| What type of bait to use for Crab and Lobster Hooping Excerpt from Hoopin it Up, a comprehensive guide to the ins and outs of crab and lobster hooping by Jim Salazar.
RED BAITS: The Red Baits are the best baits. Just about any fishy bait will work to attract the Cockroaches Del Mar. When the bugs are on the crawl and hungry, they will devour anything that doesn’t move fast enough. They are scavengers and opportunistic feeders, but remember, they do have a very sophisticated sense of smell. The lobster uses his antennules to “sniff” the water column. The more chum or scent in the water the more likely a lobster will be drawn out of his hole and come looking for a free dinner. The whole object of this wintertime sport is to get the lobsters in the net and eating so intently that they will have to be pried off the bait leg by leg, once you get the net up and onto the boat. If you need to pry them off your nets, please try to do this carefully these precious bugs aren’t damaged. Legs and antennae break off really easily and this slows growth when it happens. OILY: You will catch more lobsters if you have an oily type of fish in your bait cage or bait pocket – baits like skipjack, bonito, and the other tunas, salmon heads and parts, sardines, anchovies, and the lowly mackerel/saba. When you drop a net in the water with one, or any combination of these baits, an oil slick immediately forms and starts sending that odorous chum down current to attract a family of lobsters for a meal. The first drop always has a lot of chumming ability, but after you have pulled the net up the first or second time, you might want to freshen-up the bait/chum by adding some new bait or switching out the bait cage for a fresh one. Lately, a few people have been experimenting with a scent cup added near the bridle float area. The idea is if the scent cup is placed here, it would spread the chum/scent better because it is up higher in the water column. FRESH OR RIPENED: The debate continues on whether fresh bait or “ripened” bait is the best. I prefer fresh bait and I think it usually outperforms old or ripe bait. I just don’t see ripe bait putting out as big of an oil slick as fresh, bloody bonito or skipjack, and I know that if I were looking for something to eat; I’d rather it was fresh! Mackerel is probably the most common lobster bait used in Southern California. It is virtually free and usually available most of the season. When the opportunity is there, make all the bait your freezer can handle. Mackerel often tends to migrate out of our local waters and disappears when the water cools off in the late winter, so get it while you can. Some fish wholesalers have fifty-pound blocks of frozen macks available all year long. If you don’t have a large enough freezer to accommodate this amount of bait, try splitting it with another hooper.
CRUSTACEANS: Gear Restrictions. The new regulations and gear definitions adopted on April 1, 2011 allow the majority of the hoopnetters in Southern California to continue to use the Promar or Danielson traditional and conical style nets that they purchased in the past. All the designs currently on the market fit the new Type A and Type B definitions. The major change from previous year’s regulations is the removable of the word baited from the number of nets allowed. No longer will you be able to bring extra un-baited nets along on those overnight island trips, and you had better think twice about picking up that abandoned float and net and then being technically over limit on your hooping gear. It’s now 5 nets per person or 10 nets maximum on the boat or yak. The other big change is the new 2-hour time limit on unchecked or abandoned nets. How this time limit will be enforced is yet to be seen, although I know my local Redondo Harbor Patrol likes hoopers along the break-wall to be in visual attendance of their nets, and will confiscate unattended nets. Jim Salazar is the author of "Hoopin it Up, a comprehensive guide to the ins and outs of crab and lobster hooping. Jim resides in Southern California, home of one of the most prolific lobster fisheries in the world. He has been a licensed guide and crustacean catching educator for over a decade. When he's not teaching future lobster hunters how to safely and responsibly harvest these tasty critters, you can find him working behind the scenes on the set of a major commercial, music video, or television production. Jim's book "Hoopin it up" can be found at a Sport Chalet near you.
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