Bug It Forward..

[wade]

To much dismay of the LJ Mansion owner(s), we went out last night to hoop:lobster: & :wsb:.
I took Tman's advice and threw some dirt on the ol' shoulder and paddled our arses off to PB.
Apparently many people within this special zip code,think they own more than their fair share. :rolleyes:
My predictions for the nights crawl were only off by 30+ minutes to be precise.
#1's First pull of the night yields two keepers, but the back of their carapaces where one would measure, is cracked right off. Back in the drink..:doh:

After setting our spread and determining the nights crawl direction, I pull up what appears to be a slashed net?!?
Then about thirty minutes later, one of the Soldiers confirms my suspicions with his set getting slashed also.
(Confirmation of a blue light searching diver from one of the adjacent mansions, presumably.)
Then about another 45 minutes go buy, and I hear a huge splash, and notice one of us suddenly gets unexplainably & completely capsized!?...This happened exactly right in front of the #1 GPS drop.

This section of reef has produced consistently every single trip for the past several years.
I am in need of your help now to extract every last legal bug from it now that my shoulder is d.o.n.e..
If you search out the #3-4 area, and its adjacent volcanos, you will find one lobster specifically, that has a chest as fat as a basketball. My diver buddy left him alone for one of you to discover..The key I have found, is to try and sneak in as shallow as possible, and pull a "Ryan", but on a kayak. It seems the commercials stop around this range of drops, as to of course not get grounded. In the 14'-28' was gold last night. Crawl started thick right at 8pm sharp.
One buddy was learning the "ropes", and was in a section far off from us 40-50+. I yelled several times to come work closer to us, but I guess he didnt hear, and subsequently got bupkis. Long story and no shorts, I try and implement the "Bug It Forward" whenever applicable. I will always give a buddie at least one of my sweet bugs for their hard efforts if they should come up empty traps..:lobster:
the lucky few who saved the #'s go get em.....

:lobster::lobster::lobster::lobster::lobster: :lobster: :lobster:



http://www.bigwatersedge.com/bwegallery/data/500/scr.jpg

[YakMedic]

Simply amazing how some people think they own the ocean.
I like your style Wade
:cheers1:

[ryan111]

good report wade:):):lobster::lobster::lobster:

[h2ofishfo]

curios to know how u knew he lived there did he have a house payment receipt hanging out his wet suit??

[wade]

curios to know how u knew he lived there did he have a house payment receipt hanging out his wet suit??

I presume this, from all the extra efforts last night to thwart us from their "front yard"..

[Regor]

Great to hear about the bugs, sorry to hear about the shoulder.

[Tman]

Ha ha, I think I know where you were, at least the general vicinity...

Bug boats can't get in tight because of the tight reef formation. Prop damage.

And I most definitely know about the spotlight casas...

1st time in eons I missed opening night...wish you woulda told me you were heading S...

We are gonna hit it in a couple weeks, no yak needed.

[Whizz Bang]

Wade, I am a little confused. Are you saying you had a diver in the water, slashing your nets and capsizing one of your friends? On scuba or free diving? Why is the Coast Guard not looking for him right now?

[wade]

Wade, I am a little confused. Are you saying you had a diver in the water, slashing your nets and capsizing one of your friends? On scuba or free diving? Why is the Coast Guard not looking for him right now?

That is exactly what I am saying.
I would guess to say he was a very fast free diver, scuba or he had a crazy rebreather?..

[The Kid]

They knew Wade was out there and found his lobster hoops. Time to switch out your yak they know the green monster to well.

[Whizz Bang]

I am sold, where is the best place to launch for this reef?

[mazilla]

If there is a diver there doing this crap somebody should wait for him/her on shore and place them under citizens arrest...or just stomp the shit out of them, either or.

[sdfisher]

drop a few seal bombs and see how fast they stop messing with your gear

[Limits]

If there is a diver there doing this crap somebody should wait for him/her on shore and place them under citizens arrest...or just stomp the shit out of them, either or.

I usually bring a rod to fish with between soaks.

I would start casting a jig and randomly start 'setting the hook'.

