Although it is legal to harvest spot prawns south of Point Conception, it is not feasible to catch them due to the current shrimp and prawn gear regulations, which restrict trap opening sizes to ½ inch south of Point Conception. Your best bet for catching spot prawns is to fish for them north of Point Conception, where traps with up to 5-inch openings are allowed. The reason for the difference in opening dimensions is to protect juvenile lobsters (found south of Point Conception) from being incidentally taken in these traps.
If you’re interested in learning more, including information on fishing for spot prawns, please review CDFW’s Spot Prawn Enhanced Status Report.