Four Days at Catalina and Santa Barbara Island, Lobster Opener Limits

[Albondiga]

So I just got back from spending four days in beautiful conditions in So Cal.
It started Friday morning at 9 AM in San Luis Obispo, being picked up by the captain with the boat in tow. We headed down to Channel Islands Harbor and were launched by about noon. Speeding on flat conditions to Santa Barbara Island, we got there in a couple hours.

Our plan was to spend the half day scouting where the bugs were holding, so we could focus on the best area for the midnight opener. We wanted to check the Arch first, since it is a nice dive and has some scallops. As we approach it this other boat speeds over and parks right over the spot. We tried hailing them on 16 to see what the deal was, but no answer. They proceed to hop in the water real fast and yell for us to get the Eff out of there. Not sure what that was about but I guess they were afraid we were about to stumble on their secret fishing hole. B plan was a deep tunnel off a drop off. Anchoring in 60 feet we went over the edge and went through a huge tunnel that cut all the way through the reef. There were rosy rockfish, honeycombs, treefish, decorator crabs, and very few bugs. Our consensus was that the bugs were likely still shallow. On our way back to the boat we had a huge school of yellows emerge out of the green water and swim right by us. These were 30+ pound fish, and a beautiful sight.

We get up from that dive to find out that a key piece of the compressor was blown overboard while we were down. Now begins our run to Avalon. On the crossing to Catalina we spotted a white tailed tropicbird, which is a pretty cool sighting. By the time we get to Cat it is too late to find any parts. We decide to freedive a spot on the East End at midnight. We did decent despite there being mostly really small bugs. I managed 5 good ones, one of those was pretty decent. The next morning we head into Avalon first thing and were able to find the part from Desi, Discount Marine, (310) 625-9862. He pulled a used part off a carburetor he had laying around and even had on water deliver with his skiff. What an awesome guy.

So we go and check another spot on the backside of the Island. Vis was great, and it was one of the prettiest dives I have been on. So much life, and I even saw a baby WSB in the white water and a couple of 40 pound yellowtail in 20 feet of water. After a couple gorgeous dives playing with tiny lobster we decide to go back to our original plan of SBI.

After our first dive at Santa Barbara Island we know we made a good call. All huge bugs, nothing smaller than a half inch over legal, many 3-5 pounds. Vis was good, 30-40 foot, current was light and running downcoast. So we all finished out our limits on the first day pretty easily.

Our second day of lobster season started awesome. Went to a spot known for big bugs. We pulled a few 2-4 pounders, but then were able to double team a 7 pounder from his lair. Right after that I made a grab and bagged another 7 pounder. After that I sat out and the other two went in and pulled 3 more seven pounders from there. While they were down I heard on the radio about the search and eventual recovery of a 53 year old male at SBI. Anyone have any details of that? Vis here was 30-40 feet and it was calm. After that we moved since we were surrounded by dive boats and we wanted to get pictures of our bugs (we always moved before getting pictures of our big bugs). The next spot we had to break from the plan and head deep since the surge was picking up and it became a safety issue. It worked out for me, at 40 feet deep I pulled an 8 pound lobster from a hole slightly larger than him, no back door or retreat. Reach in, shake, shake, pull, shake, tug, twist...and then try, successfully, to get him in the NHT bag. Personal best lobster in the bag.
We all ended up limiting on the second day with no need for a night dive. Went to the anchorage and had an awesome lamb dinner.

The third day of lobster season was just as epic. Every dive someone came up with 6-7 pound lobsters, and a bunch of 4-5 pounders came up. The surge and swell picked up quite a bit and we had to choose our spots accordingly. Most of the spots still had huge surges. The kind that pull off your face mask and push your regulator purge down all the way. Still pretty clear though at 30+ feet vis, and fun diving despite the slamming into boulders and urchins and being sucked into huge caves against your will. Good times.

In need of one more bug to finish the limit, I get in at a spot on the North West side of the Island. Bad call, the vis was 20 out in deeper water, but nearshore it was 3-15 feet. The surge was completely intolerable. At a couple points I was tossed from the bottom up onto intertidal shelves. The bugs of course were in super shallow. I had to hold onto the sea palm in 1-3 feet of water to see the bugs down in a narrow crack that went down 10-15 feet. One more trip up onto the Island and I bailed.

We went to a calm spot where I found some decent bugs last year. I know it is not safe to freedive after scuba, but I did not really care at all. I threw on my gear while they blew up tanks. I saw a familiar looking truck sized rock, so I breath up, dive down 20 feet and enter the small opening at the bottom. I turn to the right and there was a nice bug. I grabbed both horns, one with each hand and shook the heck out of him. He came out without too much difficulty and I shimmied out of the hole. When I surfaced I held the 5 pound lobster high in victory for a 3 day limit for 3 guys, and a great time at the Islands.

When we finished we stopped at a nice spot for lunch and noticed a sea lion hauled out. It was missing a large chunk from its rear end and there was a seagull pecking at the tender bits. Glad I did not run into what made that sea lion's injury.


Hey, this is my 1000th post!!

[Scuba Fever]

Very nice writeup. Sounds like a fun weekend....

[SpearS0CAL]

Epic weekend! Nicely done, those are some beautiful bugs. Thanks for sharing!

[Michael J]

Great job Bro!! Stoked for you!

Congrats on ur PB!!

Lets go get ours. Get the crew lined up.
MJ.

[Big_Berg]

Wow! Pretty bad ass report. Again you see yellows and don't kill them?!? Congrats in the pb bug. I hope we can get out for some bugs soon. I'm super excited to hit the lunch counter again as its been too long

[laguna80]

Sounds like an awesome trip! Everyone is killing me with all these reports. Seems like the opener was way better than last year. Being landlocked in Alabama is no fun!

[donny]

nice report, glad you guys gotem and stayed safe. That sounds like 200# of bugs! Impressive but TMI IMO. And yes, I am a greedy bastard that doesn't like to share.

[GREENBEAN88]

I'm glad you had a great opener, those bugs are such a nice size. I have to plan a trip like that next year. Congrats and I'm glad you guys are all safe.

[beconfly]

Sounds like an awesome weekend. What kind of boat are you guys on?

[Lompoc Local]

Originally Posted by donny

nice report, glad you guys gotem and stayed safe. That sounds like 200# of bugs! Impressive but TMI IMO. And yes, I am a greedy bastard that doesn't like to share.

x2.

[Chet]

You are the man

[Scottywotty]

Originally Posted by donny

TMI IMO. And yes, I am a greedy bastard that doesn't like to share.

Greedy bastard brother in arms, nice to see you finally admit it Donny!

Scotty

[NihilisticMisanthropist]

your best report yet. glad you didnt tear off any bugs

most of them even look like they have all thier appendages

[Albondiga]

Originally Posted by NihilisticMisanthropist

your best report yet. glad you didnt tear off any bugs

most of them even look like they have all thier appendages

Thanks. Definitely pulled a few appendages, but most were fairly intact.

I read the report of the diver who was lost. We were diving right there where they describe, between sutil and the sisters the night before he was found.

[Albondiga]

Originally Posted by beconfly

Sounds like an awesome weekend. What kind of boat are you guys on?

It is a 25 foot Davis. What an awesome boat!