Or, if I wanted to just let him know I'm aware that he's around...cast a heavy sinker in the general direction.

[wiredantz]

that just messed up. I hope they get this guy.

[Darkstar]

Great Post, i used to find Lobsters in that area over 20 years ago, cant believe someone is slashing nets there......we should have a kayak armanda formed up for a night run to the area :D

:cheers1:

[tight lines]

some people can just be such A$$h@les.

[Rock Hopper]

Serious question - Not trying to be a dick....but why do you guys bash the hell out of people who post reports about fast moving YT, then post GPS coordinates for everyone to go wipe out slow moving, slow reproducing bugs?

Is it strictly to piss off the local mansion owners?

[blackcloud9]

Congrats on the legals.

"Slashed nets?" :) I guarantee the holes in your nets were caused by
moray eels - the shallow reefs in that area are filthy with them. My kids
play with them in the tidepools all the time. Many times they do not chew
throught he thicker 'Promar' netting (so I have to get them out at the
surface). Its the price you pay for being tight to the rocks and not out on
the sand flats. Small zip ties work well for net repair, I always have a
bunch on the yak and repair as I see them happen. It happens. My older
nets are filthy with zip tie repairs, from the last five-plus years.

Btw, 30' is fishing very deep for this early in the season, with little swell
so far. The bugs will be moving out there further after all the stormy
turmoil coming on Wed-Thursday this week though!

Turning on the two spotlights at Vietors was probably to see what all the
screaming was about. Somebody was sure sceaming happy at their legal
bug(s) for sure. Holy cow. :eek:

Let me assure you, there were no "fast free divers" messing with you, at
all. The visibility was 3 ft with soupy red tide, and there were only three
divers all night, further north off Palomar. Certainly not "divers from
those mansions". Most of the people that live along the cliffs are not
'watermen' to say the least.

Thanks for the map those look like some good spots. LOL. Warning to all:
hooping boilers in 10-15' of water, you better do it on a very FLAT night,
with no waves. Everyone should remember that this is challenging terrain
due to "shallow reefs and sneaker sets". This area will all likely be closed
in the MLPA process soon.


P.S. this is sure a long paddle from wherever you launched ... Marine St?
PSS Rock Hopper, I agree with your sentiment, but seriously the
commercial traps hammer this area of virtually ALL legals each year
anyway. The bug population remains strong despite this due to the regs,
and, is also why we do not need an MPA closure. DFG watches kayaks
with night vision all the time, and you will get checked when you land.

[wade]

Serious question - Not trying to be a dick....but why do you guys bash the hell out of people who post reports about fast moving YT, then post GPS coordinates for everyone to go wipe out slow moving, slow reproducing bugs? Is it strictly to piss off the local mansion owners?

No.
My golden waypoints are specifically to piss off the territorial diver(s), who also cut my traps & cut my buddies traps and also flipped us while hooping in the open ocean.

For the record, I don't give grief for anyones report "unless" your announcing a candy explosion on the first day. I have personally given numerous daily & timely quality reports throughout the years............................
:wsb::yt:

[wade]

[QUOTE=blackcloud9;96544]
"Slashed nets?" :) I guarantee the holes in your nets were caused by
moray eels -
Ive been hooping for over twenty years, and never experienced cuts as clean as this, because These were cut by a human. not a eel or any fish in the sea..i have also dealt with seals chewing , and it wasnt that either..the cuts were to the THICK bridal, not the net that can get cut by a rock quite easily.
& your also supporting that eel theory on the capsizing also?


Turning on the two spotlights at Vietors was probably to see what all the
screaming was about.
Nope..We were completely silent until the lights came on..
That screaming was indeed me, but it sure wasn't happiness..

Let me assure you, there were no "fast free divers" messing with you, at
all. The visibility was 3 ft with soupy red tide, and there were only three
divers all night, further north off Palomar. Certainly not "divers from
those mansions". Most of the people that live along the cliffs are not
'watermen' to say the least.
Ok whatever makes you all happy. the divers live in Arizona then OK?...
The divers were there, and they were cutting nets. BTW There were MANY more then three confirmed,..
I also realize you live right around there, but how do you have the entire ocean in lock down?


