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HERE ARE SOME GREAT WEB SITES TO LOOK AT FOR INFORMATION ON DATE, WHERE TO LOOK, HOW TO CATCH...THE RULES OF WHAT YOU CAN KEEP.....ETC.
YOU MUST HAVE A LICENSE.....PATROLS ARE OUT TO FIND YOU AND "WILL" STOP YOU
oh, and YES.. we have lobster HERE in our own back yards!!!!! You dont have to drive to the Keys, you just have to know where to look!
Spiny Lobster Sport Season
Season dates Bag limit Possession limit - on the water Possession limit - off the water Minimum size limit
July 29-30, 2015 (Last consecutive Wednesday and Thursday of July each year)
6 per person per day for Monroe County and Biscayne National Park
12 per person per day for the rest of Florida
Equal to the daily bag limit Equal to the daily bag limit on the first day, and double the daily bag limit on the second day
Carapace larger than 3", measured in the water
Possession and use of a measuring device is required at all times
Find out how to measure spiny lobster
*Possession limits are enforced on and off the water
**Night diving is prohibited in Monroe County (only during the sport season)
***Harvest of lobster is prohibited in John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park during the sport season and in Everglades National Park, Dry Tortugas National Park, no-take areas in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and in the Biscayne Bay/Card Sound Lobster Sanctuary during both the 2-day sport season and regular season.
Special Lionfish Removal Opportunity
Divers who harvest 10 or more lionfish per day may harvest 1 additional spiny lobster during the 2015 sport season (LIONFISH ARE DESTROYING OUR FISH AND REEFS- PLEASE TAKE THEM OUT)
Regular Spiny Lobster Season
Aug. 6 - March 31 6 per person per day Equal to the daily bag limit
Carapace larger than 3", measured in the water
Possession and use of a measuring device is required at all times
Find out how to measure spiny lobster
***Harvest of lobster is prohibited in John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park during the sport season and in Everglades National Park, Dry Tortugas National Park, no-take areas in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and in the Biscayne Bay/Card Sound Lobster Sanctuary during both the 2-day sport season and regular season.
Florida Keys/Monroe County Information
Regulations for Recreational Harvest and Lobster Information for Monroe County
Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary
Call 305-852-7717 or visit Welcome to the NOAA Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary icon_external.png for information about no take areas in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Please call the FWC Marathon office at 305-289-2320.
Other Prohibitions Unless exempt, a recreational saltwater fishing license and a lobster permit are required to harvest spiny lobster
Lobster must be landed in whole condition. Separating the tail from the body is prohibited in state waters.
The harvest or possession of eggbearing spiny lobster, or any other eggbearing species of lobster belonging to the families Palinuridae (spiny lobsters), Scyllaridae (slipper lobsters) or Synaxidae (furry lobsters) is prohibited
No person shall harvest or attempt to harvest spiny lobster using any device which will or could puncture, penetrate or crush the exoskeleton (shell) or the flesh of the lobster ( THIS MEANS SPEARGUNS)
Recreational trapping prohibited
Regardless of what species you are fishing for, bag limits are only for properly licensed individuals and those people exempt from license requirements who are actively harvesting. People harvesting may not exceed their individual bag limit and take someone else's bag limit. That is, people (including children) who are not actively harvesting or are not properly licensed (if a license is required) may NOT be counted for purposes of bag limits.
HERE IS A VIDEO OF SOMEONE CATCHING LOBSTER..AND THE WAYS TO DO IT. THE MUSIC IS HORRIBLE.. BUT IT WILL GIVE YOU SOME INSTRUCTION IF YOU'VE NEVER DONE THIS. UNDERSTAND THAT THE LOBSTER WILL POWER BACKWARD!!!! TO GET AWAY FROM YOU.....HAVE THE REQUIRED TOOLS READY
[vimeo]49376888[/vimeo]
[vimeo]49376888[/vimeo] https://vimeo.com/49376888
Here is info on the LIONFISH that we are in need of eradicating in our waters.
Lionfish are invasive species that have a potential negative impact on Florida's native wildlife and habitat. With no predators or other mechanisms such as disease or parasites keeping the lionfish population under control in Florida at this time, harvest by divers is the primary means of lionfish removal.
