the easy limit of quality lobster we have been harvesting. Very nice grade on the south coast.



Turned some of my catch into yummy lobster rolls.


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Our previous trip we took one of John's old high school buddies, Shanker with us. We headed out early to do some rockfishing then dropped our nets. Again, we lucked out with a triple limit of lobsters and rockfish for table fare.



Here is the fishing stop near box canyon before dropping our nets. It went wide open from the get-go. Limited out about in an hour and onto the lobster grounds.



John with a roach problem on his backyard patio. Triple limits in short order and back home. This was another hard bottom area close to the first post. We have 3 other close spots by we havent checked yet. Hopefully those will be loaded too when we need them.



Lobster sashimi. I paid $150 at the Japanese restaurant. John makes his own for a little over $5 each in boat expenses.


Turning out to be another epic lobster season. See you all next time.

[zzzfish]

Oh how I envied you...Awesome trip Bro! That lobster sashimi looks good!!

Jake

I went with my buddy John on his boat to do some lobster exploring south of us in the approx. Dana Point area. We tried some deeper spots to avoid the rampant shorts that seems to be plaguing the area. Very good hooping out a bit deeper. The quality and quantity is pretty amazing. I have a new favorite spot to hoop now. 2 memorable trip pictures for my 2013/2014 season:



My new lobster recipe: bluefin, yellowfin, yellowtail, salmon, and my favorite pike mackeral.



Upgraded my bait cages this year. I saw the underwater camera test of bait cages vs PVC pipes. Not much difference. The lobsters hangs for a bit then move on. I havent seen any difference either with all my lobster trips this season.



Got to the spots a bit too early, so we dropped down some baited hooks to see what reef critters we can get. As I suspected, lots of jumbo scuplin.



Here is my disguised friend John with the easy limit of quality lobster we have been harvesting. Very nice grade on the south coast.



Turned some of my catch into yummy lobster rolls.


-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Our previous trip we took one of John's old high school buddies, Shanker with us. We headed out early to do some rockfishing then dropped our nets. Again, we lucked out with a triple limit of lobsters and rockfish for table fare.



Here is the fishing stop near box canyon before dropping our nets. It went wide open from the get-go. Limited out about in an hour and onto the lobster grounds.



John with a roach problem on his backyard patio. Triple limits in short order and back home. This was another hard bottom area close to the first post. We have 3 other close spots by we havent checked yet. Hopefully those will be loaded too when we need them.



Lobster sashimi. I paid $150 at the Japanese restaurant. John makes his own for a little over $5 each in boat expenses.


Turning out to be another epic lobster season. See you all next time.

[titos334]

I envy you so much. It's a hassle to convince my friend to take the boat out for bugs, even going to the pipe is a long haul. Hopefully one day I can get him down south more for bugs. The struggles has discouraged him from bugging at all instead of motivated him to expand his zone.

[marzocchi]

I envy you so much. It's a hassle to convince my friend to take the boat out for bugs, even going to the pipe is a long haul. Hopefully one day I can get him down south more for bugs. The struggles has discouraged him from bugging at all instead of motivated him to expand his zone.

I know how it is. When I got my first boat, I had a very hard time finding lobsters or fish. I wanted to sell my boat the following year because all I caught was mackeral or a big fat skunk. It was better to go on the cattle boats and that was all I did, even though I had a boat sitting in front driveway. I did this for 2 years, until I muster up some motivation to just keep going out there and learn. It was tough and miserable! Now, I have all these spots I can go out anytime and 99% of time, I am sure I will catch something. Nothing compares to a private boat. Dont get me wrong, I still go on cattle boats once a week and I love it. There is pros and cons to each. But fish-wise, you will catch more fish on your boat with your own spots. But really, there is no secert spots or secerts. Some places get hit less than others and certain place are only loaded at the right time.

Just keep motivated and dont get discouraged. If I can do it, anyone can do it.

[flyhigh123]

can you give someone who hasn't gone before a few pointers? I have a boat, can't really do long range, but do want to try hooping. I have hoops, i guess just some basic tips that help catch lobster?

[marzocchi]

can you give someone who hasn't gone before a few pointers? I have a boat, can't really do long range, but do want to try hooping. I have hoops, i guess just some basic tips that help catch lobster?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pdKLJj7Cbo

This guy has it down. My setup is different, but it was the same when I started. Everyone has their own ways of doing things.

Lobster are always near structure. I set my hoops right next to a piece of rock. About 5 feet from it. I dont ever place it on the rock. They are crawling out from there and it seems like I catch more when placed a short distance away. I once mistaken the squid grounds as a lobster spot in one of my reports, but it turns out I was near some structure.