Thanks for the map those look like some good spots. LOL. Warning to all:
hooping boilers in 10-15' of water, you better do it on a very FLAT night,with no waves. Everyone should remember that this is challenging terraindue to "shallow reefs and sneaker sets". This area will all likely be closed in the MLPA process soon.
Yes, thats why I hooped it for years..not many would get in there..Good bugs...The Tred Barta way is the best way...

I launched from the shores, fished all over the place during the day, and worked my way down to PB buggin, then came back up fishing at midnight and landed at the shores...:paddleersmilie: .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. ................

[bluesquids]

Bizzare. Sounds like a team of radical environmentalists going commando to me. I would not put it past them.

Please don't be outwardly aggressive to freedivers unless warranted. Most are not gonna pull any kind of crap. Remember we are fellow SPORTSMEN have fought against the MLPA and consider yakkers our brothers.
Also, when we dive for bugs remember that we have our heads under water 95% of the time and can only see a few feet underwater. We can't hardly make out a trap very well and it's completely impossible to see one that doesn't have a glowstick. If you're sititng out there in the dark.. you'll see us a long time before we see you. Paddle up and let us know where your set is. Personally, the last thing I want to think about is swimming into someones lines underwater. There's enough Bullsh*t day to day on land....that's not why we're all out there.

[Rock Hopper]

No.
My golden waypoints are specifically to piss off the territorial diver(s), who also cut my traps & cut my buddies traps and also flipped us while hooping in the open ocean.

For the record, I don't give grief for anyones report "unless" your announcing a candy explosion on the first day. I have personally given numerous daily & timely quality reports throughout the years............................
:wsb::yt:

Thanks for the reply. Like I said, it was a serious question. We kind of had the same thing up here. During our whole MLPA clusterf*** all the Sea Ranch residents were voting for the option that left Sea Ranch open (which has super restricted access to non-residents) and close the majority of the easily accessible areas. Our first thought was let's form a posse and go fish/dive the hell out of Sea Ranch from now on.

[wiredantz]

Sounds to me like we need to start start carring some bricks. Trying to cut my lines take this!!! Bombs away. Then jump out my kayak so I can kick someone butt

[blackcloud9]

Two experienced kayakers flipped? Certainly not an accident. Slashed
ropes, not nets, that's another thing.

Thanks for the clarification on what actually happened Wade. At first
glance the story is hard to believe, so forgive me for not getting it, but,
that sucks that it happened to you guys. I was nearby, and have never
had a problem out there so its a little stunning.

I'm sure a small fleet of excited kayakers arriving together drew
unnecessary attention.

Somebody pulled this off in cold, pitch black, kelpy red tide with no dive
lights -my sense is that these were not environmentalist wackos trying to
save the lobsters.

[herbo]

:you_rock:Thanks for all your valuable input Wade, Hope your shoulder gets better soon ....H:sifone:

[wade]

Two experienced kayakers flipped? Certainly not an accident. Slashed
ropes, not nets, that's another thing.

Thanks for the clarification on what actually happened Wade. At first
glance the story is hard to believe, so forgive me for not getting it, but,
that sucks that it happened to you guys. I was nearby, and have never
had a problem out there so its a little stunning.

I'm sure a small fleet of excited kayakers arriving together drew
unnecessary attention.

Somebody pulled this off in cold, pitch black, kelpy red tide with no dive
lights -my sense is that these were not environmentalist wackos trying to
save the lobsters.

No prob Larry, any time I'm too vague & need more info let me know i tend to do that often..I never had a problem before either..I dont think its environmentalist personally either. i think its possibly some locals who have secured a solid local live well like Vons' Maine:lobster:.

[blackcloud9]

Posted this for probably one bored local diver* unable to cope with
watching a successful hunter-kayaker while their opening night was
TOTALLY SHOT due to really crappy visibility? (* maybe?)

***********************************

Disclaimer:
I was between 30 and 100 yds from Wade and crew all night, hooping.
I think a post like this is very short-sighted, your shoulder will heal, and
the next time you get skunked here and have buoys all over your spot
you may regret posting it. Just my 2c.

