My Second Season Lobster Hooping
As my first full year working with Promar comes to an end, I can’t help but reflect on the incredible opportunities I’ve had to fish, travel, and explore the ocean. From catching bonefish in the back bays of San Diego to hooking into bull reds in the bayous of Louisiana, it’s been an unforgettable journey. But nothing compares to the thrill of hooping for lobster. There’s just something about dropping your hoops, constantly moving around, and the anticipation of pulling up the line, hoping to see the vibrant red of a spiny lobster flapping in the net. The sound of their tails slapping is almost like music to my ears. The experience—getting your hands dirty, covered in fish guts, scratched up by antennae, soaked in a salt-sprayed hoodie, and standing in smelly boots—makes lobster season the best time of the year.
During my first season, I had the pleasure of hitting the water with YSWG Captain Justin Bottrell, and what a season it was! We had limits on limits on limits. I had never seen so much “red gold” in one place. The chaos that erupted when the hoops started coming overboard was unmatched—each net held plenty of lobsters, and everyone on board worked like a well-oiled machine. When the season ended, I couldn’t wait for the next one to start. But this year was different—at least locally. While Catalina remained solid for those willing to make the run and put in the work, my preferred spots in the harbor weren’t producing like before.
The season kicked off with a trip out of San Diego with Captain Pablo from Fernandez Charters, and we absolutely crushed it. Limits for the three of us, great company, and an unforgettable experience. I was convinced this season would be just as good as the last. But as the weeks went by, Long Beach and San Pedro weren’t delivering. We hit last year’s hotspots with little success, explored new zones, while barely managing two or three keepers after several sets. Plenty of crabs—just not enough lobsters. We needed weather. Everyone knows that a good storm stirs up the harbor and gets things moving.
Fast forward to January, and finally, the strong winds started pushing through, churning the water and setting things up just right. It was time to gear up and get back out there. With promising conditions ahead, we checked our gear and waited.
Sure enough, the crawl turned on. A good friend of mine, Rene De Leon, invited me on a charter with Captain Justin again, and I jumped at the opportunity. Every trip I’ve had with Justin has been a success, and this night was no exception. Four sets later, we had 31 lobsters on the boat—limits for four plus a few for the captain. It was a night to remember! I even landed my personal best: an 8.44-pound lobster. On top of that, we had multiple five-pounders and even more in the three-pound range. Nearly every lobster was well above legal size, with only a handful of shorts that we quickly tossed back. In just three hours, we had our limits and then some, thanks to some secret spots Captain Justin had dialed in from his own scouting trips. (I won’t spill the details, but if you want to find them, check out Your Saltwater Guide—they’ll give you everything you need to get on the bugs.)
Riding that high, I had another trip with Captain Pablo, excited to get back out. As expected, San Diego didn’t disappoint. The swells and currents outside the harbor were gnarly, so we decided to stay inside. We got to our spots, set the hoops, and waited for the sun to drop. As we hung out, swapped stories, and cracked jokes, anticipation built. When it was time to pull, the deck was cleared, and the action began. While I spent most of this trip behind the camera, I was just as stoked watching the crew work. The lobsters were definitely crawling—we must have pulled up about 100 that night. Unfortunately, many were just short of legal size, so we released them, but we still ended up with 16 solid keepers, most of them chunky. Everyone left happy, already looking forward to the feast ahead.
Now, with about a month left in the season, I’m gearing up for a few more trips. Even though this year has been slower than last, I’ve had an incredible time on the water, making memories with people I consider good friends. And just because the season is winding down doesn’t mean the lobsters are gone—if anything, they’re more active now, especially with the recent weather stirring things up. So, if you’ve been thinking about getting out there, now’s the time. Grab your gear, hit the water, put in the work, and create some memories. You’ll never regret time spent on the ocean.
