Bug limit and Cab tales from Ventura

23OCT2011 @ 2000 found some 8 ft viz and a colder incoming tide at my new honey cave. Almost instantly had two legal bugs in the bag a big grumpy rock crab which caused a ruckus in the kill bag and jail broke the lobby's out about five minutes later! Now I'm -2 lobsters and -1 rock crab but am confident in my swift right hand girlfriend. In about 30 minutes I stuffed 7 legal bugs back in my bag with another aggressive rock crab and tied the handles shut with some tuna cord I had while pointing out a handle of legals to a first time night diver! He ended up with 3 before he was feeling the cold in his 3mm.

As for the cabezon tale well it was somewhere between my 3rd and 4th bug when I spotted the biggest cab I've personally seen diving. I pointed out to my amigo so he can ID future meals and was kicking myself for not owning a hole gun yet and not bringing the pole spear that was back in the GOV so I armed myself with my blade and followed him into a crevice that was filled with more rock crabs than there was salt in the water. I immediately found myself in striking position and stuck him in the belly just below the pectoral fins and grabbed on to my personal best. He was easily over 18-19" I discovered once on the surface. I'm more than confident that he was scratching 21" because he was easily twice as long as a legal bug. Got a solid anchor in his gills and managed my bag open shove him in only to watch him roll twist and kick the f$_k out and into a no mans land mini deep cave! Learned my lesson right there I should gutted him and de gilled him while I had my blade out with a good grip on home before I went any further or just have my stringer next time a leave the bag for the lobsters.

Headed back out every night this week to attempt to redeem myself and make the most of this work vacation I'm on!

Quote from Sockeye

Thanks I thought it was 4", I never see them that bug so I don't worry about it.

Yes 4" and 35 is the daily limit! Where are you diving where your only seeing shorts? I havent seen to many under 4". No joke the spot i have been diving the last two days has 25 5-7" crab per rock. You can just flashlight em into your bag or grab there back two legs and they wont get you. I was told by a fellow spearfisherman who use to catch them commercially that they would break the claws off at the 2nd knuckle and throw them back in cause they respawn there claws? Havent actually read anything about it though or how well that crab can survive with no claws?

Quote from LunkerBuster

Damn that sucks about the cab. ESP after you had him in hand.

Not to rub anything in, but is it not standard practice in CA to brain your fish right away? I do it as a matter of course cos of all the sharks we have so I just assumed it was normal routine. Stil made out with some damn fine eats.

Maybe it is standard practice to brain em but I usually don't put fish in bags I string em through the eyes and that's that. I've de-gilled and gutted fish before only to bleed em out and not make messes on boats. If everyone is doing that outta the fear of sharks alone lol then I feel sorry for those individuals. I am more concerned with other things than so possible what if!