[Deamon]

I'm sure a small fleet of excited kayakers arriving together drew
unnecessary attention.


I'm kind of thinking Wade doesn't flail around like a puppy dog when he's arriving to his spot (some of us others, yes, but Wade???)...Whooping it up after a good catch or a keeper bug? please...I'm picturing smooth, low key, rasta all good...unless you fugg with him...


Please don't be outwardly aggressive to freedivers unless warranted. Most are not gonna pull any kind of crap. Personally, the last thing I want to think about is swimming into someones lines underwater. There's enough Bullsh*t day to day on land....that's not why we're all out there.

Squids, you sound like the real deal...but I gotta say most freedivers could give a rats arse about my set. Hoopers go agro because most divers will...without hesitation...go right through our sets and it does shut down bugs when it happens.

[mbaha]

I love the smell of bullshit in the morning.

With all the bioluminescence there is no way a free diver could sneak up on you undetected. Even on scuba they would leave a trail of glowing bubbles.

Think about it.

[grey zone]

I find it hard to believe that a diver flipped a kayak, but I was not there. I have never had a negative experience with one. They are easy to track by their light and usually come and go. If they go by a hoop or two I just assume they cannot see them. I do not think they can see to far with the visibility we encountered. We always suffer mystery damage in the shallows which I assumed was from eels or nets getting caught on sharp rocks. I have had bridle ropes cut on several occasions and wondered was might be responsible. Sunday night revealed a new culprit. I had a 60-70 lb seven gill shark get tangled in a hoop and tear it up. Like I said, I was not there, but unless you have proof keep an open mind to other possibilities.

[Aaron&Julie]

Bluesquids, you're probably right about divers being good dudes/dudettes, but we had divers (or their boat buddies) that didn't qualify as such on our Sat night bug trip in SD bay, from 2 different boats. I won't go into details, but for every group of good people there are assholes about, be they divers, fishermen or kayakers. Just see Scallywags post.
We are going to police our stuff even more closely in the future.

[The Great Blumpkin]

Last time I wore my buff all day I saw this in the mirror!:biggrinjester: and I swear somebody grabbed me!

http://28.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lkkebmxPPl1qi9dfoo1_400.jpg
(http://28.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lkkebmxPPl1qi9dfoo1_400.jpg)

[mbaha]

but for every group of good people there are assholes about, be they divers, fishermen or kayakers. Just see Scallywags post.
We are going to police our stuff even more closely in the future.
Or the jackoffs advocating hooking divers and throwing seal bombs at them.....

[wade]

Step outside our perfect little worlds for a minute..
Use your brain and think about it just a bit further, but from the perspective of a thief..The same "problem" you mention but fail to fully recognize, is in the divers favor of being UN-detected..These aren't regular recreational divers first off. You can all live there, and or be hooping 100 yards from me off your surfboards or yaks, but you dont have any clue as to my ordeal & the direct cause. Territorial Surfers will drop in on a kook in a heartbeat harass and even maim his back with their skegs for no good reason other than wave rights. These are pissed of thieving divers who think they own the ocean. The entire water column was glowing. & that means EVERYTHING. Every wave, every little piece of bait is glowing. Every piece of kelp is lit up like a christmas tree. Every second something else is glowing everywhere you look. They had a pretty good cover of distraction going on, especially when you have to keep your guard up at all times in that impact zone & on a yak. Glowing Seals, Glowing waves, Glowing broken off kelp, your precious seven gill sharks glowing ,neon dolphins, and most importantly is the rope from the traps also lights up making it extremely EASY to find in those soupy conditions, especially when its first being dropped & given 15 minutes before you return... AND being covered by a upper canopy of kelp also does a great job of hiding your trails from above.. Its very plausible, because it did happen & no other way did it occur. I have an open mind, and know exactly what caused this & It sure wasnt no seven gill. I have hooped this tight boiler section and countless others in the complete dark, up the entire coast from Mexico to Long Beach, in 10-15 foot seas and small craft warnings at night, and NEVER flipped. Ive gotten swamped on breaking sneaker waves @ night, & never flipped. I hooped right on TOP of razor sharp barnacled jetty rock piles @ night, ive trapped all over the East coast, on the Atlantic Ocean for Crabs, Bugs, even down in the Keys and Gulf of Mexico for Stone Crabs ,Bugs,shrimp,ect & never have I had cuts like this. not even on razor sharp Oyster beds. Not from the Alligators or from Bull sharks chewing on my standing lines, nothing has compared to this, when I repair my nets frequently from minor cuts and tears which is understandable & comes with the territory..When someones car get broken into again next week, or your stuff gets stolen right from under your noses in broad daylight, make sure to tell the police it was none other than a roving brazen gang of Mexican Seven Gills. They MUST be stopped!

