For those of you getting excited for “Lobster’s Eve”, the date for this year’s Recreational Lobster season in California is set for Saturday, Oct. 2nd, 2010. What is “Lobster’s eve” you might ask? Well it is the time of the year when lobster divers –well seasoned & novices alike– come out of the woodwork and descend on the Pacific like hoards of neoprene-clad army ants in search of those prized red crustaceans. At 12am midnight on “Lobster’s Eve”, you will find crowds of night divers hitting the water with flashlights, glowsticks, and all. Just off shore, you will also see tons of boats dropping anchor and many a hoop-net as the countdown comes to an end and all licensed fishermen are finally allowed to take their alloted amount of lobster.
The opening days are crucial because recreational fisherman are given only a week or so before commercial boats start reeling in their giant traps and thinning out the near shore populations. This is why the day before open season you will find lines of fishermen posted up at the local stores gathering their report cards, liscences and new gear. All are hoping to score as many “bugs” as they can before commercial fisherman start doing their job..
So what’s the big deal about lobster fishing? In a supermarket a 1-2 lb lobster fetches around $30 a piece…. So when a fisherman can take up to 7 of these per day, these bug hunters can have a feast fit for a king if they score the right spot and put in some time.
Don’t let this get you too excited though.. In the past Lobster’s Eve has lead some divers to abandon common sense and dive no matter what. Even with macking surf and poor visibility divers have tried for to go out and died. So if you do decide to go out looking for bugs, check the surf report beforehand and if there is surf don’t be that guy who thinks he’s the lobster king… you can and will drown.
Lobsters Eve, 2009 – catch of the night: 11lb bug
Need more info?
check out the California Fish and Game Website’s FAQ and click on the spot at says spiny lobster:
http://www.dfg.ca.gov/marine/faq.asp