For the 2015 spiny lobster sport season only, divers will be allowed a single spiny lobster over the bag limit per day for each day that they also harvest 10 or more lionfish. Lionfish must be kept as proof of harvest while on the water. When off the water, a photo of harvesters with their 10 lionfish must be kept to document eligibility for harvesting an extra lobster. Lionfish must be harvested the same day and prior to taking the additional lobster. All other rules, including no spearfishing zones, apply. The two-day spiny lobster recreational sport season (also known as mini-season) falls on the last Wednesday and Thursday of July each year before the Aug. 6 opening of the regular season. During this two-day season, the regular bag limit is six spiny lobster in state and federal waters of Biscayne National Park waters and off Monroe County, and 12 spiny lobster elsewhere. There is no bag limit for lionfish; harvesters can take as many as they want.
Dive Flag - All divers in Florida waters must display a dive flag and stay within 300 feet of open water.
Short-Handled Lobster Net and Tail Snare - Nets are used on sand flats while snares are best for reefs.
Tickle Stick - A thin fiberglass rod about 24 inches long used to coax lobsters out of holes without harming the reef.
Gloves - For the lobster, not the reef.
Mesh Game Bag - To hold your catch. Look for models with a convenient way to attach to your weight belt or gear, and a locking enclosure.
Lobster Gauge - Every diver must carry a lobster gauge and must measure the lobster under water before it's placed in the game bag.
In the grasp of bug fever, divers who are normally content to breathe deep, swim slow and look at pretty fishies, suddenly desire the competitive thrill of the hunt and the sweet taste of victory — grilled or boiled, and served with butter.
Feel a case coming on? You're not alone. Which is why you need these expert tips on surviving lobster season without hurting your pride, yourself or the reef.
Florida lobster season opens with a two-day recreational mini-season that's your chance to catch the biggest tails before commercial fishermen set their traps. The competitive advantage is minimized by the fact that as many as 50,000 other divers invade the state's reefs during this intense 48 hours and the hunt takes on the fevered pitch of a gold rush. Another 62,000 or so will join their hunt starting in August, the start of the regular season, which runs until March.
The Playing Field-- I'm skipping the Keys in this note
From Miami Beach north, bug hunting starts right at the beach. You can find legal-size lobster within 50 yards of the sand, or you can join lobster charters to natural reefs, ledges, grass beds and man-made, state-approved rubble reefs.
In Broward and Palm Beach, the first reef line is an easy swim from shore and holds plenty of bugs at the beginning of the season. Local charter boats also take divers to productive sites farther offshore. Beach Inlet and deep ledges off Jupiter Inlet are popular bug sites. Charters out of Palm Beach Inlet offer a selection of both deep ledges and shallow reef lines that hold plenty of big bugs for drift divers.
Local bug hunters have countless secret spots, and lobster season is a cause for celebration — with shore dives and three-tank hunting trips to offshore sites.
The Target******
The secret to successful lobster hunting is understanding your quarry. Some key facts about the Florida spiny lobster, aka, Panulirus argus, bug or crawfish.
Distinguishing features -10 sharp-pointed walking legs and no pincer claws. Spines projecting from the hard shell and "horns" located above each eye for protection. A pair of whip-like conical antennae longer than the body.
Habitat -Reefs, grass beds and sand flats from three to 130 feet, hiding by day under ledges and in holes; feeding in the open at night.
Behavior -Wary. Spinies retreat into crevices when approached or swim backward quickly when disturbed, keeping their antennae pointed at threats.
Finding Them**
Look closely. You won't find a lobster out in the open, especially during the day when they hole up inside reef crevices and refuse to budge.
Look for antennae waving out from holes in the reef, or bring a light to peer in crevices. Look for eels, which tend to like the same reef crevices as lobster.
Think like a lobster. Lobster retreat from danger by moving backward. Use this knowledge to your advantage.
Rather than grabbing at them by hand, successful hunters use tickle sticks and other tools to coax the animals into backing into their nets or snares.
Use the right tool for the job. If a lobster is holed-up inside the reef or rubble, your net won't do much good and probably a lot of harm. Nets are good out in the sand but they're just so hard on the reef. People don't think about how Sneak the noose behind the lobster while you distract it with the tickle stick. When the loop is in place, conduct your prey backward and through the loop. Tighten the snare and pull your catch out of the hole.
If the bug is under an open ledge, in the grass or on the sand, tickle the lobster out into the open by sliding the stick past the bug and nudging it on the tail. The bug will turn to face the threat. Place your net behind the tail and use the tickle stick to scare the bug into scooting backward into the net.