[sdfisher]

LOL ... preach wade!

And I would drop a seal bomb on a diver in a heartbeat if he was being a dip Sh!t and cutting my nets and flipping me and my buddies. every one has a right to the ocean and if you want to do stuff like that then you deserve it.

[Drake]

I'm not scared to use my gaff if a diver comes within arms reach of my yak. Sorry, but in the dark of night I'm not taking any chances

[Drake]

For those hatin' on Wade
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v134/Drakeskakes/310116_259364040768369_153592064678901_751069_6537 54175_n.jpg

[jorluivil]

Lobster are known to carry knifes, chainsaws, boxcutters, blow torches and chisels so stop blaming the divers already. :mad::mad::mad:

Come on folks! Read the writing on the walls.

Net goes in ok.
Net comes up damaged.
Do we really need to spell it out?

[JeffB]

I'M THE GUY WHO GOT FLIPPED THAT NIGHT IN WADE'S HERE STORY. MY NET WAS CUT, BY WHAT DUNNO. I HAVE HAD SEALS AND OTHER FISH RIP THROUGH MY NETS BEFORE, BUT THIS WAS A CLEAN CUT ON ONE OF THE 3 ROPES THAT CONNECT TO THE RING. sO WHAT COULD HAVE MADE A PERFECTLY CLEAN CUT DUNNO. MOST OF MY NET TEARS ARE RAGGED, ACTUALLY ALL OF THEM. AND THEY ARE ALL THE MESH, THIS WAS THE ROPE.


ON ANOTHER NOTE I AM ALMOST POSITIVE IT WAS NOT A DIVER WHO FLIPPED ME, GOSH LETS HOPE NOT. WHAT IT WAS DON'T KNOW. I DOVE INTO THE WATER WHEN MY KAYAK WAS BUMPED TO KEEP IT FROM CAPSIZING COMPLETELY. I WAS RIGHT BESIDE A COMMERCIAL BUOY, SO THAT COULD HAVE BEEN WHAT THUDDED MY KAYAK. I WAS TRYING TO RE-POSITION MYSELF AND A WAVE MIGHT HAVE PUSHED ME INTO THE BUOY FLIPPING ME OVER, WE WILL NEVER KNOW. NEEDLESS TO SAY I GOT BACK ON MY KAYAK ALRIGHT. IT DID SCARE THE SHIT OUT OF ME WITH ALL THE KELP LIGHTING UP AND MY AWESOME PANICKY DOG PADDLE SKILLS I HAD GOING.

AS FAR AS LOBSTER I HAD ONE LEGAL AND NEITHER OF THE OTHER TWO HAD ONE WHEN I LEFT. WHETHER OR NOT THEY TORE THEM UP AFTERWARDS, DUNNO. ONE GENTLEMEN TOLD ME HE WENT HOME EMPTY HANDED. THERE WAS SOMETHING SLAPPING AT THE WATER. THE HARD A$$ HOOPING FROM HIS SURF BOARD TOLD ME IT WAS MOST LIKELY A SEAL. AT THE TIME BEING I WAS A LITTLE STIRRED UP FROM BEING DUMPED AND BEING SOAKED AND COLD ANYTHING WAS BELIEVABLE. WADE WAS SURE IT WAS A DIVER AND MADE SURE THE HOUSE KNEW HE DIDNT APPRECIATE IT, I DUNNO. I BOUNCED OUT OF THERE AS FAST AS POSSIBLE :paddleersmilie: . MADE MY WIFE AN HOUR LATE TO WORK AND SHE ABOUT LOST HER JOB AND ME MY HEAD. DO NOT PISS OF A TINY THAI GIRL, "TRUST ME"!!!!


