LOBSTER HOOPING: DEEP WATER
Successful anglers constantly adapt to different situations, many times adjusting to varying environmental conditions. This can be a subtle adjustment to the gear you are already using or it may require switching to a completely different setup. Hooping for California Spiny Lobster is no exception therefore Promar made some adjustments.
Changing Times
If you live in Southern California you are probably familiar with the weather phenomenon called El Niño (https://www.climate.gov/enso). If you are a seasoned angler you are already aware that when this phenomenon manifests itself it can result in spectacular peaks and depressing lows throughout our fishing season. Battling with these inconsistent weather patterns, some hooping enthusiast started targeting deeper structures for lobster (200-300ft) often attaching extra weights on their 32” Ambush© and 36” Ambush© XL hoop nets to get them down faster.
The Adjustments
Hence, after months of planning and discussions with our Brand Ambassadors who fish almost every night of the Lobster Season, we introduced some new items to the Promar lineup to help anglers targeting lobster in deeper water.
THE NEW - AMBUSH© XLH - 36" Hoop Size | 20" Entrance | 14lbs
The H stands for Heavy.
There is no more need to go through the hassle of finding then securing extra weights to your Ambush© XL to fish deeper. The new Ambush© XLH (NE-107 XLH) weighs in at 14 lbs, compared to 6 lbs for the Ambush© XL. The new heavier model stays true to our patented conical design with 6 fixed welded steel posts which create steep angles with a stealthy blue-ocean vinyl coating. The top entrance ring is 20” while the larger bottom ring is 36” (same as the Ambush© XL). Rigging includes a heavy duty harness, 3”x 6” quality bridle float, as well as a built in bait pouch. This heavier option, which has the same effective design as the regular XL, has already gotten a lot of attention of a lot of anglers.
Other Accessories
Targeting deeper spots with the heavier gear will require you to take extra precautions. Your safety and the safety of others should always be your main priority; especially when fishing at night. You will need a longer main line if you will set your hoop nets over deeper spots. We took this into consideration and now offer spools of 200ft (NE-200B) and 300ft (NE-300B) multipurpose braided polyethylene rope which has a 1/2” diameter. These longers spools of rope match perfectly with the new heavy hoop net and line weights.
Easy-Clip-On Line Weights are available in 6oz and 12oz.
Additionally, since poly rope floats, any extra line will sit near the surface where it can get caught on propellers creating potentially dangerous situations. Most anglers avoid this by tying a 6 oz torpedo sinker to the end of their main line closest to the float. In our efforts to make things more convenient and easy, we also offer a Crab/Lobster Line Weight; available in 6 oz (AC-806) and 12 oz (AC-812). These new line weights make staying safe faster and simpler so that you can get back to catching “bugs” quicker.
Lobster Season
Look for all the new Promar products at your local tackle shop along with all our other lobster hooping essentials for the upcoming lobster season. Remember to review the new regulations from the Department of Fish and Wildlife every year before heading out. Hooping can be very fun and we are confident our new products will make your next hooping experience more enjoyable.
See you on the Water!
