Too bad no pintos but good to bring home something different in the crabs. You had an excellent run of fishing the past 6 months from the yellowtail units to everything else, glad you made it to the other side in one piece, albeit with some shots in the shoulder.

With the exciting pictures I saw of the Pinto Spiny Lobsters from another fisherman here in SD, I was real hopeful of finding a Pinto or Green Spiny here in SD this night.



I really wanted to fish a little more North but my buddy was dead set on fishing SD Bay again.  Not my boat so not my call.

We had quite a few BIG ships roll past us as the evening went on.  A little too close if you ask me.  hahaha



30 hoops pulled and we still didn't get a single lobster, even a short one.  The one thing that was crawling though was the crabs, of all shapes and sizes! 

Lots of swimmer and sheep crab...



and more yellow and red rock crab than I ever remember catching.  All on Mud bottom so I have no idea why there were so many.



We finally got a short lobster and were stoked just to finally stop blasting out goose eggs on the white board.  We adjusted nets at this point and got a visit from the navy since we were a bit close.  The guy was really cool and we shared intel with him.  He told us the guys that were in the apparent "Hot Zone" only got 4 legals between the 5 boats that were set up there.  Not a good sign.

We kept (or I should say my buddy kept) pulling and pulling hoops.  We caught well over 2 dozen legal rock crab, but many had eggs so we let a lot go.  It was already 2:00 am and all we could manage were 2 legal bugs (which we were super stoked for) so we decided to pull and drop in front of the ramp just as a last quick drop hail mary.



Well, my buddy measured out a wrong amount of line and we watched one of the heavy nets slowly sink 10 feet below the boat.  He was going to jump in, but I was like, there has to be a better way.  I grabbed one of his jigs and tied on an extra hook on some 100# test he had onboard and went fishing.  Well, he went fishing first but had zero luck, so we switched and tried to see if my abilities to lose a lure in the tree was better.  Well, damn, I got it!  We recovered the net and reset but I was about done when all of a sudden 10 cops with their light blazing all stopped in front of the ramp with some suspects in the middle of them shouting... WTF!?!?

Well we had to stay out there until they left and pulled our last set about 3:45 am and found another lobster!  It was a short, but just a random place for a bug along with another big crab.

Long story short was I didn't get home until 5:00 am and was exhausted!  I spent the day cleaning, cooking and shucking the crabs for the meat (what a process that was) and now have a bunch of things to do before starting work on Monday.

Well, not the successful lobster trip for Pinto's I was hoping for, but I did bring home the good haul of crab.  Definitely my best ever haul of them.



Well, so much less fishing for me coming up soon now that I'll be back at work, but it's been one hell of a six month run of fish fo me, I'm pretty good for a bit.

Until Next Tide!

So, this may be a tricky one.  It specifically says "California Spiny Lobster" in the regs, but it also only says "Spiny Lobster Report Card" and "Spiny Lobster" multiple times throughout the regs.  My guess is it would still have to measure up to the gauge used on Cali Spinys.  I'm sure there would be a few wardens who would let it go, but most probably would state something like I mentioned in the beginning of this post.

Checks out on the descriptors.

From https://mexican-marine-life.org/pinto-spiny-lobster/ , it seems they are waaaay out of their way up here.

The Pinto Spiny Lobster is found in all Mexican waters of the Pacific Ocean with the exception that they are absent from north of Magdalena Bay, Baja California Sur, along the central and northwest coasts of the Baja Peninsula, south of the Gulf of Tehuantepec, Oaxaca, and north of Bahía de los Ángeles, Baja California in the Gulf of California. They are the  most common species of spiny lobster in the Gulf of California. In the early 1960's two individuals were captured as far north as San Diego, California.

Wild that there's a sudden influx of them for the first time in perhaps 60 years. Hope you get one. Would you be allowed to keep it? Could be sketchy but I would guess DFW would be perplexed to see it and at least be forgiving if they checked you.

Quote from: jrodda on February 25, 2026, 06:11:22 PMI feel that victory may elude you this year...

I've heard that many a times... Until the clock struck 12:00 and the winner was announced!  lol

When I was in Rancho Leonero, I think they called them Pinto Spiny Lobsters.  The two I remember looking weird was that and a Green one... but I'm pretty sure this is a Pinto.

Quote from: sasquatch on February 25, 2026, 01:51:56 PMLast one I had sounded like the music on my playlist at the time. I just closed my eyes and jammed out. Over before I knew it.

Yeah, the Jackhammer Mafia Quartet was keeping the rhythm interesting, the earplugs kept it tolerable but I'm still glad I'm good for another year

Max and Myles had some good luck a while back, then it shut off, hopefully The Bats are getting hungry !

Not a bad day, except for the slap in the face   

Kinda nice to be on the water mid week instead of a weekend 

Mr. Warden looks like he's on a Mission !

I've got more willing participants to help throughout the day this time, I feel that victory may elude you this year...