Re: Yo Tunahead
 

Thats cool Tuna, never did that diving stuff other than at the resorts, lot of snorkeling though. Love it.
Got to get out there some day and hit that big boat with you guys, you look like you all have fun, and I dont mean with the zipper thing Ozzie so don't even go there ::)

Re: Yo Tunahead
 

Thats cool Tuna, never did that diving stuff other than at the resorts, lot of snorkeling though. Love it.
Got to get out there some day and hit that big boat with you guys, you look like you all have fun, and I dont mean with the zipper thing Ozzie so don't even go there ::)

Re: Yo Tunahead
 

Reel,
Abalone are actually a marine snail. They have one large shell that covers their body. There are 7 different species off the CA coast but only one, the red abalone, is legal to take. Minimum size is 7" in diameter. The record is near 12". We call the big ones hubcaps.

Most of the inside of the shell is taken up by a single large muscle that they use to suck onto the rock. We pop them off the rocks with a flat metal bar (aka: ab iron). Surprise is the name of the game cuz if you bump them even slightly they clamp down in about half a second and there is no way pry them off (remember, this is free diving so no tanks).

Because there is only one attatchment spot in the shell for the muscle the muscle fibers criss-cross in every direction rather than running parallel like in mamals. The meat is firm and often feels like a slightly rubbery hockey puck at first. You have to slice it, take a mallet and show 'em who's boss. Afterwards the thin flat steak is breaded and fried or (my favorite) wrapped around a bit of avocado and jack cheese, closed with toothpicks, coated with bread crumbs and fried.

TH

Re: Yo Tunahead
 

Reel,
Abalone are actually a marine snail. They have one large shell that covers their body. There are 7 different species off the CA coast but only one, the red abalone, is legal to take. Minimum size is 7" in diameter. The record is near 12". We call the big ones hubcaps.

Most of the inside of the shell is taken up by a single large muscle that they use to suck onto the rock. We pop them off the rocks with a flat metal bar (aka: ab iron). Surprise is the name of the game cuz if you bump them even slightly they clamp down in about half a second and there is no way pry them off (remember, this is free diving so no tanks).

Because there is only one attatchment spot in the shell for the muscle the muscle fibers criss-cross in every direction rather than running parallel like in mamals. The meat is firm and often feels like a slightly rubbery hockey puck at first. You have to slice it, take a mallet and show 'em who's boss. Afterwards the thin flat steak is breaded and fried or (my favorite) wrapped around a bit of avocado and jack cheese, closed with toothpicks, coated with bread crumbs and fried.

TH

Re: Yo Tunahead
 

Never tried snail, I'll stick with catching bugs. "lobster". ;D

Re: Yo Tunahead
 

Never tried snail, I'll stick with catching bugs. "lobster". ;D

Re: Yo Tunahead
 

No lobster in Northern CA or farther up the coast. *California spiny lobster live along the Southern CA and Mexico coast. *They differ from their East coast cousins because as they have no claws (just have a bad attitude). I'm doing a fishing/diving trip in June with family and friends to the Sea of Cortez on a "panga mothership". *I oughta be able to get my first bugs then. * The ship is the "Andrea Lynn" out of San Felipe. *The trip leaves San Felipe Saturday morning and motors south through through Saturday night. *Sunday morning they drop ten 20' skiffs in the water with 50 hp outboards on 'em and you take off to the Midriff islands to fish or dive. *Return to the boat at noon, have lunch then head out again to fish until sunset. *At night you fish from the boat to make bait and catch giant Humboldt squid. You live aboard the ship until it returns to port the following Thursday. A guy who went on the same mothership trip last year sent me this link to his photos. Check out the spiny lobsters they brought aboard!

http://www.kodakgallery.com/Slidesho...7ilwh&Ux=1

Re: Yo Tunahead
 

No lobster in Northern CA or farther up the coast. *California spiny lobster live along the Southern CA and Mexico coast. *They differ from their East coast cousins because as they have no claws (just have a bad attitude). I'm doing a fishing/diving trip in June with family and friends to the Sea of Cortez on a "panga mothership". *I oughta be able to get my first bugs then. * The ship is the "Andrea Lynn" out of San Felipe. *The trip leaves San Felipe Saturday morning and motors south through through Saturday night. *Sunday morning they drop ten 20' skiffs in the water with 50 hp outboards on 'em and you take off to the Midriff islands to fish or dive. *Return to the boat at noon, have lunch then head out again to fish until sunset. *At night you fish from the boat to make bait and catch giant Humboldt squid. You live aboard the ship until it returns to port the following Thursday. A guy who went on the same mothership trip last year sent me this link to his photos. Check out the spiny lobsters they brought aboard!

http://www.kodakgallery.com/Slidesho...7ilwh&Ux=1