what's everyone doing for mini season??

[Tom Winters]

d'oh!!

question: how do you lobster on a drift dive? how do you stop long enough to get the bug out of his hidey hole?
I'll be going out of west palm and as far as I know it's the usual drift dives

Ray on Narcosis dropped my wife and I in 105' in a ripping current a couple of years ago. We hit not one, but two lobster hotels. Staying there bopping the puny lobsters out of the way to get to the big 'uns required wedging your body against the reef and staying as low as possible to keep from getting blown off the site.
At the end of the dive, the boat was nowhere in sight but Ray knew pretty much where we would wind up and got us after a spell.

 

[Scubakevdm]

d'oh!!

question: how do you lobster on a drift dive? how do you stop long enough to get the bug out of his hidey hole?
I'll be going out of west palm and as far as I know it's the usual drift dives

Drift diving up that way is sans flag for the passengers for the most part, so at least you won't have to fight the float. If you do have to take a flag, find make or buy a reef hook that you can clip onto the reel and hook it off whenever you find a lobster. Usually the currents not too bad right against the ledges, try not to squish anything by hovering vs kneeling.

 

[Loneranger]

I have not looked at the tides or the moon cycle, but the current can really get nasty this time of year. On the good side you are able to cover 2x's as much ground.

 

[LiteHedded]

well i think there are still spots on jim abernethy's scuba adventures if anyone wants to join us

 

[DMdoogie]

I'll be on the boat both days for the morning trips. The easiest way to catch bugs on SCUBA is a tail snare. When you snare a bug, it's easy to measure and check for eggs without doing much damage to the lobster. I've found that a net is hard to use on the WPB reefs because the bottom is never flat. The bugs can sneak out under the corner of the net. A net also damages the reefs much more than a snare.
When we dive for lobster, everyone ends up scattering in every direction, so you and your buddy may surface away from the DM's float. Definitely use a safety sausage or another surface marker, mostly to protect you from the idiot boaters who don't know what a dive flag means.
I've been checking spots, and I know a few that have been full of lobsters lately. Unfortunately, the little critters walk around every night, and yesterday's lobster condo can be tomorrow wash out.
DMdoogie

 

[cudachaser]

Think I'll do the beaches below Sebastian

 

[OCDinNC]

You guys SHUT UP! You're making me jealous! I'm in NC and can't come down! So enough about lobsters already!

 

[wreckchick]

Right now the plan is to fill up my boat with a bunch of girlfriends and go snag some lobbies and then cook em and eat em. We'll be leaving the boys at home this year.

Rachel

 

[DebbyDiver]

Well, the two (private) boats that I would be going out on are broken down and the owners don't anticipate fixing them by Mini-Season.

Looks like I'm beach diving. For sure Wednesday; Thursday maybe.

Anyone want to do a Tuesday night midnight beach dive? If so, do you know where it's legal to park on the beach after midnight in Broward County?