Florida Lobster Mini-Season Questions & Advise

[billinwilliamston]

I am gratified to see that so many of my fellow SB'ers have offered helpful advice on where not to look for lobster. I'm sure that you have prevented many a would-be bug hunter from spending fruitless days and nights hunting in barren territory.

Unfortunately, due to recent tropical activity, all lobster caught south of MM 50 will contain extremely high concentrations of a particularly nasty strain of e.coli. All hunting south of MM50 should be on a catch and release basis only. I doubt you'll hear about this anywhere else because the mainstream media and the local hotels have conspired to cover up this important information.

 

[mselenaous]

I heard all the lobster in the Keys were easily accessed via beach dives.

Sorry, but there is almost no shore diving in the Keys. We have no real beaches except those man-made beaches at resorts. And lobstering from shore is illegal. This is from the regs posted above in #19.

In the local jurisdictions, there is no diving orsnorkeling within:
• 300 feet of improved residential or commercial
shoreline, any manmade or private canal, any public or private marina

 

[Johnoly]

.....BTW. What is the best way to package extras for transport. Dry ice? Or will this effect the taste?

Dry ice will not change the taste. If you are flying home on a plane and you froze your tails in advance, wrap them up tight in your wetsuit, it's a great insulator. Even in the hot summer airplane holds, I have sent tons in luggage for up to 8 hours and they have always arrived still frozen. Air passengers can't fly home with dry ice without declaring it ($$)

If traveling by hot car over 2 days max then 5lb of dry ice with less than 20% extra open airspace in the cooler will still insure they arrive frozen. Never ship fresh de-tailed bugs or seafood since it will spoil in just a couple of hours or less and you can't insure the travel temp.

 

[Wookie]

I see your point and agree if only there for bugs and would not be caught dead (oops) there during mini season. But as a side activity on a trip I do anyway. Don't mind at all if I have a few extras to take home. Not there to stock a freezer...

It's not about the money spent It's about the vacation and time spent on the water. In a different local.:cool2:

And believe me, I do understand that sentiment. Why, when I go home (I live in Key West, but Maine will always be referred to as "home") I eat lobster and dulce and something they call an "Italian sandwich" which bears no resemblance to anything Italian, and red hot dogs. I don't go home, however, in leaf season. That's when every blue-haired fool from NYC is driving at 45 on the interstate oohing and aahing over the pretty leaves. What, they don't have pretty leaves in New York? Anyway, I didn't mean to sound insulting, come, bring the boat, enjoy your visit.

I avoid mini-season at all costs. I'm sure I have to be offshore.

 

[bilsant]

Unfortunately, due to recent tropical activity, all lobster caught south of MM 50 will contain extremely high concentrations of a particularly nasty strain of e.coli. All hunting south of MM50 should be on a catch and release basis only. I doubt you'll hear about this anywhere else because the mainstream media and the local hotels have conspired to cover up this important information.

Alas, there is some validity to this story, but much like Ciguatera poisoning in fish, the bacteria are only thought to be a problem in lobsters longer than your arm - the standard size below MM 50. Fortunately (unlike Ciguatera) - cooking thoroughly kills them in lobster. The prophylaxis of drinking alcohol with your lobster dinner also has also shown to be highly effective.


Catch and release is up to the individual diver, but for I would in the spirit of tourism like to extend my hand in offering my "special" services for the disposal of any legal sized lobsters burdening the busy vacationing diver.

Donations of butter to the cause are also gratefully accepted.

 

[TheOnlyRae]

Sorry, but there is almost no shore diving in the Keys. We have no real beaches except those man-made beaches at resorts. And lobstering from shore is illegal. This is from the regs posted above in #19.

Elena - no need for apology - I was being facetious. I KNOW there is no shore diving in the Keys....and I honestly don't know the bugging rules, because I don't have a license and I don't do it.

Just my dry sense of humor. Sometimes that gets lost in translation on the interwebs.

 

[mselenaous]

Rae, unfortunately sarcastic tone is missed by many on the interwebz and someone reads it as fact. Every year someone gets arrested here in the Keys for trying to lobster from shore..."But your Honor, I read it on the interwebz". Public Defender groans and

Pete was once out with OW students toting a dive flag bouy and FWC pulled up in a boat and yanked on his flag until the divers came up and the Inquisitors had to be convinced they weren't hunting.

 

[Wookie]

Pete was once out with OW students toting a dive flag bouy and FWC pulled up in a boat and yanked on his flag until the divers came up and the Inquisitors had to be convinced they weren't hunting.

To be fair, they have a tough job with it seems like everyone in the country wanting to come to the keys and just poach a little, as if just one poacher won't hurt anything. They don't have to be complete buttheads, though.

 

[opie712]

Pulling up and yanking on the dive flag seems awful dangerous what if they hit a diver ain't that the whole point of a dive flag

 

[mselenaous]

The FWC wasn't buttheads about it. Most of them are also divers and they watched bubbles and waited for the divers to make a safe ascent from 15-18 ft. deep. The water was clear enough for them to see the divers from the surface and visaversa.