Lobster

The way kids can’t wait to open presents on Christmas, chef Brian Hirsty couldn’t wait to open his first trap full of lobsters. There Hirsty was Wednesday night, standing at the docks near the Balboa Pavilion as his smelly, sticky and spiny boatload of gifts putted its way toward him. The Bluewater Grill chef was so excited he took pictures as the boat came in. He wasn’t the only one anticipating the beginning of spiny lobster...

Alex Coolman NEWPORT BEACH -- Gentlemen, start your engines. Lobster season begins today in California, bringing long, grueling hours of work for the men who catch the crustaceans and the prospect of a butter-dipped frenzy for those who feed on them. At the dock near the Bluewater Grill on Tuesday, the crew of Kenny Calvert's boat Addiction was scrambling to prepare hundreds of traps for the start. Each trap weighs about 50 pounds, Calvert said, and he sets about 500 of them between San Mateo Point and Newport Harbor.

When Margie Sandles asked us to join her on a trip through Maine, we decided a fun goal would be to search out the best lobster in the area and see as many lighthouses as we could find. In mid-September, I set out on an adventure with Sandles and Irene Malone from Newport Beach and Pat Bengfort from Costa Mesa. We had all become friends from a water aerobics class. One of our first stops was to shop. In Freeport, Maine, is an outlet center with a well known L.L. Bean outlet store.

Ahoy! Great news that our local recreational lobster season begins Saturday, and I cannot wait to see lobsters being delivered on my doorstep. Yes, I do take bribes. Panulirus interruptus is the species of clawless lobster in our coastal waters, which are slightly smaller than the East Coast Maine lobsters that have claws. The recreational season for the California spiny lobsters runs from the Saturday proceeding the first Wednesday in October until the first Wednesday after March 15. This season's dates are Saturday through Wednesday, March 20. If you plan to go lobster hunting then follow the rules or a visit by a Department of Fish and Game officer will ruin your day. Thus, I have an overview of the regulations for the recreational fishermen or divers, and remember the regulations are slightly different then the rules for the commercial guys.

A Costa Mesa man was arrested Friday evening by Crystal Cove State Park officials on suspicion of poaching lobsters. At about 6:30 p.m., park officers spotted three men on an unmarked 16-foot boat, pulling up lobster traps offshore near Crystal Cove's historic cottages, park Supt. Ken Kramer said. Licensed lobster fishermen are required to display their license numbers prominently on their boats. After watching from the bluff, officers then boarded the boat as it entered Newport Harbor and arrested Ryan James Hughes, 21, the boat's owner, Kramer said.

Ahoy. Once again, it's lobster season and scores of floating buoys are tethered to the lobster pots lining up seaward from both of Newport's jetties tips. Boaters should travel this area with caution and watch out for the lobster pot buoys just seaward of Newport's line of demarcation. You want to avoid entangling the buoys' lines around your keel, running gear or wrapping the lines in your props. You can clear the buoys by maintaining a straight course between the jetty entrance and the midchannel marker.

October is here, which signals the start of our local lobster season. I cannot wait to savor the local lobster. I love to eat Panulirus interruptus Panulirus interruptus , the species of clawless lobster that inhabits our coastal waters. The California spiny lobster will begin showing up on dinner plates Saturday until the season’s final day, March 17. Before you head out lobster hunting, I have an overview of the regulations, and remember that there are different regulations for the commercial guys.

The staff at Z?Tejas Southwestern Grill at South Coast Plaza recently served up some good, old-fashioned Christmas spirit for an area family that has fallen on hard times. When the servers heard about the tough holidays facing the Cuniga family, they surprised them with $500 and iPod Nanos for the two children at a lunch Monday at the restaurant. Community Action Team, a Long Beach nonprofit, donated the music players. Rafaela Cuniga and her husband, Carlos, were already struggling financially as they raise two teenage grandchildren because Carlos, the main breadwinner, lost his job as a landscaper.

Truman Capote would have smiled. In the avant-garde tradition of Capote's 1960s New York social A-ticket known as the "Black and White Ball," Orange County trendsetters borrowed on the theme to ring in South Coast Repertory's 2011-12 season. The SCR event, which unfolded on Saturday evening in the ballroom of The Ritz-Carlton in Laguna Niguel, took the Capote memory one step further. As the crowd of some 300 patrons arrived, donating a minimum of $2,500 per couple to the theatrical organization, black-and-white masks were presented.

While not a record holder myself, I have been associated with two notable records. Many moons ago, Sam Oxarart, his brother Charlie and I were diving in Ensenada. Diving was lousy, so Charlie and I went in, telling Sam we would be at Hussong's. Now Sam was a lousy diver. We called him "U-turn Sam" because his head was coming up at the same time his feet were going under. However, after we left, Sam came face to face with a huge bull lobster, grabbed it and somehow wrestled it to shore.

