The Florida Keys lobster

Lobstering in the Florida Keys elicits much passion and excitement for local divers and visiting divers alike. The Spiny Lobster, as the Florida Keys lobster is called, hides under rocks and ledges and is challenging and fun to catch. The tail meat is delicious and divers with a State of Florida fishing license with lobster sticker can take six per day in the Florida Keys. Florida Keys lobstering can be done on the tiny patch reefs close to shore, on the main reef, or on the Gulf side in Key West. Only commercial lobstering boats can set traps, so the rest of us might use a tickle stick and net. Spiny lobsters don’t have a big meaty claw like Maine lobsters, so only the tail is eaten. Size requirements are strict. Most tickle sticks come with an attached measuring tool. Getting caught with an undersize lobster is expensive and it kind of ruins your day.

Lobster Mini Season

If you’ve done any Florida Keys lobstering, then you’ve probably heard about Lobster Mini Season. This two-day event occurs every July in the Florida Keys. For two days, non-commercial lobstering can be done before the commercial traps are set out a week later. This is exciting because the season has been closed for four months and the lobsters have had time to grow. You can easily find lobsters at the beginning of the season, so amateurs and beginners have an easier time at it. For more experienced divers, lobsters can be found well into March, at the close of the season, but for Lobster Mini Season, it’s as easy as pie.