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Lobster mania about to start
By Ed Zieralski
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
September 28, 2007
Bobby Arms has tied the last knot on his hoop nets. The scuba divers have
their gear and measuring devices ready to go. It's lobster season, and that
means lobster mania in San Diego, where we have the best lobstering in the
state and certainly the most effort.
The recreation season for lobster begins tonight at midnight, 12:01 a.m.
tomorrow to be exact. Divers may enter the water at that time, and
hoop-netters may begin dropping nets.
“I've been getting ready for a couple of weeks and I'm ready to go get some
lobsters,” said Arms, who will start his fifth season as a hoop-netter.
Arms, his fellow hoop-netters and divers, both free and scuba, likely will
have company Saturday morning when they return to the launch areas or popular
beach areas. The Department of Fish and Game, thanks to a grant from the
Ocean Protection Council, is doing a survey of hoop-netters, divers and pier
fishermen to see how many lobsters recreational fishermen are taking. So, in
addition to the usual force of game wardens about the beaches and launch
areas, there will be survey personnel checking fishermen's creels.
“Although we have a pretty good handle on commercial landings, we don't know
how many lobsters recreational fishermen are getting,” said Kristine Barsky,
the DFG's marine biologist based in Ventura. “Commercial fishermen keep log
books and keep track of how many they take and how many they release. But we
don't have any idea how many lobsters are taken by recreational fishermen.”
Southern California commercial lobster fishermen will start fishing
Wednesday, the first day they can check their traps. Commercial fishermen
captured 882,000 pounds of lobsters south of Point Conception last season for
a value of $8 million, Barsky said. That $8 million is what went to the
fishermen, and it doesn't count money to the the middleman, or buyer, or what
restaurants sold the lobster for to diners.
Of that 882,000 pounds, 334,442 pounds was trapped by San Diego-based
commercial fishermen. The bulk of the catch, as it usually is, was in
October, when commercials trapped 187,416 pounds of the crustaceans. They
totaled most of their catch – 310,229 pounds – in October, November and
December.
Knowing that the early divers get the bugs, divers will be out in force
tonight. At Ocean Enterprises at 7710 Balboa Ave., the annual Lobster Diving
Contest will be in full swing tonight. There will be good savings on
equipment, free seminars about lobster hunting and a big barbecue tomorrow
afternoon from noon to 2.
Divers may register by calling (858) 565-6054. All lobsters will be judged at
2 p.m. tomorrow. All lobsters must be caught by hand while diving between
12:01 a.m. and 1 p.m. tomorrow.
If you want some instruction on hoop-netting, Jim Salazar of Promar will
offer a hoop-net seminar tomorrow at 1 p.m. at Hook, Line and Sinker, located
at 1224 Scott St., in Point Loma. Call (619) 224-1336 for more information.
If you're not into going for lobsters this weekend, there could be no better
time to try for albacore on a local sport boat.
Steven L. Goldblatt, a local certified public accountant, celebrated the
ending of his fast for Yom Kippur by going fishing on Buzz Brizendine's
Prowler last Saturday.
“I have been San Diego saltwater fishing since I moved here in 1978,”
Goldblatt wrote in an e-mail. “The 1˝-day trip on the Prowler that returned
Monday, Sept. 24, was the finest albacore fishing I have ever experienced.
That includes the 2˝ years I worked as a cook on the sport boats. The grade
of fish was in the 30-to low 40-pound range, and they were healthy! None of
the albacore was long and lean. These were big and fat. Only 14 anglers were
indeed lucky to be out with incredible cool clear fall weather and calm seas.
We even caught seven bluefin, and I was lucky enough to catch one. Bleeding
the fish and then getting them into the refrigerated brine hold produces
world class sashimi eating.”
The strong albacore run should make for good fishing for fishermen entered in
this weekend's Make-A-Wish Tuna Challenge, an event that has raised more than
$1 million for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. The Captain's Meeting is tonight
at 6 at the Silver Gate Yacht Club. It's open to private boaters, but there's
also a sport boat division. The Samurai had spots open. Call Rich Hirasuna at
(619) 248-3473 or visit www.tunachallenge.org.
The big event is Sunday at the Silver Gate Yacht Club, when hundreds will
gather for the giant raffle, silent auction, regular auction and barbecue.
Terrific prizes, gift packages, fishing trips and resort stays will be
available for bid or in the raffle. Entry cost is just $10. It goes from 10
a.m. to 4 p.m.
Notable
The San Diego Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation sponsors its
annual JAKES event tomorrow at the Escondido Fish and Game Association.
Registration 8-9 a.m., program goes 9 a.m.-2 p.m., with safety seminar, black
powder shoot and tomahawk throw, rifle, BB gun and shotgun shooting,
fire-starting with flint and steel and lots of raffle prizes for all JAKES,
which stands for Juniors Acquiring Knowledge, Ethics and Sportsmanship. Call
James Herrera at (619) 390-9685. The event is sponsored by the Col. Bob
Becker Memorial Fund.
The International Game Fish Association and the San Diego Sportfishing
Council host their fifth annual Shelter Island Young Anglers Tournament. Kids
6-15 are invited to compete in the free tournament that features a points
system to allow for catch and release. IGFA representatives and volunteers
from the United Pier and Shore Anglers Club will be on the pier to help kids.
Some loaner rods and reels and gear will be available, but youngsters are
advised to bring their own gear. Some bait will be available, too.
Registration is at 9 a.m., fishing begins at 10 and ends at 1 p.m. Hot dogs,
chips and sodas will be served to all registered anglers.
Advanced registration isn't required, but parents may download the
registration form from the San Diego Sportfishing Council's Web site at
www.sportfishing.org and fax it to (619) 234-8605 or call the San Diego
Sportfishing Council at (619) 234-8793 or visit www.sportfishing.org.
Local conservation groups will team with local, state and federal agencies
tomorrow for a celebration of National Hunting and Fishing Day at Santee
Lakes. The official National Hunting and Fishing Day was this past Saturday,
a day when the state waived its fishing license requirement. But since
fishing licenses aren't required at Santee Lakes, anglers won't need a
fishing license to fish there. The day will include fishing, hunting dog
demonstrations, predator calling, turkey calling and other activities for
kids. |
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