Florida lobster season starts tomorrow

[SoFlaBassAddict]

Florida spiny lobster starts tomorrow (Aug 6). Seas are going to be less than 2 feet from Deerfield Beach to Ocean Reef, FL. Should be a great day. Be sure to check your local weather before heading out (http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/marine/zone/south/mflmz.htm).

For you guys with smaller boats, tomorrow should be a great day for you to get out and catch some saltwater roaches. Be forewarned. The Marine Patrol and other state agencies will be out in force tomorrow and throughout the weekend. Make sure you're licensing is up to date. The lobster stamp has gone up to 10 bucks a stamp now.

Season dates: Aug. 6 - March 31

Bag limit: 6 per person per day

Possession limit - on the water: equal to the daily bag limit

Minimum size limit: must be larger than 3" carapace, measured in the water. A reminder that possession and use of a measuring device is required at all times.

Prohibitions: Harvest of lobster is prohibited in John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park during the sport season. Harvest is also prohibited during both the 2-day sport season and regular season in Everglades National Park, Dry Tortugas National Park, and no-take areas in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.

[SirSnookalot]

I've seen the lobster boats going out the inlet for the last 4 days, thought the season had started.

[SoFlaBassAddict]

I've seen the lobster boats going out the inlet for the last 4 days, thought the season had started.

I'm not sure what the commercial regulations are.  They may be allowed to lay traps, but not harvest before the 6th.  Or the commercial boats may be allowed to start earlier than sportsmen.

[Lund Explorer]

When can all of us Yankees start pm'ing our shipping addresses?   ;D

[South FLA]

When can all of us Yankees start pm'ing our shipping addresses? ;D

Send me some Maine Lobsters and I will send you some Spiny Lobsters, but you are going to have to spot me some extra Maine Lobsters, cause Spiny is so much better  ;D

[SirSnookalot]

I prefer the spiny over Maine lobster, especially Pacific.

[Lund Explorer]

When can all of us Yankees start pm'ing our shipping addresses? ;D

Send me some Maine Lobsters and I will send you some Spiny Lobsters, but you are going to have to spot me some extra Maine Lobsters, cause Spiny is so much better ;D

Maine Lobsters...... I'm in Michigan!

Okay, who's from Maine that wants to trade lobster for some fresh walleye fillets?   ;D

[SoFlaBassAddict]

Took me longer to drive down to the boat, fill up with gas, and get out to my spot than it did to catch our limit. My father, daughters, and I pulled 24 in about an hour. Gotta love having secret little spots that have produced year after year after year for the last 20 years. I don't think I've ever seen so many commercial lobster pots out before though. d**n things were everywhere. I was almost concerned about wrapping up some of the lines in the prop at one point. Somebody must have dumped an entire boat load on this one reef that I used to dive on.

Unfortunatley, if you do the math. I lost money today. 140 bucks in fuel, 24 lobster, thats close to 6 bucks a bug. Really more than that if you count food that got bought, and gas for the truck to drive down. At least it's fun.

[Raul]

A hobby is that my man, a hobby, an activity specifically designed for you to loose money & time, the moment it you try to make a buck out of it then it 's no longer a hobby. You want lobster and save you all the trouble and expense ---> get it at the supermaket, I guarantee you, it won 't be a thousandth as fun as you catching your own.

[Nibbles]

A hobby is that my man, a hobby, an activity specifically designed for you to loose money & time, the moment it you try to make a buck out of it then it 's no longer a hobby. You want lobster and save you all the trouble and expense ---> get it at the supermaket, I guarantee you, it won 't be a thousandth as fun as you catching your own.

Think about it this way -you're going to be eating well-fed lobsters that haven't been left in the tank to digest themselves for days!