HOPE THAT KIND OF HELPS OUT WITH ALL YOU GUYS' CRAZINESS ON HERE.........

[JeffB]

I'M THE GUY WHO GOT FLIPPED THAT NIGHT IN WADE'S HERE STORY. MY NET WAS CUT, BY WHAT DUNNO. I HAVE HAD SEALS AND OTHER FISH RIP THROUGH MY NETS BEFORE, BUT THIS WAS A CLEAN CUT ON ONE OF THE 3 ROPES THAT CONNECT TO THE RING. sO WHAT COULD HAVE MADE A PERFECTLY CLEAN CUT DUNNO. MOST OF MY NET TEARS ARE RAGGED, ACTUALLY ALL OF THEM. AND THEY ARE ALL THE MESH, THIS WAS THE ROPE.


ON ANOTHER NOTE I AM ALMOST POSITIVE IT WAS NOT A DIVER WHO FLIPPED ME, GOSH LETS HOPE NOT. WHAT IT WAS DON'T KNOW. I DOVE INTO THE WATER WHEN MY KAYAK WAS BUMPED TO KEEP IT FROM CAPSIZING COMPLETELY. I WAS RIGHT BESIDE A COMMERCIAL BUOY, SO THAT COULD HAVE BEEN WHAT THUDDED MY KAYAK. I WAS TRYING TO RE-POSITION MYSELF AND A WAVE MIGHT HAVE PUSHED ME INTO THE BUOY FLIPPING ME OVER, WE WILL NEVER KNOW. NEEDLESS TO SAY I GOT BACK ON MY KAYAK ALRIGHT. IT DID SCARE THE SHIT OUT OF ME WITH ALL THE KELP LIGHTING UP AND MY AWESOME PANICKY DOG PADDLE SKILLS I HAD GOING.

AS FAR AS LOBSTER I HAD ONE LEGAL AND NEITHER OF THE OTHER TWO HAD ONE WHEN I LEFT. WHETHER OR NOT THEY TORE THEM UP AFTERWARDS, DUNNO. ONE GENTLEMEN TOLD ME HE WENT HOME EMPTY HANDED. THERE WAS SOMETHING SLAPPING AT THE WATER. THE HARD A$$ HOOPING FROM HIS SURF BOARD TOLD ME IT WAS MOST LIKELY A SEAL. AT THE TIME BEING I WAS A LITTLE STIRRED UP FROM BEING DUMPED AND BEING SOAKED AND COLD ANYTHING WAS BELIEVABLE. WADE WAS SURE IT WAS A DIVER AND MADE SURE THE HOUSE KNEW HE DIDNT APPRECIATE IT, I DUNNO. I BOUNCED OUT OF THERE AS FAST AS POSSIBLE :paddleersmilie: . MADE MY WIFE AN HOUR LATE TO WORK AND SHE ABOUT LOST HER JOB AND ME MY HEAD. DO NOT PISS OF A TINY THAI GIRL, "TRUST ME"!!!!


HOPE THAT KIND OF HELPS OUT WITH ALL YOU GUYS' CRAZINESS ON HERE.........



P.S. I TOLD WADE THAT THE HOUSE USES THE LIGHTS FOR DIVE LIGHTS SO THAT THE DIVERS CAN SEE EVERYTHING AT NIGHT. THAT PROBABLY DID NOT HELP OUT ANY. I KNOW WHEN I DIVE AT NIGHT WE PUT SPOT ;LIGHTS ON THE BEACH....

