The Harbor Column:

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 interruptusPanulirus 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.

First, make sure that you have a current fishing license, the lobster report card and your gauge. Remember, that you may only catch lobsters by hand or a hoop net, and the minimum size is 3 1/4 inches measured in a straight line on the midline of the back, from the rear edge of the eye socket to the rear edge of the body shell.

You can bring a lobster to the surface for measuring, but by no means can an undersized lobster be brought aboard any boat. Thus, you must measure immediately, and all shorties (the term for undersized lobsters) must be released into the water immediately.

If you use hoop nets like off a boat, then only five baited hoop nets may used by one person, and no more than 10 baited hoop nets off of any vessel. The daily bag and possession is seven lobsters per person, and here is an important part.

Unlike with fishing for fish, lobsters must be kept whole on any boat or to bring ashore a lobster in such a condition that its size cannot be determined.

The California Department of Fish and Game has a very helpful lobster information card at www.dfg.ca.gov/marine/ pdfs/lobsterbrochure.pdf.

Tip of the week is that boaters need to be cautious transiting Newport Harbor’s jetty entrance. Lying just outside the jetties are lobster pots with their marker buoys floating on the surface.

I recommend navigating a straight course to and from the jetty entrance to the Mo Buoy to avoid wrapping a line on your prop especially after dark. After a storm or heavy seas some of the traps may drift directly in front of the jetty entrance, so keep a good lookout.

MIKE WHITEHEAD is the Pilot’s boating columnist. Send marine-related thoughts and story suggestions to mike@boathousetv.com or go to www.boathousetv.com .