Don't let it escape. The hardest part of lobster diving is keeping your catch.
When you coax a lobster into your net, quickly fold the net over the frame to prevent the lobster from escaping while you measure it and check for eggs. Transferring your catch to the mesh game bag is also tricky. Open your game bag just wide enough to get the lobster in tail-first. When you release the snare, the bug will jet backward into the bag. With a net, grab the lobster through the net with one hand and hold the game bag open with the other. Guide the lobster into the bag tail-first.
Get a good grip. Grab a thrashing lobster by the tail and it will easily break your grasp. And a panicked lobster will gladly sacrifice an antennae or leg in a bid for freedom. Use gloves and handle lobster by the carapace only.
**********The Rules**********
Lobster is Florida's most important commercial seafood, and state laws regulating the harvest — designed to give the lobster a fighting chance to reproduce — are strictly enforced, especially during peak times of the mini and early regular season.
Primary responsibility for enforcement falls on the officers of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), but any sworn officer can enforce the laws and during peak season they call in reinforcements. Expect to see officers out in force on the water, at marinas, in the air, and manning checkpoints at strategic locations.
During crunch time, they adopt a zero tolerance policy toward violations of game collecting or boating safety. "We're not out to 'get' people or anything like that, but it is a busy enforcement time," says spokesman Amanda Nalley.
The most common violations are exceeding bag limits, making multiple trips and taking undersized lobsters. Violations are second-degree misdemeanors and are punishable by up to $500 in fines and six months in jail, not to mention possible forfeiture of your dive gear.
**Get a license.**** ********You must have a valid Florida saltwater fishing license with a current lobster stamp. Available at tackle shops, some dive stores, or online from FWC on its recreational licenses page. You can also call toll-free (from U.S. and Canada): 888-FISH-FLORIDA (347-4356).
**Get a measurement. All spiny lobster must be measured under water using a lobster gauge before you put them in your game bag and must be kept whole until you reach the dock. Length from between the eyes to the start of the tail must be longer than the opening of the gauge, or you don't have a keeper.
**Check for eggs.**** Game laws prohibit the taking of egg-bearing females. Fortunately, they're easy to spot. Before bagging a legal-size bug, flip the lobster over and look for orange-colored caviar. Females carrying eggs must be put back unharmed.
Know your bag limits.
Monroe County mini season: 6 per diver per day. No night diving for lobster.
Monroe County regular season: 6 per diver per day.
Outside Monroe County: 12 per diver/day mini season and 6 per diver/day regular season.
In St. Lucie's Pepper Park there are several shallow nearshore reefs located less than 100 yards off the beach in 20 feet or less water. The reefs of Wabasso Beach also offer Bug Hunters some action. The Monster hole in the Sebastian Inlet State Park has been known to hold big Lobsters. Ponce de Leon Inlet has lots of big Bugs in the offshore deep reefs. In Vero Beach you have Jaycee Beach Park that offers shore accessible reefs. The Melbourne Ledge, about 18 miles from Sebastian inlet, has ledges with high relief holding some big Lobsters.
There are many group or private charter boats that can take you out to reefs for Bug Hunting. Joining a group charter is the cheapest way to get out. Try a charter in a new area, meet some new dive buddies, and have a stress free trip.
Dive Sites & Reefs
Urca de Lima Wedge Wreck
Beach dive from Pepper ParkLobster
3302 North SR Hwy A1A, Fort Pierce
200 Yards from Shore
10–15 Feet Deep
Paddle Wheeler Wreck
Beach dive from
15–20 Feet Deep
Inlet Park
Old South Bridge
30–40 Feet Deep
Inlet Park
Beach dive off Ft. Pierce Inlet State Park
North Hutchinson Island
13–15 Feet Deep
Jaycee Park
Beach dive Snorkling Pepper Park
15–20 Feet Deep
Hasley Wreck
75 Feet Deep
GPS: 2720.15 & 8004.57
Amazon Wreck
90 Feet Deep
GPS: 2723.60 & 8003.64
Two Bridges
50 Feet Deep
GPS: 2726.65 & 8010.28
Ft. Pierce Sport Club Reef
50 Feet Deep
GPS: 2726.19 & 8009.81
The Horse Shoe
65 Feet Deep
Loran: 43256.6 & 61998.7
After all the shark sightings/incidents, I wouldn't last 5 minutes out there without having a cardiac episode. I'd rather let someone else do it and just feed me! LOL. It is very cool regardless!
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