Lobster Class

[Johnoly]

I taught a packed class room on “ How to FIND lobster “ . Because 'catching' them is easy, after you find them. With tips & tricks hopefully we'll find a limit for mini-season this week. Wave forecast looks incredible at just 1-2's. Call your favorite boat because many have seats available Weds & Thursday.

 

[Tassi Devil Diver]

With tips & tricks hopefully we'll find a limit for mini-season this week.

So what are your tips and tricks?

 

[Wookie]

I’ve always found that placing a pile of cinderblocks in the backcountry to be effective…

 

[Johnoly]

So what are your tips and tricks?

It's what works for our busy Southeast Florida waters and in-person class. I wouldn't even know your Australia waters.

 

[Tassi Devil Diver]

Still interested to know. How does this mini-season concept work?

 

[Still Kicking]

My top tips (for California bugs):

• Dive a lot.
• Dive where few others dive.
• Dive where commercial trappers can't trap.
• Think like a lobster.
• Find the reefs where the lobsters are large and the holes are small.

 

[Lostdiver71]

Still interested to know. How does this mini-season concept work?

It’s pretty simple, about a week before season opens for commercial and recreational divers the recreational divers get a two day “mini” season on Wednesday and Thursday to harvest lobster before the commercial divers get to harvest.

 

[johndiver999]

I’ve always found that placing a pile of cinderblocks in the backcountry to be effective…

AI Overview


In Florida,
casitas are illegal for lobster diving. Casitas are artificial structures placed on the ocean floor to attract and aggregate lobsters, making them easier to catch. However, their use is prohibited under Florida law and within the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary due to several negative impacts they have on the marine ecosystem:

• Habitat damage: Casitas can smother corals, sea fans, sponges, and seagrass beds, and their movement by currents or storms can cause further damage.
• Overcrowding and disease risk: The aggregation of lobsters under casitas can lead to overcrowding, increased risk of disease transmission, and higher predation rates, ultimately affecting lobster growth and survival rates.
• Reduced food sources: The presence of casitas can also diminish the availability of food sources for lobsters and other marine life.
• Unfair advantage and poaching: Casitas allow poachers to exceed legal fishing quotas and create an unfair advantage over those who adhere to regulations.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) actively enforce these regulations and work to remove illegal casitas from Florida waters. Penalties for violations can include significant fines, jail time, and suspension or revocation of fishing licenses.
It is crucial for divers to be aware of and abide by all Florida lobster diving regulations to ensure the sustainability of the spiny lobster population and protect the delicate marine environment.

 

[Wookie]

I said it was a tip or trick. Legality wasn’t part of the equation.

 

[Tassi Devil Diver]

It’s pretty simple, about a week before season opens for commercial and recreational divers the recreational divers get a two day “mini” season on Wednesday and Thursday to harvest lobster before the commercial divers get to harvest.

Interesting, I am a rock lobster fishery manager in my State which is why this topic has piqued my interest. In my State historically the recreational season opens two weeks before the commercial season. In recent years the commercial fishery has caught their allocation before the recreational fishery opens, so the rec fishery gets three months before the commercial season opens again, which provides good temporal separation, the two fisheries overlap for a 6 week period.

The artificial substrate issue is interesting, not something we have to deal with.