Stuart, FL - Lobster Mini-Season
July 28th, 2008
It’s almost time for lobster mini-season to begin - it starts this Wednesday, July 30th at 12:01 AM and goes until midnight on the 31st of July (Thursday for those of you not paying attention). If you are planning on doing any tank diving, I hope you have your equipment already ready to go, the line for visual inspections is out the door in most places and you have a good chance on not making it in time if you aren’t already in line.
The limit for mini-season in Martin County is 12 lobsters per person per day in the water. On land it is 12 the first day and 24 the second. Only people who carry a valid salt water fishing license with a crawfish stamp are allowed to harvest lobster. The bag limit only counts officially to those people harvesting lobster, in other words you cannot have a non-diver get a license and have someone else harvest lobster for them. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen parents take their young children on the boats and get them licensed and catch extra for them. Just last year, I was talking to an officer from Florida Fish and Game as he was inspecting a boat. They had 24 lobster and it was a man and his young son. The son was licensed and the officer asked the boy, “How many lobster did you catch?”. The boy answered honestly, unfortunately for the dad. Don’t know what happened to him, I was to busy cracking up at the honesty of children.
If you go, be smart and dive safe. Don’t dive alone! Use the buddy system and make sure you check your equipment BEFORE you get on the boat. And don’t forget your dive flag.
