Wanted: Lobster Hunting Tips

[lhunt99]

My wife and I have booked a charter to Catalina Island (CA) for opening night of lobster season. Both of us are fairly experienced divers, but this will be our first time hunting lobster. If anyone has any tips / technique advice, I'd greatly appreciate it.

Additionally, if anybody has any favorite lobster recipes they wouldn't mind passing along, I'd love to have them.

Thanks in advance.

 

[laughingsquid]

One VERY nice trick an old fisherman showed me was to use a nylon panty hose, and tie wrap it to the end of your tickle stick. when you site the quirky bug in its burrow, just quickly insert the nylon end into the hole and swish/wrap around the bug 2 or 3 times and pull out!

The spines get hooked onto the nylon and all you need to do is measure, bag, and send me the lobsters I was skeptical at first, BUT IT WORKS!!!!!!!!!!

As for recipes, broiling with garlic butter served over wild rice and a nice saladand good friends is the way to go. Broil only for about 7 to 10 minutes for a 2 pounder or 13 to 18 minutes for a 5 pounder (ovens vary in temp)

Enjoy!

 

[Ann Marie]

Don't use a tickle stick in California; it's illegal. The only tool you can use is your hand. Each person collecting lobster must have a valid fishing license with an ocean enhancement stamp and a fixed measuring device (lobster gauge).

Make sure that the lobster doesn't have eggs, that is illegal too.

I like my lobsters grilled.

Good luck!

 

[laughingsquid]

Whooops! Didn't know California laws didn't allow the use of tickle sticks! We can use them here in Florida. Sorry 'bout that! Well when you come out this way to dive....

 

[deepdestroyer]

When you get a bug that wedges itself in real tight and you cant get it out of the hole, you can shake it back and forth real quick, and that disorients it and it will usually let go. Good luck and happy hunting!

 

[Grounded]

Go down ten pounds over-weight. It's much easier to stick to the bottom than to be neutral and fight the surge. Work as a buddy team and cover a very small area. I spend most of my time inverted, looking underneath every single rock and inside every crevice. When you find one, signal to your buddy (index and middle finger spread into a "V" pointing out from the bridge of your nose). facing each other, try to spook the lobster backwards into your buddy's waiting hands. Make sure you have a California gauge (3.25") not a Florida gauge (3")

 

[Devil505]

All of my lobstering has been in New England waters where the lobsters have claws. (Not sure if lobsters in your area do) Going in slightly heavy is an excellent tip & also you want to make sure you toss them backwards (tail first) into your "Bug Bag" as that is the way they swim. Also, lobsters jammed into a bug bag will tend to tare eachother to pieces so I always throw a bit of seaweed in the bag as well, to keep them apart as best I can. (nothing worse than coming up with a bag filled with various claws, legs & other lobster parts instead of complete lobsters!)

 

[lhunt99]

I appreciate the tips all. Thanks!

 

[bluesbro1982]

All of my lobstering has been in New England waters where the lobsters have claws. (Not sure if lobsters in your area do) Going in slightly heavy is an excellent tip & also you want to make sure you toss them backwards (tail first) into your "Bug Bag" as that is the way they swim. Also, lobsters jammed into a bug bag will tend to tare eachother to pieces so I always throw a bit of seaweed in the bag as well, to keep them apart as best I can. (nothing worse than coming up with a bag filled with various claws, legs & other lobster parts instead of complete lobsters!)

Most tasty bugs in CA don't have claws, just spines. Second the motion about making sure they swim backwards into the bag. Also, when you come in over the top of the bug, go for the pin, not the grab. Lobsters arent particularly bright, but they are quick. If you try to grab, their first reaction will be to the top of your hand, and they'll be gone by the time you close your fingers. Go in flat palmed and pin them down, then close the grip.

I've also heard that measuring is easier if you let them grab on to the front of your suit, but this is not something i've tried... I think I can tell what 3.25" looks like underwater, so if I get one that I'm reasonably sure is over, I'll just bag him.

As for cleaning, break off the tail and 1 antennae, and use the ant. to go "out the butt" so to speak and most of the innards will follow in one clean (well, not exactly) push.

happy hunting!

 

[Tienuts]

There is a DVD out called "Lobster Tail Tamer." Do a web search for it. I highly reccomend it.

My girl and I geared up for the '05 lobster season, and didnt catch a thing. We watched the DVD and so far are 12 for 12 catching bugs.