Former FLL Now MSP Diver
Contributor
GrierHPharmD:
If not, give Capt'n Jerry a call and come join us.
Marc
Lobster Mini-Season 7/28 - 29/04
- Thread starter Cubascuba
- Start date
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If not, give Capt'n Jerry a call and come join us.
Marc
I may just do that!
I don't think I am gonna go. Tomorrow night tho, might be a bit better....
Same here...
BTW - if you haven't got your licence yet they sell them at Walmart. You can get a 5-year with crawfish stamp for around $60 as well. I've got all my stuff - just waiting to see how work plays out. I'll be watching to see where you all are going tomorrow but might end up on the boat. Ocean Safari is doing 3-trips each day and I might jump on one of those.
algal bloom
Contributor
I came to the same conclusion. I heard how crazy it gets around this time. Also, I would rather get the resident rate next month for my license. I couldn't rationalize paying that much money to join the frenzy! So, I figured that I'd save some money and my life!Scubaguy62:
Also, I have mixed feelings about the whole thing. I have no problem with fishing and hunting; I just don't want to do it at the expense of our precious reef. Grier-I saw that you called last night. I was still trying to make a decision around 7pm last night. If I had called you, I know I would have been convinced to go! Sorry, bro! It may just be wishful thinking, but I really want to try my luck with the lobster this Fall and Winter (maybe there will be less divers out).
Anyway, I want to hear the stories! Who caught what? Grier did you go? What was the boat traffic like? Where there lots of other divers??
Nate
Well, I decided to bag the dive last night. I wasn't feeling too good (A cold is trying to keep me topside.), and it had been a pretty long day at work, so I turned in early.
But I awoke a little before five this morning, feeling awake and alert and ready to catch bugs. (Maybe a big dose of Sudafed at bedtime helped, eh?) I'd have called you guys, but I thought that you might now appreciate it. So I went down to Johnson St. and swam out to the Yellow Brick Road/Rockpile/Whiplash Pads in search of the ever-elusive Palinurus argus. (Actually, as usual, I was in search of the Yellow Brick Road, having gone a little too far south on the surface swim, but I found it right where I left it last time.)
Anyway, I did an 80 minute swim (Hey, I have to go to work some time!) and only saw one bug, who climbed out of the rockpile, flipped me off, slipped out of my grip and deep into his hideaway, and came home. Viz was pretty bad - around 10-15 ft on average, but the rocks and reef were covered with lots of active life. Saw a goldentail moray, french and gray angels, lots of surgeons at their cleaning stations with the neons, lots of bluestriped grunts, a few arrow crabs, some parrots, and some cardinals. And I wasn't really taking good note of the non-crayfish sea life.
Had this not been a hunt, it would have been a great morning dive. Come to think of it, it was a great morning dive, just a unsuccessful bug hunt.
BTW, there were only two other divers at the site when I went in, but lots of dive flags and small boats when I came up, around 0820, so if you want to hunt in that area, you probably need to go out early.
Access is via Johnson St parking lot in Hollywood. Go straight off the beach, lining up with the palm tree just south of the light poles lining Michigan Avenue. The rockpile starts at the white bouy.
Best of luck,
Grier
But I awoke a little before five this morning, feeling awake and alert and ready to catch bugs. (Maybe a big dose of Sudafed at bedtime helped, eh?) I'd have called you guys, but I thought that you might now appreciate it. So I went down to Johnson St. and swam out to the Yellow Brick Road/Rockpile/Whiplash Pads in search of the ever-elusive Palinurus argus. (Actually, as usual, I was in search of the Yellow Brick Road, having gone a little too far south on the surface swim, but I found it right where I left it last time.)
Anyway, I did an 80 minute swim (Hey, I have to go to work some time!) and only saw one bug, who climbed out of the rockpile, flipped me off, slipped out of my grip and deep into his hideaway, and came home. Viz was pretty bad - around 10-15 ft on average, but the rocks and reef were covered with lots of active life. Saw a goldentail moray, french and gray angels, lots of surgeons at their cleaning stations with the neons, lots of bluestriped grunts, a few arrow crabs, some parrots, and some cardinals. And I wasn't really taking good note of the non-crayfish sea life.
Had this not been a hunt, it would have been a great morning dive. Come to think of it, it was a great morning dive, just a unsuccessful bug hunt.
BTW, there were only two other divers at the site when I went in, but lots of dive flags and small boats when I came up, around 0820, so if you want to hunt in that area, you probably need to go out early.
Access is via Johnson St parking lot in Hollywood. Go straight off the beach, lining up with the palm tree just south of the light poles lining Michigan Avenue. The rockpile starts at the white bouy.
Best of luck,
Grier
Former FLL Now MSP Diver
Contributor
You guys should have come out last night. Mini season again gets me stoked. Also it's been awhile since we've gone out and hit the third reef from a boat at night. All I can say is awesome!
We went with Capt. Jerry on Parrot Island's Fathoms O Fun. The boat left at 11:35pm with fourteen divers on board. We first hit the Sanctuary - max depth of 48 feet. We saw plenty of bugs in holes, but our technique was rusty and we weren't able to snare any out. My daughter got her hands on a couple, but not well and we left a few crippled bugs without an antenna or shy a leg or two. I debated taking a huge channel crab we came across, but his claws were pretty good dissuaders. We released two shorts, and one got away getting put in the bag. The highlight came as Melissa swam completely unaware about a foot away from the biggest green moray I've ever seen sticking his head out of a hole. I was flashing her like crazy and once she looked to her left I know her heart stopped. So we came up from the first dive empty handed but knowing they were down there.