Ahoy! The bug hunters can put away their hoop nets, since lobster season ended Wednesday in Southern California. I love to eat Panulirus interruptus, but now I will have a break until the next season begins Sept. 27. While your hoop nets are gathering dust, you can read the latest regulations from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Its website ( http://www.dfg.ca.gov ) has detailed information about regulations, latest news, marine life management, licenses and new mobile phone apps.

Ahoy! Attention all boaters: Have you heard about the grand opening this weekend for the largest West Marine store on the West Coast? This gigantic flagship emporium encompasses more than 27,000 square feet, with 18,000 products in the showroom. West Marine built the store with boaters in mind, using the responses from a survey of Orange County boaters. The store is built so shoppers can see and touch various products, including more than 100 marine electronic products, a new "Bait Shack" with fishing gear, and small boats from kayaks to inflatables.

This post has been corrected, as noted below. An estimated 1,000 lobsters will fly into John Wayne Airport on Friday evening. If you cast a glance skyward, you won't notice any marine crustaceans suspended in mid-air. They will, instead, disembark from a refrigerated cargo line after departing from New York's John F. Kennedy Airport. A truck driver will intercept the wax cardboard boxes and transport the live critters to Anderson Seafoods in Anaheim, where they will be stored overnight in large tanks.

Ahoy! Southern California normally has very consistent weather that bores the local meteorologists with reports of sunny and warm. However, this time of year, the weather and sea conditions can change radically from the norm, and boaters can be caught off guard. Last week, in the wee hours of the morning, I was driving over the Grapevine on Interstate 5 heading north to San Francisco when a snowstorm hit the area. Luckily, I made it over the summit with 20 minutes to spare before CHP closed the Interstate due to slippery conditions.

Ahoy! Great news that our local recreational lobster season begins Saturday, and I cannot wait to see lobsters being delivered on my doorstep. Yes, I do take bribes. Panulirus interruptus is the species of clawless lobster in our coastal waters, which are slightly smaller than the East Coast Maine lobsters that have claws. The recreational season for the California spiny lobsters runs from the Saturday proceeding the first Wednesday in October until the first Wednesday after March 15. This season's dates are Saturday through Wednesday, March 20. If you plan to go lobster hunting then follow the rules or a visit by a Department of Fish and Game officer will ruin your day. Thus, I have an overview of the regulations for the recreational fishermen or divers, and remember the regulations are slightly different then the rules for the commercial guys.

BOSTON — The men's doubles team of Travis Parrott and John-Patrick Smith won in overtime to propel the visiting Orange County Breakers to a 24-19 World Team Tennis win over the Boston Lobsters on Tuesday. Smith defeated Jan-Michael Gambill, 5-1, in men's singles to trigger three straight Breakers victories to start the match. Lindsay Davenport won in singles and also paired with Anna-Lena Groenfeld for a doubles win for Orange County (3-3). Butorac and Gambill posted a 5-4 doubles win over Smith and Parrott to force overtime.

Truman Capote would have smiled. In the avant-garde tradition of Capote's 1960s New York social A-ticket known as the "Black and White Ball," Orange County trendsetters borrowed on the theme to ring in South Coast Repertory's 2011-12 season. The SCR event, which unfolded on Saturday evening in the ballroom of The Ritz-Carlton in Laguna Niguel, took the Capote memory one step further. As the crowd of some 300 patrons arrived, donating a minimum of $2,500 per couple to the theatrical organization, black-and-white masks were presented.

Authorities towed a small fishing boat into Newport Harbor on Thursday morning after it capsized the near the harbor's entrance the night before. Both men on the vessel who were fishing for lobster were unhurt. About 7 a.m., a beachgoer spotted the boat about 100 yards offshore at Crystal Cove State Beach and notified authorities, said Orange County Sheriff's Department Sgt. Dave Ginter. Deputies were unable to reach it by boat because it was too close to shore, so a Newport Beach lifeguard swam a line to the boat.

Save the date of Aug. 1 for the second annual Newport Beach Lobsterfest sponsored by the Rotary Club of Newport Beach Sunrise. The Lobsterfest will be held at the Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort and Marine on Newport Beach's Back Bay beginning at 4 p.m. for beach time and silent auction, and 6 p.m. for the lobster dinner. "While there are always growing pains with any new event, this year's will be even better than last year," said Rotarian Laura Dietz. "VIP tables will include premium wines, choice of whole lobster or lobster tail and tri-tip, side dishes, no-host bar, a separate entrance, free valet parking, and a special ambience away from the crowds but near the water on a hard surface."

October is here, which signals the start of our local lobster season. I cannot wait to savor the local lobster. I love to eat Panulirus interruptus Panulirus interruptus , the species of clawless lobster that inhabits our coastal waters. The California spiny lobster will begin showing up on dinner plates Saturday until the season’s final day, March 17. Before you head out lobster hunting, I have an overview of the regulations, and remember that there are different regulations for the commercial guys.