Wish I could join you. First what you will need:
1: License for each hunter from DFG available at local dive or sporting goods store. This must be either in your car if beach dive, or if diving on the boat on the boat, or on you and displayed if fishing. This year you can only get an ocean and freshwater combines license. There is some debate about if you need the ocean enhancement stamp. I bought my license directly from DFG and got the $3.75 ocean enhancement stamp. May or may not need it, but at that price, I would rather have it and not need it than have DFG ticket me for not having it.
http://www.dfg.ca.gov/licensing/fishing/sportfishingfees.html
2. Measuring device aka lobster gauge for each hunter.
3. Knowledge of how to measure the bugs. A short bug is an expensive fine. The DFC website gives $1,000.00 fine PER BUG as and example. There are also possible additional penalties of: confiscation of your car/boat and/or diving gear, loss of hunting/fishing license for up to life and potential jail time. All depending upon the severity (number of bugs) and the mood of the court. Finally, no, you don't get the bug back. Firmly plant the gauge between the horns hard against the shell of the caprice and then the gauge can not fall past the end of the caprice. See attached photo of a legal (with about 1/16 inch to spare bug being measured). The DFG booklet also has a good guide. If in doubt, let it go. Any bug in the bag must be of legal size in or out of the water.
http://www.dfg.ca.gov/mrd/sportfishing_regs2004.html#illustrations
To quote the statute:
(a) Open season: From the Saturday preceding the first Wednesday in October through the first Wednesday after the 15th of March.
(b) Limit: Seven.
(c) Minimum size: Three and one-fourth inches measured in a straight line on the mid-line of the back from the rear edge of the eye socket to the rear edge of the body shell. Any lobster may be brought to the surface of the water for the purpose of measuring, but no undersize lobster may be brought aboard any boat, placed in any type of receiver, kept on the person or retained in any person's possession or under his direct control; all lobsters shall be measured immediately upon being brought to the surface of the water, and any undersize lobster shall be released immediately into the water.
Lobster Bag.
Limit is 7 bugs in your possession. Note, at home in the fridge or freezer counts too. You may give away bugs, but you may not sell them.
Where to go. That is another issue. LaJolla has a lot of area designated as a preserve, some of it is no take of anything and some of it may allow you to take some species. Do your homework. If you are not sure it is legal to hunt there, don't.
Finaly, if you have a lobster bag and a lobster guage, do not bring any spear, spear gun, hawaiian sling or other device. You may only use your hands to catch lobster. The DFG will rightly or wrongly assume (we all know how that is spelt) that if you have a spear or hawaiian sling, that you may be using it to spear or prod the lobster out of its hole. In short, yeah, you may not be doing that and they would have to prove it, but you would have to defend it in court with time and money. Not worth the hassel. leave the other toys at home when lobester hunting is the game. IMHO.
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