SoCal Lobster Hooping

Got my first bug hooping on Saturday. Kayaked off a friends PB somewhere near a Channel Island. Thunderstorms over the Topa Topa and Santa Ynez Mountains, warm and muggy all day and most of the night. Water Temp 70 glassy with a small swell and light and constantly shifting winds. Spectacular sunset, picturesque moonrise over the island and a big lightening show all night long to the east southeast.

I was kayaking in shorts, bare-feet, paddling jacket and my PDF/fishing vest.  It was like being on a tropical lake in summer.

Three divers on the boat and one hooper (me). The divers reported several dozen shorts, one monster that got away and landed only one legal. I hooped from midnight to 5am and netted one short and one legal bug. Used the Promar Ambush hoop rig.  Caught a couple short crabs, so hope to snag a few dungies this season up here in God's Country of NorCal.  (I heard that the dungies are off-shore around SC and SM and near-shore in Sonoma)

We had great fun catching mackerels all night long and fished a mix of store-bought and fresh bait. The bugs went for the fresh bait. Pic of the bait and a pic of me holding the two legals. Mine is the bigger one.

Dissected my bug to save the teeth for the boat owner (an oral surgeon). He said they looked like horse molars: we all now believe Jim Salazar's http://www.sabaslayer.com/ warning about keeping your fingers away from the mouth. His stomach was full of sand and broken sea urchin spines.  

Maybe Big Jim was a Spiny Lobster in a past life

awsome looks like it was a good time

Somebody melt some butter, quick ! Thanks

Yeah, where's the ghee?!
Thanks for the report Howard.
Sincerely,
Pat

Yummy!

The NE-108s are collapsible.  Are you thinking of hooping down there? 
http://promarnets.com/Products.aspx?Cat=26&Item=69

I plan on heading down there next month to hop on one of those party boats for my first hooping bugs!  I can't wait!

The ambush nets are stackable, but not collapsible like the NE-108's.  I'm not sure collapsible are an advantage since you have a mess of gear, including a bridle buoy, a surface buoy, 100-feet of line and a bait cage.  This fits nicely into the ambush cone. 

My advise is to check out the options physically at a Sports Chalet in So Cal and decide for yourself.  Pics on the Internets can be deceiving.  I got three nets and that seemed like the max for me to handle on a yak.

YMMV

thanks, i was wondering if the ambush were stackable.  I like the idea of the rigid sides so its less work to put them together on the water, but wasn't sure if they could stack because i couldnt tell if the bottom netting was tight or had some slack. 

i am looking to get a couple when i head down and also try to use them for crabs up here. seem like they would work slightly better than the normal rings, and i'm pretty sure they meet the legal definition for a crab trap.

I heard you can catch them off the rocks at Ventura Harbor Jetty area.  Seen anyone out there catching any?

Rey

There is plenty of slack in the bottom netting for the ambush nets to stack.

It's my understanding that hooping needs to be about 100-yards from the Ventura Jetty.  Lots of hooping is done near jetty's and Breakwalls.  For more info, check out the SoCal kayak angling site

http://www.kayaksportfishing.com/phpBB2/index.php

You need to register.  They have a section devoted to crustations.