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Florida Lobster Diving

Thread Status: Hello , There was no answer in this thread for more than 60 days.
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mustangmermaid

Underwater Enthusiast
Dec 11, 2004
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Greetings,

I will be moving to Florida very soon and I am really anxious to try my hand at lobster diving once settled. I welcome any tips, suggestions or discussion on the matter. I realized this may be a topic of "Old hat" with seasoned folks but there seems to be quite a bit of Florida residents who visit here and perhaps someone has a suggestion or two. Either way, it gives me an opportunity to discuss my 2 favorite things. Being Underwater and Florida!

Thanks in advance for any input...

Tina
 
Happy journey mustangmerm! Moving to a new place is always exciting. Whereabouts in Florida are you going to?
 
Spring Hill. It is near Weeki Wachee (City of Mermaids) www.weekiwachee.com they have a performing underwater show with live performing mermaids. The City is about 45 miles north west of Tampa. I truly love the Gulf coast I realize I may have to go over to the atlantic to dive for lobster but I am very excited about it. it is something I have wanted to do for many years, bit the dive for lobster and the move to Florida and now it is actually going to happen. I know there are many people from Florida...you never know till you ask.

I know thats probably a bigger answer than you were expecting but hey...


Tina
 
mustangmermaid said:
Spring Hill. It is near Weeki Wachee (City of Mermaids) www.weekiwachee.com they have a performing underwater show with live performing mermaids. The City is about 45 miles north west of Tampa. I truly love the Gulf coast I realize I may have to go over to the atlantic to dive for lobster but I am very excited about it. it is something I have wanted to do for many years, bit the dive for lobster and the move to Florida and now it is actually going to happen. I know there are many people from Florida...you never know till you ask.

I know thats probably a bigger answer than you were expecting but hey...


Tina


whoa! ok... so which one is you???
 

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LOL thats a good one. Yes, I do have a tail and yes, I spend alot of time underwater looking at a camera but i'm not there...Truth is I was offered a job there many years ago and turned it down because the pay was next to nothing and my kids have this thing about food and heat...lol they also were not going to allow me to have my own web site or do any other modeling unless it was for them. I advise any one in the area to check out the underwater performances though the Guys and gals do a wonderful job every day!

Tina
 
Hi Tina
Sorry I dont know much or anything for that matter about lobsters in Florida, however there is a book availabe called [ame="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1890079111/qid=1106469962/sr=2-1/ref=pd_ka_b_2_1/103-1216235-8206201"]Spearfishing and Underwater Hunting Handbook[/ame] This book has a chapter about Lobster diving detailing techniques and laws, so its a worthwhile buy even if spearfishing isnt your thing.
 
Welcome to Florida, Spring Hill is a real nice area. Out of the mayhem of the big city but still plenty of resources close by. You're right about probably needing to head to the east coast for the bugs, while you've got some fabulous diving in your new backyard on the Gulf, the lobsters are few and far between.
The noose is one of the more popular ways of catching them, takes a little practice, just slip it over the tail slide up the body, close it, pull them out the hole and measure them before dropping in the bag. In general, Jupiter and south the water is warmer and the reefs close to shore, north of there it's a longer boat ride out but the lobs tend to be a lot bigger. I'm sure the current snowstorm up there really has Florida on your mind now, Welcome!
 
It has been about 25 years (man I’m getting old) since I have been hunting for some “slobster” in Florida, but I can tell you how we did it back in the day. My family would go to Islamorada in the Keys. We would troll a couple of snorkelers behind our boat using an inner tube tied to the boat. If one of them saw some tell tail antenna sticking out of a hole in the bottom they would let go and then dive down to get them. We used a tickler to get them out of the hole. A tickle stick was just and old fishing rod tip, usually about 2 or 3 feet long. If you stick the tickler in the hole and wiggle it around they would pop right out and you could net them using a net like the ones you might use to land a big fish. One year my extended family got 100 lobsters in the two weeks that we were there. Since then that area has been turned into a lobster sanctuary and can no longer be fished. I think it was on the Gulf side, in what we referred to as the back country. I have heard that the days of finding lobster in the Keys in shallow water are gone. I am sure there are some out there, but I am not sure how good the fishing is.

