Mini Lobster Season Underway

MIAMI, FL — South Florida is awash in recreational fishermen this week hoping to bag one of the Sunshine State's flavorful spiny lobsters. The annual two-day mini lobster fishing season began at 12 a.m. Wednesday and ends at 12 a.m. Friday in advance of next month's regular season, which will be open to both recreational and commercial fishermen.

"It's basically designed to allow the recreational user the opportunity to get out there and have two days before the regular season starts on Aug. 6," Carol Lyn Parrish of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission told Patch on Tuesday. (Sign up for our free Daily Newsletters and Breaking News Alerts for the Miami Patch.)

While Florida has three varieties of lobster, state wildlife officials say that most fishermen will be hoping to take home a Florida spiny lobster, also known as the Caribbean spiny lobster, which inhabits tropical and subtropical waters of the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico. They derive their names from the forward-pointing spines covering their bodies.

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The best time to catch a Florida spiny lobster is at night since lobsters stay in their dens during daylight hours to avoid predators and only come out after dark to look for food. Their favorite diet consists mostly of snails, clams, crabs, and urchins. Spiny lobsters head back to their dens several hours before sunrise.

Unlike Maine lobsters, Parrish said that Florida's spiny lobsters do not have claws. They vary in color from almost white to dark red-orange. They are highly sought after for their tails by seafood lovers.

Though taste is highly subjective, "personally, I feel like our lobster has some flavor to it," shared Parrish. "I just think it’s very individual."

Spiny lobsters make their homes in the protected crevices and caverns of coral reefs, sponge flats, and other hard-bottomed areas.

Parrish said that more than half a million state fishing licenses have already been issued allowing fishermen to take home lobsters from Florida waters.

"You need a salt-water fishing license and a lobster stamp," she said. But the process is quick and can be done online even the same day that people plan to go lobstering. Licensed harvesters can take up to six lobsters per person daily in Monroe County and Biscayne National Park waters or 12 lobsters per person daily in other Florida waters. All lobsters must meet minimum size requirements, meaning that they must have a carapace length larger than 3 inches. Fishermen are also prohibited from taking egg-bearing females.

"You have to conduct your measuring in the water before you even place it in your bag," Parish advised. "You have to land it in whole condition."

State officials remind divers that they must use dive flags for safety purposes while they hunt for lobsters. It's important to remember to pack all necessary safety gear, including a fully charged mobile phone and marine radio. Know your position in case you catch more trouble than lobster and need to call for help.

The lobster harvest is prohibited in Everglades National Park, Dry Tortugas National Park, Biscayne Bay-Card Sound Spiny Lobster Sanctuary, certain areas of John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park as well as no-take areas in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. During the two-day season, all harvest of lobster is also prohibited throughout John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park.

The regular season runs from Aug. 6 to March 31 with a daily recreational bag and on-the-water possession limit of six spiny lobsters per person for all Florida waters.

Officials advise boaters to be mindful that bright lights and loud noise on the water can be unpleasant for people trying to sleep late at night.

"Keep lights directed down and avoid shining lights at houses along the shoreline," officials advise. "Keep sound levels low when near shoreline residences. Bully netters have a right to fish, but should be courteous of others by minimizing disruptions and not trespassing on private property."

For more information about licensing requirements visit MyFWC.com/License or purchase your license at GoOutdoorsFlorida.com.

For more information on spiny lobster fishing, including how to measure your catch, visit MyFWC.com/Fishing by clicking on “Saltwater Fishing,” “Recreational Regulations” and “Lobster.”

It takes a spiny lobster about two years to grow to the required three-inch carapace size and they can grow as large as 15 pounds. The typical recreational harvest is 1.5 to two million pounds between the start of the two-day sport season and Labor Day, according to state wildlife officials.

The commercial harvest averages six million pounds per season, with an average estimated value of $20 million, making spiny lobsters the largest commercial fishery in Florida.

A Florida spiny lobster goes in search of its next meal by Kathy via Flickr