I alway place my nets in front of the rock where the current is flowing into the rock. It bring the scent into the rocks and brings the lobster out to it. I have done this on many occasions, dropping the nets in front and back of a rock. 90% of the time I always have the lobster in the front nets where the the current is flowing into the rock.

Use oily fish. Mackeral, tuna, salmon, and sardines. Salmon head is by the far the cheapest and readily available. I like a mixture, but pike mackeral always seems to work for me and I always use it in a mixture or by itself. Not everyone use it and just like a lure that bass has never seen, they eat it. I am thinking the same thing in terms of the pike mackeral as an oily fish it never tasted or smelled. It seems like it working so I will continue to use it. Dont bother with anytjimg else. Other fish will work, but the oily fish is the best.

Use a conical net.

The first month is always the best month. The most obvious spots like the breakwall is the place to go. You will get lobster the first month then it turns dismal and that is where you have venture out on the open ocean to get them. It is pretty good cause not many people will drop nets out in the open structure. I rarely encounter anyone later on in the season out in the open structure. It is already the second month, so lobster will be harder to come by in the obvious spots. But you can still catch a lobster dinner there.

Grudens bibs and deckboots are a must. When you get wet, you will be cold.

2 people is the easist way to hoop and the most optimal. One drives, one pulls. Getting 14 lobster is do-able almost anytime. Add a 3rd person on a boat and your in for a long night unless they are crawling.

Bring a knife and extra bait. Seals are a ***** and the knife will help if you ever get tail prop.

The first crawl is always the best. You do not have to wait until it is dark to start pulling. It maybe be still light out, but it is dark down there. Pull early, so you get two sets of the intial crawl. You will limit or almost limit by then. It will be a slow pick right after that, but by that time you will be done! I rarely have hooped past 10pm nowadays.

Bring a fishing rod. Bass fishing at night is awesome. They really turn on at night. Those delicious scuplin too.

When it is rough or raining. Damn it is good. Bugs are not worth your life, I have tempt'd mother nature many times. I have been lucky but I can say, they crawl when the weather is bad.

Share your catch with your friends, enemy, neighbors and family.

That is all the tips I can think of right now. I am by no means an expert, but I hope this helps.

[flyhigh123]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pdKLJj7Cbo

This guy has it down. My setup is different, but it was the same when I started. Everyone has their own ways of doing things.

Lobster are always near structure. I set my hoops right next to a piece of rock. About 5 feet from it. I dont ever place it on the rock. They are crawling out from there and it seems like I catch more when placed a short distance away. I once mistaken the squid grounds as a lobster spot in one of my reports, but it turns out I was near some structure.

I alway place my nets in front of the rock where the current is flowing into the rock. It bring the scent into the rocks and brings the lobster out to it. I have done this on many occasions, dropping the nets in front and back of a rock. 90% of the time I always have the lobster in the front nets where the the current is flowing into the rock.

Use oily fish. Mackeral, tuna, salmon, and sardines. Salmon head is by the far the cheapest and readily available. I like a mixture, but pike mackeral always seems to work for me and I always use it in a mixture or by itself. Not everyone use it and just like a lure that bass has never seen, they eat it. I am thinking the same thing in terms of the pike mackeral as an oily fish it never tasted or smelled. It seems like it working so I will continue to use it. Dont bother with anytjimg else. Other fish will work, but the oily fish is the best.

Use a conical net.

The first month is always the best month. The most obvious spots like the breakwall is the place to go. You will get lobster the first month then it turns dismal and that is where you have venture out on the open ocean to get them. It is pretty good cause not many people will drop nets out in the open structure. I rarely encounter anyone later on in the season out in the open structure. It is already the second month, so lobster will be harder to come by in the obvious spots. But you can still catch a lobster dinner there.

Grudens bibs and deckboots are a must. When you get wet, you will be cold.

2 people is the easist way to hoop and the most optimal. One drives, one pulls. Getting 14 lobster is do-able almost anytime. Add a 3rd person on a boat and your in for a long night unless they are crawling.

Bring a knife and extra bait. Seals are a ***** and the knife will help if you ever get tail prop.

The first crawl is always the best. You do not have to wait until it is dark to start pulling. It maybe be still light out, but it is dark down there. Pull early, so you get two sets of the intial crawl. You will limit or almost limit by then. It will be a slow pick right after that, but by that time you will be done! I rarely have hooped past 10pm nowadays.

Bring a fishing rod. Bass fishing at night is awesome. They really turn on at night. Those delicious scuplin too.

When it is rough or raining. Damn it is good. Bugs are not worth your life, I have tempt'd mother nature many times. I have been lucky but I can say, they crawl when the weather is bad.

Share your catch with your friends, enemy, neighbors and family.

That is all the tips I can think of right now. I am by no means an expert, but I hope this helps.

amazing and great tips! will do and will try!