[kluts]

I can definitely see how upset you are,and I would be too,but I would go about it in a different way,getting revenge for that is one thing,but gps no.s and locations,to clean out a reef is not what websites are meant to represent,I would hope to see this thread moderated or deleted entirely for the good of the ocean

[mbaha]

I can definitely see how upset you are,and I would be too,but I would go about it in a different way,getting revenge for that is one thing,but gps no.s and locations,to clean out a reef is not what websites are meant to represent,I would hope to see this thread moderated or deleted entirely for the good of the ocean
Don't worry come 1/1/2012 this reef will be closed so quite whining. Plus commercial trappers take 80% of the bugs and are responsible for 95% of the ghost fishing.

[mbaha]

ON ANOTHER NOTE I AM ALMOST POSITIVE IT WAS NOT A DIVER WHO FLIPPED ME
Thank you.
Now if your buddies would stop chucking :jig:at divers that would be nice. The sharks are bad enough, and yes La Jolla is FULL of seven gills I see one on almost every dive.

[BigBalsa]

As I recall that Saturday night vividly, and have retold many times since ...

To the north, a lone yakker was working his nets patiently, in silence.

To the south, a crew of yakkers were working inside and outside the reef, occassionally shattering the quiet evening. "Somebody was sure sceaming happy at their legal bug(s) for sure. Holy cow. :eek: " A megaphone was not required. One of the crew repeatedly encourages the others to move closer inside; there is not much swell.

To the east, the spotlights at Vietors turned on bright as day, probably to see what all the screaming (to the south) was about. Fortunately, they did not stay lit all night.

All around, bioluminescense, illumination of every particle, kelp, bait (or squid), and an occasional mysterious "splash" - of what I still do not know. When I shone my light in the direction of each "splash" I saw in the distance (in my Scopace induced night vision) - (1) commercial trap floats, (2) nothing discernable, but definitely some kind of "splashing" critter, and (3) what "appeared" to be a diver's breathing apparatus.

I remained close by my 2 hoops. A five foot shark swam by - maybe a Thresher or a Sevengill. My traps yield nothing but "just barely" shorts.

A yakker approached and described his ordeal of: slashed nets, getting splashed by something, and of begin capsized. I found it hard to believe, yet it is a strange night, with many unexplicables, the red tide and Scopace-induced psuedo-hallucinations. Perhaps it was a seal or a shark that splashed, or an eel that slashed the nets. Or, perhaps that appartent diver's breathing apparatus was for real.

Shortly after the crew left the crawl shut down. I paddled back to the launch empty handed, perplexed, but with nets and lines intact.

[BigBalsa]

THE HARD A$$ HOOPING FROM HIS SURF BOARD TOLD ME IT WAS MOST LIKELY A SEAL.


Sorry - I was not trying to be a Hard A$$ - I was just cold, confused, and depressed at not getting any legal bugs for all my efforts, and the story was, at the time, hard to believe.

[bluesquids]

Okay, how about this scenario?

As I recall seeing at Turners the week before the opening there is a mad rush to buy hoops. I believe they come in boxes of 10 and they have a hard time keeping up with bringing the boxes out from the back and opening them all up. Boxes everywhere. A Box cutter hastily opening the tops and getting dragged across the top nets, maybe not cutting all the way but putting a good nick to where it eventually pops under load or when dislodging from the reef.
One out of 10 nets might get a nick, check your nets boys.

I just find it bizzare that someone would go to all that trouble in that dirty water to just cut one single bridle per guy. Why not jack up all your nets worse or cut the main line so you go home with no nets.

[BigBalsa]

Ok, so it was a creepy night, easy to get spooked at things that go "bump" or "splash" in the night. But, like Kung Fu walking on rice paper and not leaving a trace, there was no direct convincing evidence of a diver - no bubbles, no wake, no glowing trail, not even a dive light. On a night when every little jiggle in water caused a neon explosion, there were just mysterious splashes, and unexplicable netslashes.

What diver in their right mind would rather "partially" sabotage a few kayaker hoop nets on the opening night of lobster season, when instead they could be out catching lobster?

[lambadmin]

Interesting episode, to say the least.

We should not be getting all pumped up and starting kayak-diver wars. We all ought to respect each out on the water, we’re all after the same thing. Use common sense. Treat others how you’d like to be treated.

'Nuff, killing this thread for the sake of our oceans and peace on the internet.