This is why I love Laguna Beach

Got these last week, a couple days after I got that big bug in the other thread.

The story~

...

Well my relatives have been bugging me to catch them some lobsters for a week now. I knew I had a couple small tails and one big one in the freezer I could use, but they like boiling the live ones. So that meant more diving for me. Luckily I knew just where to go to get some fresh bugs. Out on a hidden reef that most people don’t know of, heck I didn’t even know of it until just a week ago when I noticed it by chance. Last time I visited this reef in the daytime it was just packed with fish, more calicos and sheephead than I normally see on a handful of regular reefs. I also saw a few legal sized bugs in a couple of holes, so I knew it was worth coming back to at night.

Sometime after midnight I packed up my gear, drove down to Laguna, and suited up for a quick solo dive. Walking down to the beach I noted the the moon was nowhere to be seen, the waves were low, the current wasn’t too rough, and the vis was 15ft If not more. I sure hoped the bugs would be crawling, because this felt like an excellent night for diving! Crossed the waves and swam out to the single reef I was aiming for. Thanks to the vis I spotted the reef in no time at all. Dropped my boogie board anchor to the rocky bottom below and I was all set for hunting.

With only two dives down I spotted my first legal bug crawling across the reef. Snatched it up and with a quick check of my gauge I soon felt even better than I had a few seconds ago. This bug was a half an inch over legal! For me to find a nice sized legal right off the bat meant there were plenty more where that came from. Stowing the bug on my board I went back to hunting, eager to find more.

That's when I found the strangest looking lobster ever. It was crawling around the reef like normal, but with something missing. It had no tail flaps! It looked like something had taken a chomp off its tail recently. You could even see the white meat sticking out from what remained of its tail. I grabbed it with a mercy kill in mind, but after measuring it I realized it was short. So I had to throw it back. As I swam on to the next spot I watched the lobster continue to flop what remained of its tail; taking 5x long as usual to get back to the bottom.

After a few more sweeps around the reef I managed to grab 3-4 more legal bugs on the crawl. By then I had covered almost the whole area and I thought to myself, “Well that should be enough.” But then I thought, “Hey wait a minute… this spot is getting shut down next year thanks to the MLPA. Why should I hold back? I should go for the full limit!” So back to hunting I went.

It took a little longer than before, but I grabbed 2 more legals after a bit of searching. One was a small female, which didn’t bother me. But when I grabbed it I noticed its shell had recently molted, so I threw her back. I really only wanted the hard shelled bugs (the softies never seem to last the night in my cooler).

By my calculations I only needed one more bug to make it a limit and then I could go home.

Leveling out at around 10-15ft underwater I start to scan my light back and forth across the rocky floor, looking for anything out of the ordinary. Something moves in the corner of my eye and I swing to my left seeing what it could be. A dozen feet away a single pair of fat antennae moves slowly back into a hole and out of sight. Flares light up in my brain! That’s a massive bug Daniel! In an instant the adrenaline sends me rushing towards the hole. Angling downward I swim headfirst into the narrow cave, not knowing where the bug will be. Swimming in past my waist I come to a stop. There on the ground, in the roughly 3ft wide cave and less than an arm’s length away, is that giant bug and he’s starring strait at me! Looking around I see the hole stretches further back by at least 6ft if not more. Losing him to the depths of this cave was the last thing I wanted. But luckily he didn’t move back. He just sat there and continued to watch me as I did the same.

At this distance I knew I had a chance. Thinking of where to grab I felt drawn to its knuckles. As my mind focused on those beefy appendages my hands were getting ready, coiling up those invisible springs. A second passed and my confidence flowed to its bursting point. Like lightning I jolted forward! Both hands hit their target and I had him by the knuckles! Immediately he clamped down hard with all his legs and just kicked his thick tail like mad! Kick after kick with no breaks in between and tons of force in each one. I was losing my grip with each thrust. One hard kick later and that was all it took. I lost him! With his new found freedom the bug flung himself deeper into the cave. But luckily my other hand still had him by a knuckle. Pulling him back to me I regrabbed his other knuckle and tried my best at yanking him out. Bumping myself all over the cave I struggled to get out and hold on to the bug at the same time. But with plenty of time left in my breath hold I kept wiggling myself out. A few scruffs later and I made it to the surface. Looking down at my left hand there was just one massive bug wrapped on top of it. Only after measuring it did I realize it was the largest bug I’ve ever grabbed, literally just a hair under double legal.

What a great night and I'm even more stoked I got this one from an area in Laguna that's getting closed down by the MLPA. Take that you stupid pro closure Lagunites

Here's another pic of the big one. Just wish I could edit out the doofy in my smile :rolleyes1:

Quote from chris oak

Nice bug Daniel, did you dive until the sun came up?

Nah I was outta there long before the sun came out. I shot these pics at sunset down at the beach by my house. An hour later we cooked up the 5 lobsters in my right hand. And yes I did suit up just for a couple of pics, I'm that crazy

Quote from LunkerBuster

epic Daniel, you are not only great at catching bugs, but you are excellent at recounting the experience for us to share...thanks

Yah just glad there's spearfishing forums around or I'd never have the motivation to write these all down. Takes a bit of time on my part siince I'm not the best writer.

Quote from Don Paul

Great post Daniel, Your the man.

Cheers, Don

Ha I'm just slowly realizing how Dave Plossel continues to catch one big lobster after the other. If I'm the man, he's the god. Right now I've got a few more reefs I want to check out in Laguna that could be holding, provided Dave hasn't found them yet.

Quote from Don Paul

Where is Dave ?....we need him here so you big bug masters can show me the ropes. I have never caught a bug over 6 lbs. except in New Caledonia where I got to shoot one with a Tahitian thumb gun legally then have a big Snowflake Eel dance with me, :@ To remind me of Krama.;)

Cheers, Don

It's just a lot of looking is all. Lots and lots of looking. If you can get that part down, then the other part is the harder one. Finding a spot that no one or not too many people have been to before. Basically just a bunch of good old fashion exploring. That's how Chris got his 5lb bug over in the other thread. And I'm sure that's how Dave gets his.