Posted by Finfan on December 05, 2001 at 10:04:55:
In Reply to: Frustrating 1st Lobster Dive (long) posted by Mark on December 04, 2001 at 22:38:42:
Several of the guys on this Board have been real good about sharing with me so I'll share what I can with you.
You asked about time of the night dives. I don't know if it matters, but I always try and give them at least two hours after sunset before I go in. More importantly I don't do well on full moons so I try and go as close to a dark moon as possible. My personal belief is that with a full moon too much light penetrates the clear Catalina waters and the Bugs stay in their holes.
Some of my own tips would be to be careful to cover a lot of ground and not behind someone. That means being first to the water and a lot of time staying away from areas that attract alot of divers. I have real done real good in the sand areas deep at Catalina next to the reefs. Not great stuff to make a great dive out of, but sometimes the legal bugs are there. My last trip to torque springs (catalina)I got five on one dive in the sand while some 15 other divers maybe brought up 5 total out of the rocks.
I don't think I would fly to CA for bugs after November since most areas are picked over real good and your chances for lots of legals goes way down. But if you do come, here would be my advice - Come mid week and do a trip on the Peace. They run a wednesday special and the skipper on the peace has that six sense when it comes to finding bugs. Another plus on the Peace is that they will dive Talcott if possible and that is big bug time.
Opening at Catalina is usually good, but last few years several boats have figured that out and it has been hammered. If you want to increase you odds, go to Barbara or the Channel Islands on an opening boat. I personally like Barbara. I know opening will be limits, your chances on a real large one is smaller though.
I don't get all that worked up about Cortez or Nic, since both have been hit or miss with weather and the Bugs especially the last four or five years. I've actually done better diving the caves at Anacapa or Cruz (you need to be extremely careful) then I have at Cruz or Nic (not in size, but definetly in numbers).
I'd rather forgo the chance for a big bug knowing I can get a limit for my wife and I at Barbara, Catalina, Cruz or Anacapa. PS This list is prioritized as to what Island I would go to first if given a chance.