California Regulations on Spearfishing

[bushbuck8]

Hi. I was wondering when the season on calico bass and lobster starts. :hmm

 

[Oldsarge]

Lobster runs October through December. Calico bass are open all year. Go to your nearest dive shop for a fishing license and a booklet describing all the regs.

 

[ramstam]

The bass are really easy to spear. After a couple trips you will get tired of them. I think the most fun is to only hunt large halibut. If you can't find them keep looking, they are there. Look in the sandy areas around reefs in about 20ft of water. After a few dives you will see their mouth and eyes watching you swim over. I have the size limit marked on my spear and most times they lie still while I try to measure how big they might be, then they pop-up and swim away, or go home for dinner. Good luck.

 

[bushbuck8]

thanks ramstam

 

[Bill McIntyre]

The bass are really easy to spear. After a couple trips you will get tired of them.

I'll have to disagree with that statement. I, along with many of my friends who are a lot better spearfishermen than am I, consider large calico bass to be very hard to spear- much harder than the white sea bass for instance.

Sure, its pretty easy to shoot two pounders, but just look at an eight pounder and it explodes out of sight.

And if you admit that halibut let you measure them by placing your gun next to them, then how can you call calicos easy?

 

[ramstam]

The hard part about the halibut is keeping them pinned and getting them to shore. It is also fun to try to find them. You are right about the smaller bass, 2 1/2 to 3 pounds is the normal size I've found.