2004 Florida Mini Sport Lobster Season

It is about that time again. Are you planning on participating in the fun? There are some special rules this year. For more information on the 2004 Florida Mini Sport Lobster Season check out this page.
http://floridakeystreasures.com/crea...i-season.shtml

If you will be diving this season,where in the Keys do you plan to dive?

[Fishing Forum Admin]

Welcome to the forum


Interesting - we do not dive for lobster here in the UK

Well not as big as it seems in the keys

Its is a big sport

[steve devon]

i seen someone divin for them here

welcome to the forum

Not only do Lobster lovers from all over the US converge on the Florida Keys for this Mini Sport Season, just weeks before the regular season starts, but many divers from Europe, South America and Asia plan there trips around this week.

The population of the Florida Keys, usually around 80 thousand, swells to several 100 thousand for the couple of weeks around the Mini Sport Season and the beginning of the regular season.

Hope to see some of you here in the future.

[Ben]

thats a hell of a lot of divers, dont the lobsters nip u??

[steve devon]

ye but i think its ok if u pik them up by their back

[Ben]

like crabs and kray fish
do you see much else while your down there??

Here is what the Florida Lobster looks like.


While they don't have claws, their common name Spiny Crawfish is accurate. There are numerous spines. Gloves are recommended.

They hide out in various habitats from Mangrove shorelines to grass bottoms to coral reefs. Depending on where you are hunting the other sealife to be found will also vary. Along the Mangroves, snappers, snook, tarpon and barracuda (usually small specimens) can be seen as well as many small tropicals and shellfish. The grass beds can provide oppurtunites to see small sharks, snapper, maybe a bonefish or seaturtle and many beautiful shells. And of course the reefs have a wide variety of sealife to observe.

Also you don't have to get wet to catch lobster. There is a technique, locally called "bully netting", where you use a long handled net, with the net at a 90 degree angle to the handle. You drift across a grass flat, with water shallower then the length of the net handle, and when you see a lobster you place the net over it and, with a sweeping motion, scoop up dinner!

[Ben]

sounds really interesting
shame its all the way over in florida though and i dont dive