Lobster Hoop Netting San Diego
Dark water, heavy hoops, and a deck full of lobster
California spiny lobster season runs from early October through mid-March, and every year the same thing happens – the people who do these trips come back the following season without hesitation. It’s that good.
We run two lobster trip formats:
- Lobster (Night): The Night trip is pure bug hunting after dark.
- Lobster Combo: The Combo gives you fishing during the day and drops hoops at dusk.
The Swordfish Charter is booked by anglers who’ve thought about this fish for a while. People who know what a swordfish can do and want to experience it firsthand. If that’s you, this is your trip.
Both are private charters
Both are private charters – your group, your boat, your experience. No strangers, no party boat crowds, no waiting around. Just you and your crew on a fully equipped vessel working San Diego’s shoreline.
How the Charter Operates
Hoop netting is exactly what it sounds like. Steel ring hoops with netting are baited and dropped to the bottom in productive habitat – rocky reef, kelp edges, and sandy transitions adjacent to structure. The hoops sit for a set period, then you pull them up and see what came to dinner. When the hoops are loaded, it’s genuinely one of the most exciting moments in San Diego fishing – or really any fishing.
Your Captain Knows Where to Set the Hoops.
Your captain knows where to drop. San Diego’s coastline has productive lobster grounds throughout the season, and Brothers Sport Fishing captains run these spots regularly. They’re not guessing at locations. They know where the bugs are.
The Two Trip Options
Some trips are worth going all-in on. Our Full Day Charter is one of them. Twelve hours on the water – 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. – running to the two most productive destinations we offer: Full Day Coronados Islands and Full Day Offshore. This is the trip that produces the stories.
The Full Day Charter is for anglers who want to fish seriously. Not people who want a boat ride with a rod in their hand – people who want to put in full hours on quality water with a captain who’s running a real operation.
Lobster (Night)
5 hours, 6:00 p.m.–11:00 p.m.
This is the classic trip out after dark when lobsters are most active, working the reefs, pulling hoops, and stacking bugs until it’s time to run back. Night trips have an energy to them that daytime fishing doesn’t replicate. Bring a cooler and a good attitude.
Lobster Combo
9 hours, 12:30 p.m.–9:30 p.m.
Start with afternoon fishing for whatever’s biting – bass, halibut, bonito – then transition into lobster hoop netting as the sun goes down. You’re coming home with fish and lobster. This is the move if you want to make a full event out of it.
Vessel and Equipment
Our vessels are fully equipped with Yamaha outboards, Simrad GPS/Sonar/Radar to work the coastline efficiently, oversized bait tanks, and plenty of cooler space for your catch.
Yamaha Outboards
Seeker Rods
Shimano Reels
Simrad GPS/Sonar/Radar
Oversized Bait Tanks
Extra Cooler Space
These boats are set up for big fish in offshore conditions. Your catch is iced the moment it hits the deck.
Safety above USCG minimums on every trip.
Safety above USCG minimums: commercial life jackets, radar, three VHF radios, including an emergency handheld, and an EPIRB. Non-negotiable on every trip, especially this one.
Charter Pricing
|
Trip Type
|
23 Parker
|
25 Bahia
|
28 Parker
|
|---|---|---|---|
|
Lobster (Night)
|
$850
|
$1,025
|
$1,200
|
|
Lobster Combo
|
$1,600
|
$1,850
|
$$2,050
|
Per Boat Pricing
Price is per boat — split it however you want across your group.
Deposit & Balance
A $250 deposit locks your date. The remaining balance is due 1–2 days before your trip.
We Accept Multiple Payment Methods
- 2.7% CC processing fee applies to credit card payments
Pair It With a Fishing Charter
Half Day Trip
5.5 Hours
Run a Half-Day trip in the morning and a Lobster Night trip in the evening – two completely different experiences on the same day.
4 Hour Trip
4 Hours
Or do the Lobster Combo and handle both in one shot. The 4-Hour trip in the morning with the Lobster Night trip in the evening is a serious San Diego fishing day.
Whale Watching Charter
Seasonal
And if you want to plan around the season, check the Whale Watching Charter page – gray whale migration and lobster season overlap, and Brothers Sport Fishing can run both.
Book Your Fishing Trip
- Cancellation Policy
- Cancellations 7 or more days before your trip receive a full deposit refund.
- Cancellations inside 7 days can apply the deposit toward a future reservation date.
- Brothers Sport Fishing reserves the right to reschedule due to unsafe weather or mechanical issues — and if that happens, your deposit is fully refunded or transferred, your call.
Groups of 7 or More?
We put multiple boats in the water. Call, text, or WhatsApp to sort it out.