If you are lucky enough to find some cleaning is easy. Twist the heads off and use one of the spiny antenna to pull out the tube running down the center. Just stick the antenna in the meaty side of the tail up in to the tube, twist and pull. Don’t forget to cook the heads and pull the meat out to make some good lobster salad.
 
First to Alison:
:wave
Thank you for the tip on the book. I ordered it this morning from Amazon. Although I am really nervous about the concept of drawing in injured fish in shark infested waters (lol) I am always looking for resource materials. Thanks again for the tim, i am sure it will be an interesting read.

Fishspearit:
:wave
Thank you for the nice welcome. yes, we have been hearing for a while about the excellent diving opportunities. Yes as I look out at 15 degree weather and have to bundle my kids up as though they were about to withstand a bomb blast, It is all I can think about. My youngest wants to go outside and play so badly it isn't funny. I recently had to explain to them that even though there is rarely any snow in Florida that they still have Christmas there, you just get to play outside during the day.

Aquatic ape:
:wave
Thank you for the tips. It is always good to hear that you are not alone in something you want to do or have done. I appreciate the tips and techniques. One question though, what do you deem "shallow water"? I noticed that you mentioned there are no longer Lobster in Shallow water in the Keys. I was wondering where I might find them say in the Palm beach County area if anywhere? that area seems to be a simple commute from where I will be living. I would like to freedive for them if possible but I have been told by a few that may not be a realistic persuit. I welcome your suggestions and those of anyone who has done the diving for them recently.
 
Tina,

The area from Miami Beach to Palm Beach is pretty similar, most of the lobster diving (for Florida spinies) is in water deeper than 30 ft, mostly tanking, and lots of competition. However, the shallow reefs (10-25 ft) can be hot right after a big storm that gets the lobster moving around, much less competion because it comes later in the season. Might be productive after the current wind lies down in a day or two. It is very much a "local knowledge" kind of thing and I can't help you on that one.

Shallow water (less than 20 ft) can still hot in the keys, ocean side, but the competition is incredible. Too many people for me.

Good luck

Connor
 
Connor,
:wave
Once again, you are proving to have useful knowledge about the topic at hand. thanks so much foir the warm water-after the storm tip. i am sure it will come in handy. I find that every time I speak with you I come away with more knowledge than I had before.

Tina
 
Hi Aquatic Ape
A tickler stick is a new one on me. I'll have to try that one!! Normally our lobsters when distubed flick their tails underneath them and shoot backwards. That's why we close the cray loop to get it past them and open it out once it's in, so if the lobster goes backwards he goes into the loop.
Do you actually touch the lobster with the stick or just wiggle it in the hole?
 
Ok, a friend of mine just went down this weekend to Ilamorada in the Keys from where she lives near tampa and was lucky enough to bag 2-3 bugs yesterday. 1 was not of legal size, but theywere still allowed to dine on the ones that were. I can't take this <pounds on table> the pressure, the agony :duh it's weakining me...lol It wouldnt be so bad <envious point comming> but she has to send me pics of thier conquest from her cell phone :blackeye
 
What part of Florida are you moving to?

I am near Vortex springs, dive Morrison and Cypress often.
 
we will be in Bartow fr about the first year. Ultimately, we want to be in New Port Richey, Spring Hill, or Homosassa Springs. I had hoped to be there by now but my husbands job has kept us here for a bit longer than we wanted.
 
I would suggest A looper I have never had much luck w/ a stick & net, but have landed every bug ive gone after w/ a looper.
Good luck
 
thanks for the tip...saw a thread in the florida sportsman fishing forum where a man lost a portion of a finger to a Bug...has me wondering if I need those chain mail gloves...lol

:crutch

Crutch doesnt mean anything, I just like it...lol

thanks again for the tip! feel free to write anytime

Tina
 
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