Lobster mini season

[sharpshooter]

How did everybody do? Looking at maybe going later in the year.

[jfjf]

West palm and south 10-12 miles. We worked hard for 2 days, didn't get our limits, diving 80-105. Cold water yesterday maybe 64 -67 on bottom, today 86 degrees top too bottom and an honest 4 kts blowing in 90 feet at end of day. Decent amount of fish around- seemed to be pushed in from the cold, I assume.

[MADMAX]

Key West 40 per cent short lobster. Too many people for mini season. Atlantic picked over also. Regular season - managed some on gulf and a few in Atlantic. Most of shorts were taken by divers. Might pick up in Oct.
Mad Max

[sharpshooter]

Originally Posted by MADMAX

Key West 40 per cent short lobster. Too many people for mini season. Atlantic picked over also. Regular season - managed some on gulf and a few in Atlantic. Most of shorts were taken by divers. Might pick up in Oct.
Mad Max

Thanks for giving a report. Did you mean, "most of shorts were taken by divers" was meant to be "legal"? Or a lot of divers were taking "shorts" anyway? My neighbor went down yesterday for 10 days to Key Colony. Will post his report after his return.

[SEATUX]

We drove the boat down to Stock Island, Horrible seas. were there for the first 4 days of season, took 23 tanks, and gear ( 9 family members lobstering, home base was a really nice VRBO). Didn't use them! Free dove the shallows, lost count when we went past 50 ( total, not in a day). Had 3 kids, so everyone was able to dive and take lobsters, also brought two "SubWings" to pull behind the boat, everyone Loved taking turns on those! They really helped to locate good areas.
But ya...LOTS of shorts seen.

[Tyson Brown]

Originally Posted by SEATUX

We drove the boat down to Stock Island, Horrible seas. were there for the first 4 days of season, took 23 tanks, and gear ( 9 family members lobstering, home base was a really nice VRBO). Didn't use them! Free dove the shallows, lost count when we went past 50 ( total, not in a day). Had 3 kids, so everyone was able to dive and take lobsters, also brought two "SubWings" to pull behind the boat, everyone Loved taking turns on those! They really helped to locate good areas.
But ya...LOTS of shorts seen.

Such a fun time, glad your family got to go do that. I have the best memories of when my extended family used to do Keys Lobstering every single year.

[MADMAX]

Don't mean to be a downer. Our family loves lobster season, some are better then others. There was a lot of shorts and a lot of shorts were taken by divers. Regular season is more relaxed as the number of boats is not as bad.
Mad Max

[SEATUX]

Originally Posted by MADMAX

Don't mean to be a downer. Our family loves lobster season, some are better then others. There was a lot of shorts and a lot of shorts were taken by divers. Regular season is more relaxed as the number of boats is not as bad.
Mad Max

Twice in this thread you stated that shorts were taken by divers. I have two questions for you, other than traps, how else can you take lobsters?
And,
Just how do you know shorts were taken?
Unless you are there to see them measured, or are digging thru the discarded carcasses and measuring them, how would you know?

[One Breath One Kill]

Originally Posted by SEATUX

Twice in this thread you stated that shorts were taken by divers. I have two questions for you, other than traps, how else can you take lobsters?
And,
Just how do you know shorts were taken?
Unless you are there to see them measured, or are digging thru the discarded carcasses and measuring them, how would you know?

I go down every year...I see a lot of people putting shorts in sacks...not sure if they throw them over if they measure in the boat or just keep them

[sharpshooter]

Suppose to measure lobster in the water. Once, you put a fish on a stringer or lobster in a sack that's called "possession". One of my dive buddies found that out when he surfaced and FWC was on the boat. I was there.

[MADMAX]

No I did not see divers taking them. I saw areas with many short lobster, swam over the same area next day, no short lobster. My impression based upon my observations was that these lobster were being taken by divers.
Mad Max

[MADMAX]

MCSO - Florida Keys
1od4htSponnsoredef ·
Two arrested after traffic stop yields cash, drugs and lobsters
Two Miami motorists were arrested Sunday night after thousands of dollars in cash, large amounts of marijuana and illegally harvested lobsters were found following a traffic stop.
Lazaro Rolando Martinez, 27, was charged with possession of half a Alprazolam tablet without a prescription, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of more than 20 grams of marijuana (38.5 grams), possession of THC oil and driving an unregistered vehicle. He was also cited for possessing 23 undersized lobsters and 31 over-the-limit lobsters.
Edward Franklin Mora, also 27, was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of more than 20 grams of marijuana (114.8 grams) and possession of THC oil.
There was an additional male and two females who were not charged.
The case began at approximately 11:30 p.m. when Deputy Jorge Moreno stopped a northbound black Ford F-150 pickup truck on U.S.1 at Mile Marker 86 after 911 Communications Specialists informed him the truck came back as not being registered and the tag that was attached as not being assigned to the truck. The truck was emitting a strong odor of marijuana.
The driver, Martinez, handed another Deputy a mason jar of marijuana as well as THC oil vape pen. The front passenger, Mora, also produced a mason jar with marijuana.
A search ensued and $3,590 in cash was found in Martinez’s possession. Additional marijuana and baggies were found inside the truck which Martinez and Mora each claimed ownership.
Thirty seven lobsters were found in buckets in the truck bed. Twenty three of those were found to be undersized. Martinez claimed ownership of the lobsters. The lobsters were returned to the water — six of which were still alive.

[SEATUX]

We saw several "lost traps".
I understand how a boat can hit and cut the rope to the float. But there should still be some rope attached to the trap, and there was none. We also saw no identity tags, or zink escape link. Then there were those that had a Bright New Rope strung between them, Daizy chained, again no apparent float or identity tags.
I'm guessing "poachers" ( AKA locals / residents ) and I'd bet they keep all, shorts included.
Then there are the "lobster hotels" that are illegal. We didn't see any of those, tho we came across the hood from a Camaro ( we guessed) and an engine block, both holding lobsters.
We reported the GPS #'s of the daizy chained traps to FWC that stopped by our boat.
I don't know what they will do.


As I remember, one of our famous members here ( now deceased ) Wrote a lobster song while he was sitting in jail for hundreds of illegal lobsters.


It's not a Perfect World.

[sharpshooter]

SeaTux, you got to be talking about the one and only "Lobster Mobster".

[SEATUX]

Refresh my memory...
He was arrested for 499 illegal lobsters...
When asked why it wasn't 500 he said one was short, and he had to throw it back!
He was a "pioneer" in making "lobster hotels" ( as I remember)