What Is The Best Way To Catch Lobster With Hoop Nets?
I love all kinds of fishing. Anything I can catch on the water is a good catch to me. I will be happy if I can jump on a boat or a dock and bring home dinner. Many people think that this means that fishing with a pole and bait and pulling up fish after a struggle to reel them in. But there are many delicious creatures in the water just waiting to be caught. A high-end delicacy and a favorite of mine is lobster. If you have never tried to catch lobster, you may think that it is overly complicated and out of your range of skills. With a bit of practice and the right equipment, you too can catch your own lobsters.
Here are some tips that will help you get started on your journey to catch some mouthwatering lobsters.
How Do I Use A Hoop Net To Catch Lobster?
One of the best tools for you to use when venturing out to catch lobster is a hoop net. A hoop net can catch a number of different kinds of fish. People often use these kinds of nets to catch catfish but also works to catch lobster.
A hoop net is made from a couple of hoops connected by nets. It works weighing the set up to the bottom of the water and baiting the inside of the nets with a treat that the lobsters love to lure them into the inner rings of the hoop net. After some time, you pull the net up, and the lobsters that climbed in won’t be able to climb out and they will be caught and ready for you.
This seems simple, as you just fill a hoop net with yummy bait and sink it into a place full of lobster. But there are plenty of little things you can do that you may overlook that will make your hoop net fishing more successful. First of all, it is best to light up your hoop net. The best way to light up your hoop net is glow sticks or LED lights. When you sink your hoop net, you will want a floater so you can find and pull it back up later. Attach to this floater a bottle with some glow sticks or LED lights in it. These lights will make your gear stand out. This is good for not only finding your gear again and being able to pull it back up, but to let others know that you have your things there, and they won’t run it over or interfere with your operation. You only need a bottle that will float. Almost any plastic bottle will work for this. Make sure the bottle is large enough. My favorite is a clear two-liter soda bottle. Anything around this size that is clear will work. You don’t need too many lights, a hand full of glow sticks should work, but that is up to you. The bottle can be attached to your floater line with a zip tie and should be secure. Reflective tape on your floats is also a great idea that helps with visibility.
Lobsters are often deep in the water, crawling around on the bottom. This means that your line should be long enough to reach the bottom. To make your hoop net versatile, you will want to make what is known as ‘shots.’ These are sections of rope that can be added to lengthen the distance that the net can reach with ease. They are usually sections of rope with an attachment such as a carabiner that can be easily incorporated between your net and the floater. Having a number of shots of different lengths will give you lots of versatility. Having a few handy at 60’, 80’ and 100’ is a great idea that will let you sink your hoop net nearly anywhere where the lobsters are hungry.
When you are looking to bait your hoop net, there are a few guidelines that will help you catch lobster reliably. First and foremost, always use the freshest bait you can. Bait that is less than fresh can attract some game that you would be less than interested in. If your bait is rotten, you may end up skates, rays, eels, and scorpion fish. You don’t want these things crowding the space that you want to be filled with lobster. The fresh bait you want that will attract the most lobster includes mackerel, bonito, sardine, salmon heads, or nearly any oily fish.
To prep, your bait, cut it into manageable pieces and coat them in cooking oil. The cooking oil will float away from your bait and entice the lobster to come to your trap. You should fill your bait cage as full as possible. When you fill it very full, the lobster will stay in the trap longer, giving you more opportunity to catch them. Make sure that your bait is securely tied to your net as well, so other animals do not pull it off and make away with it.
Another important detail in hoop net fishing is how you drop your net. Dropping your net properly can determine if your night will be a disaster or success. First, find a good place to drop, where lobsters will be. Then watch the movement of the water and the current. These things will affect how your net floats down to the bottom. Make sure that you have the proper weights that will make sure that your net does not drift away.
When you get ready to drop your net, make sure that your ropes and net are not tangled and will easily unspool as it sinks. Tangles will make your net twist and sink unevenly.
When you are ready to pull the net up, you should get downwind from your net. Make sure that you are pulling evenly and quickly pulling the lineup. Be very careful to not to jerk the rope too much so that whatever you caught does not fall out. Do not disturb your net until you are ready to pull it to the surface.
Good Luck
There are a number of factors that are important when using a hoop net to fish for lobster. Light it up, make sure that you can find it, have lots of rope so that it can reach to bottom and use fresh bait. Fresh bait will attract the best lobster. When you are ready, pull it out in a steady way that will keep your lobsters in your net.
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