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Excitement is in the air. By the time this story hits
the streets, the big day will have arrived. No, it’s not Thanksgiving,
Christmas, Valentine’s Day or even Mother’s Day …. it’s the last Wednesday
and Thursday of July, the official days of Spiny Lobster Sport Season in
Florida which will quickly be followed by August 6, the official opening
day of Spiny Lobster Season. It’s the two-day period that every available
hotel room, spare bedroom, campground, boat cabin and marina slip sports a
“NO VACANCY” sign. Traffic pours down U.S. 1 into the Keys like a reverse
hurricane evacuation drill. Lobster nets, tickle sticks, snares and bags
fill every empty space in the back of vans and the decks of the hundreds
of boats being towed towards favorite lobster spots. Every dive shop,
grocery store, drug store, gas station and roadside stand has shelves full
of lobster gear.
In the days preceding, it’s common to see boats anchored in channels with
dive flags flapping in the breeze as everyone checks out the spots they
think will yield the best catch. Many open spaces along the highway are
piled high with lobster traps which will be dropped into the shallow
waters of Florida Bay the moment the sun rises on August 6.
Helicopters and low flying aircraft bearing the insignia of the Coast
Guard, Marine Patrol and Sheriff’s departments patrol the waters on both
sides of the keys, and dogs have been specially trained to board boats and
detect lobsters that have been hidden from view. People with clipboards
hang around marina gas docks asking “voluntary” information on how many
people on your boat caught lobster, how big were they and how many did
they catch.
The rules are posted everywhere. The fines are steep. The bag limits
during the 2-day sport season are 6 per person per day for Monroe County
and Biscayne National Park and 12 per person per day for the rest of
Florida. The possession limit on the water is equal to the daily bag
limit, and off the water is equal to the daily bag limit on the first day,
and double the daily bag limit on the second day. Sounds complicated but
all it means is once you get your limit on the boat, you can not come back
to the dock, offload them and head out again. People driving out of the
Keys have been stopped and their coolers have been checked so it’s wise to
remember this rule. Spiny lobster has a minimum size limit that must be
larger than 3” carapace, measured in the water. Possession and use of a
measuring device is required at all times and each person has their own
theory on whether the plastic or metal ones are more accurate. During the
2-day sport season, night diving is prohibited in Monroe County. A
recreational saltwater license and a crawfish permit are needed for
harvest.
For complete rules from Florida Fish & Wildlife, visit their website at
http://marinefisheries.org/lobster.htm. For Monroe County rules visit the
website at: http://marinefisheries.org/2003_Lobster_Brochure.pdf
Divers can and do hunt for lobster in the Gulf but it is definitely more
challenging than the Keys. We’ve been told that if we pay attention and
know what to look for we will find bigger lobster than we can find in the
Keys. Of course, we would have to wait until the middle of the night,
sneak into the house, locate the little black book with the secret GPS
numbers of the best lobster spots, and head way out in the Gulf to
hopefully get that big lobster. We’ve opted for the easier pickings in the
waters around Marathon.
The annual lobster trek is more than just a dive trip. It’s an obsession
that takes priority over everything else. Businesses close the doors for
2-days, weddings and honeymoons are scheduled around the 2 days of sports
season, and projects are placed on the back burner. We don’t just wake up
one morning and decide to jump in the car and head to the Keys to catch
lobster. Plans for the Marathon excursion have been underway for months.
Several members of our group cross Florida Bay in a small flotilla of
boats and head for a marina right in the center of all the activity for a
month long visit. Cars and gear are driven down a week before to provide
transportation for the boaters and to transport some of the heavier gear
that slows down the boats and consumes fuel. Our phone conversations are
filled with talk of how many bathing suits we are bringing, menu planning
for boat & dockside dining, and who’s bringing the blender that will mix
the Happy Hour sunset umbrella drinks. We search the internet trying to
locate waterfront restaurants for celebrations and we stock up on bottled
water, soda, wine and beer. We check calendars, synchronize watches, check
the tide tables, the winds and the moon phases.
The prize – 12 spiny lobster per person over the 2-day Sports Season. The
cost – much more than we would spend if we just went to the fish market
and bought 12 spiny lobster. The adventure – priceless. Watch this spot
next month to see how we did. |