We then moved in to the Hillsboro Ledge which seemed to be lobster central hangout of the night. We hit the top of reef, swan west to the ledge and as soon dropped over it into a semicircle ledge where we pretty much stayed the entire time. First two just strutting along the sand in the rubble. After the first dive we changed our strategy and technique, finding that just pinning them to the bottom and grabbing them was the best way to get them. I approached from the front, my daughter positioned her behind them. They just kept coming and I reached out and took the first one. He flapped a bit, but got measured and into the bag. His partner was a bit more lively, loosing his antennas before flapping away into the dark. But not 30 seconds later he came strutting back in front with no antennas, and he got bagged.
The next one was short and released. Our first in the hole snare came next and he was short and released, as was the next. We missed three more that backed into holes out of range, and one into another hole that we could see the side of a large brown eel, which we decided was best left alone. Lots of eels were about that night as came across a couple of spotted moray and a free swimming reticulate moray during this dive.
The last two came toward the end of dive. After chasing everyone back into their holes for a second time, we started drifting again out of the little area we had been in. Current had picked up and we were moving at a fair clip. Then I saw 5 lobsters parading all in a line the top of the reef! I dropped down and picked out the leader who was the biggest and bagged him. The others didn't scatter, so I dropped my snare and grabbed a second one.
Things got a little clustery at this point - the snare was on the bottom, my light was dangling free from my wrist as I held on tightly to two bugs trying their best to get away. Melissa tried to help, but trying to maneuver the catch bag, aim a light and manage a flag that was doing a great kite imitation was tough. One slipped away during the commotion, but I still kept the big boy. Once we got settled down we saw a single out in the open, still maybe one of the original five and grabbed him without drama. 600 psi and it was time to go.
Almost everybody on board had bugs and I was shown my first spanish lobster by those who had bagged a few - ugly roach looking things. Boat total was 31.
So after the last two years, I again believe in mini season. Now I know that it starts at midnight.
Marc
Also it's been awhile since we've gone out and hit the third reef from a boat at night. All I can say is awesome!We went with Capt. Jerry on Parrot Island's Fathoms O Fun. The boat left at 11:35pm with fourteen divers on board. We first hit the Sanctuary - max depth of 48 feet. We saw plenty of bugs in holes, but our technique was rusty and we weren't able to snare any out. My daughter got her hands on a couple, but not well and we left a few crippled bugs without an antenna or shy a leg or two. I debated taking a huge channel crab we came across, but his claws were pretty good dissuaders. We released two shorts, and one got away getting put in the bag. The highlight came as Melissa swam completely unaware about a foot away from the biggest green moray I've ever seen sticking his head out of a hole. I was flashing her like crazy and once she looked to her left I know her heart stopped. So we came up from the first dive empty handed but knowing they were down there.
We then moved in to the Hillsboro Ledge which seemed to be lobster central hangout of the night. We hit the top of reef, swan west to the ledge and as soon dropped over it into a semicircle ledge where we pretty much stayed the entire time. First two just strutting along the sand in the rubble. After the first dive we changed our strategy and technique, finding that just pinning them to the bottom and grabbing them was the best way to get them. I approached from the front, my daughter positioned her behind them. They just kept coming and I reached out and took the first one. He flapped a bit, but got measured and into the bag. His partner was a bit more lively, loosing his antennas before flapping away into the dark. But not 30 seconds later he came strutting back in front with no antennas, and he got bagged.
The next one was short and released. Our first in the hole snare came next and he was short and released, as was the next. We missed three more that backed into holes out of range, and one into another hole that we could see the side of a large brown eel, which we decided was best left alone. Lots of eels were about that night as came across a couple of spotted moray and a free swimming reticulate moray during this dive.
The last two came toward the end of dive. After chasing everyone back into their holes for a second time, we started drifting again out of the little area we had been in. Current had picked up and we were moving at a fair clip. Then I saw 5 lobsters parading all in a line the top of the reef! I dropped down and picked out the leader who was the biggest and bagged him. The others didn't scatter, so I dropped my snare and grabbed a second one.
Things got a little clustery at this point - the snare was on the bottom, my light was dangling free from my wrist as I held on tightly to two bugs trying their best to get away. Melissa tried to help, but trying to maneuver the catch bag, aim a light and manage a flag that was doing a great kite imitation was tough. One slipped away during the commotion, but I still kept the big boy. Once we got settled down we saw a single out in the open, still maybe one of the original five and grabbed him without drama. 600 psi and it was time to go.
Almost everybody on board had bugs and I was shown my first spanish lobster by those who had bagged a few - ugly roach looking things. Boat total was 31.
So after the last two years, I again believe in mini season. Now I know that it starts at midnight.
Marc
Congratulations, Marc! Great report.
We'll have to dive together again soon.
-Grier
We'll have to dive together again soon.
-Grier
Congrats Marc. Nice grin...now whens the lobster fest?
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