Lobster mini-season in the Keys will be here before you know it, July 30 th and 31 st this year. The spiny lobster, or Florida lobster, is a fun catch and a culinary delight like their Maine lobster cousins. The Key West lobster mini-season, created in 1987 to ease the pressure of the first day of the commercial season and attract tourists, is limited and rules change each year.

One new rule in particular for the 2008 Key West lobster mini-season is the ban of snorkeling and diving from the shoreline, specifically within 300 feet of marinas and residential and commercial shorelines. Licensing rules are pretty much the same, a saltwater fishing license with a lobster stamp, which is only $2.00 extra for both residents and non-residents.

Bag limits are different in the Keys than in the rest of Florida. During the mini-season and regular season (8/6-3/31), it is 6 lobsters per day rather than the 12 lobsters allowed in the rest of the state. And, the lobster must have at least a 3-inch carapace, which is the distance from the forward edge of the rostral horns along the middle to the rear of the carapace.

Lobster diving for the Key West mini-season is only allowed in the day time. Always have your dive buoy and flag in the water when you are driving. Safety is key to having a successful lobster outing. The mini-season is extremely busy on the waters around the Keys so you must be careful.

While many people bring their own boats, rentals and charters are available to take you to the best spots.

This entry was posted on Friday, April 18th, 2008 at 3:23 pm and is filed under Special Events. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.