Skipjacks make great lobster bait

Last year I went on my first lobster hooping trip.  I quickly got over the embarrassment of that first trip.  As things turned out though, I only got to go just once and found myself wishing I had gone out more.  Well, it’s already that time of the year again.  The recreational season for California Spiny Lobster opens this coming Saturday, September 29th at 12:01am (so Friday night after midnight).

I posted the above picture on my Instagram feed this week.  Skipjack or skippies are a type of tuna that are less desirable than yellowfin or bluefin tuna.  They are gamier and oilier than it’s more desirable cousins.  I was on a trip last year where a guy said his cat won’t even eat skippies.  They are very useful though as lobster bait.  Any of your gamier fish are good candidates for lobster bait…skippies, bonito, mackerel, or even the salmon heads we used last year.  Lobsters like to hide inside structure and then they come out to feed at night.  That gamey scent helps entice them out and into your net.

We’ll start to see lobster hooping trips at some of the landings soon.  CISCO’s and H&M are two that did them last year.  If you want to give it a go yourself on a private boat, there is a lot of good information out there.  Promar Ahi, the company that makes the popular Ambush net just started doing free seminars.  Check out their facebook page to see where the next one will be.  If you do decide to go out yourself, you should get yourself up to speed on the rules and regulations.  You can find all the info you need here on the DFG site.

Happy bug hunting!

 

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