Lobster Season is coming soon.....

[Matt]

Just wanted to post when it opens as I for one am very excited about getting out and getting some lobsters!!! Not sure what anyones plans are for the opening night by I know I am heading out for sure!!!!
If anyone is heading on out and needs someone to tag along feel free to pm me!


The sport season for California’s spiny lobster opens Saturday, Sept. 29, and continues through March 19, 2008. The California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) is conducting an assessment of sport lobster fishing activities this season. Samplers will interview anglers and measure their catch to collect information on the valuable fishery.
Regulations governing the sport take of spiny lobster have helped to preserve the tradition of lobster diving and hoop netting in southern California. The 2007-2008 spiny lobster season regulations include:

• Fishermen (16 years or older) must possess a valid sport fishing license.
• Spiny lobster taken must measure at least 3 1/4 inches in length, 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.
• The daily bag limit is seven lobsters.
• Divers may take lobsters by hand only.
• Up to five baited hoop nets may be fished by a person for lobster with a maximum of 10 per vessel, regardless of how many fishermen are onboard.

The complete set of spiny lobster regulations are contained in the 2007 Ocean Sport Fishing regulations booklet, found online at www.dfg.ca.gov/regulations and wherever fishing licenses are sold More information about California’s spiny lobster is available on the DFG Web site at www.dfg.ca.gov/marine.
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[T-Rex]

Don't forget your lobster report card this year. Gotta have them with us and fill em out on the water.

[Handymansd]

I thought the lobster report card was only for commercial vessels with commercial permits? Please somebody verify as I really don't want any tickets!!

[dimsum]

everybody needs to have one on hand and fill out by the time you are done . Don't foreget you have to pay for this report card. A load of crap if you ask me. It is just another way for use to do thier job and for them to cut jobs for the people that use to do the field reports. They buget cut means save them money and we have to pay for the cards that also means they make money. What are they doing with the extra cash?

[sdcityboy]

actually if you hoop in more than one spot per trip, meaning every time you finish at one spot and before moving to another you must fill out a spot on the card. if you completely fill out a card you must purchase another one.
same as i had to for salmon and steelhead up north. from what i read this means the sportsmen will be paying a bigger chunk of the revenues for lobstering than the commercial guys!

[T-Rex]

Yep...we all need to buy a report card for $7.90 and have to fill out the location, date and gear type ahead of time.

Word is that the card has to be in your immediate possession while on the water and show the number of bugs being kept. I can hardly wait to try to hassle with a pen and report card on a rough night.

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[Vikingj]

I just picked up my lobster report card for $7.90 and was surprised to find out that it is only good for 3 months! You have to buy another for $7.90 after Jan 1. That comes to $16 bucks (plus fishing license) this season to participate in the new and improved lobster regulations. Knowing that the season starts in Oct it would have been more fair to prorate it or at least only charge 1/2 for the first year. Its not the the few bucks extra that gets me as much as the principle. I would certainly be in a more supportive and cooperative mood if I didn't feel like some policy-making ass in the DFG was delibrately scamming all of us. Just my 2 cents worth.

[dimsum]

where is all of the money go to? Fishing is the same or worst. Launch site for kayaks maybe?

[Siebler]

How about to employ wardens to catch lobster poachers. After all I bet there are more people poaching lobster than any other species in SoCal.

It sucks but get over it guys.

At least the fishing license isnt like a hunting license.

38.85 For the license
7.90 for upland Game Stamp
16.80 for the CA duck stamp
and then another 16.00 for a federal waterfowl stamp

Not to mention that if you want to hunt deer, boar, or most any other mammal you need to buy a tag that will run you between 12.00 and several hundred dollars.

All of this just to hunt for less than 1/3 of the year(100 days) while with a fishing license you get the whole year.

[Saba Slayer]

As CJ said "It sucks but get over it guys."
It's a done deal. Your chance to be heard by the DFG was last December at a couple of public hearings. I posted about them on a few of the various kayak forums at the time...I guess everybody was too busy catching Bugs to care back then!

13 days to the OPENER...I can't wait to taste some fresh Lobster soon!
I'll see you guys at the OEX Lobster seminar on the 23rd.
Jim / Saba Slayer

[Podaker]

When can we catch him?
September 27, 2008 (Saturday morning, 12:01 a.m) and extends through March 18, 2009 just thought i would clear up the date for the start of the season!

[Rusty]

Originally Posted by dimsum

where is all of the money go to?

If I had to guess, it goes towards protecting seals, MLPA and PETA.

[Rusty]

For people who dive from the beach... We need to have our bug report card within 500 yards of where we enter the water.

[Siebler]

Yep 500 yards with the fishing license in my truck. Might just avoid problems though and throw it in my dry box with license and stick it in my float.

[Sherm]

Got my report card. There is NO WAY you can fill one out on the water while in a yak. It looks like it will be ruined shortly after conatct with water. And you know when pullin bugs on a yak everything gets wet. It sure is going to be one big pain in the ass. With that said

I CAN'T WAIT !!!!!!!!

[Handymansd]

Originally Posted by Sherm

Got my report card. There is NO WAY you can fill one out on the water while in a yak. It looks like it will be ruined shortly after conatct with water. And you know when pullin bugs on a yak everything gets wet. It sure is going to be one big pain in the ass. With that said

I CAN'T WAIT !!!!!!!!

Well, I gotta fish for bugs too, so... I will bring it on my yak, and fill it out, and then it will get ruined, and when they want to see my wet, wrung out, ink stained, ruined paper/sludge report card, I'll kindly oblige!

[Sherm]

And lobster season starts this year on September 27th. Last years opener was on the 29th.