Posted by Melvin Pasley on April 03, 2004 at 17:24:56:
In Reply to: Lobster Season CLoser posted by seahunt on April 02, 2004 at 18:51:21:
Thank you for that great post about your season closer dive trip.
Please do not take offense at this post. It is not my intent to imply that you did anything outside the strictly legal. I am certain that all that you did is according to Hoyle. But in reading your post and in looking at the photos, well, it could give the wrong impression. So here goes.
First: I assume there were at least 3 licensed lobster hunters on your trip or that your trip was a multi-day trip and you submitted the required forms for multi-day trip before you left to DFG. I assume that because in the photo there are 17 lobsters and in the dinner photo there are at least 10. Since each diver may posses only 7 lobsters at a time that is too many lobsters for only two divers. Possession includes freezer at home too. http://www.dfg.ca.gov/fg_comm/2004/oceanfish04.html#2990
Second; Once a lobster is in your game bag, it is in your possession and must be of legal length. The DFG will fine you for any shorts. You may measure them when caught or at the surface. But they must be measured before they leave the water or before they go into your game bag. The DFG regulations are very clear on that point.
§29.90. Spiny Lobsters.
(a) Open season: From the Saturday preceding the first Wednesday in October through the first Wednesday after the 15th of March.
(b) Limit: Seven.
(c) Minimum size: Three and one-fourth inches measured in a straight line on the mid-line of the back from the rear edge of the eye socket to the rear edge of the body shell. Any lobster may be brought to the surface of the water for the purpose of measuring, but no undersize lobster may be brought aboard any boat, placed in any type of receiver, kept on the person or retained in any person's possession or under his direct control; all lobsters shall be measured immediately upon being brought to the surface of the water, and any undersize lobster shall be released immediately into the water.
Amendment of subsection (a) and Note filed 3-12-92; operative 3-12-92.
Now about those measurements. If it falls over the end of the caprice, it is a short. 1/16 of an inch short will cost you $180.00 per bug or more. On another board there is an excellent thread about a diver who was found to have a short bug in his possession. As of Friday April 2, he is $180.00 poorer. http://www.scubaboard.com/t47560.html
As I said at the beginning. I am certain that all of the above is what you did and all was according the DFG laws. I make these point only for clarification of what you wrote as it could be misunderstood.