The spiny lobster season begins in Florida, drawing eager divers to the water
Summers are fickle in South Florida, but if you’ve been here in the past few months or have a thermometer, you probably know that.
As the calendar quickly approaches the last week of July, it’s easy to feel down about summer coming to an end, but it also means we’re closing in on the best time of the year.
No, I’m not talking about Christmas. It’s spiny lobster season here in the Sunshine State.
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The Florida Keys are known for landing large species such as swordfish, but landing one of these sizes requires special deep-sea techniques. (Stock)
If you’re not familiar with the small season, it’s basically the time when commercial fishermen aren’t allowed to catch any lobsters so anyone doing so recreationally has first dibs.
It takes place on the last Wednesday and Fourth of July every year, and all the hotels near the Florida Keys are looking up and expecting a lot of locals and tourists who will make the trip down to participate.
For those who wish to participate in the wonders of the young season, there are certain rules to follow.
You are limited to 12 lobsters per person per day, unless you are diving in Monroe County (home of the Florida Keys). If you live there, your limit is six per person per day.
Also, keep an eye out for protected areas and National and State Parks, as those are obviously entry points.
In addition to the limit, you must also ensure that the carapace (the part from its head to the beginning of the tail) exceeds 3 inches in length. You must also have a lobster permit, which you can easily obtain by going to the Florida Wildlife Commission’s website.
After all that care, the fun really begins.
A family shows their release of spiny lobsters from the young season in the Florida Keys (2012). (Austin Perry)
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I’m not even a big fan of eating lobster at a restaurant, but I happily ate pounds of Florida spiny lobsters caught by my friends and family while I lived in The Keys.
Like fish, you’ll never have a tastier lobster than the one you caught yourself.
Another beauty of lobster fishing during the low season is that you don’t need any fancy gear to have a good time, either.
Sure, it helps to have dive tanks and SCUBA gear, but many places around the Gulf waters aren’t deep enough — especially in the Upper and Middle Keys — that all you need is a mask, snorkel, pair of gloves, and a kayak to reach your daily limit.
Lobsters like to hide in small holes, crevices, and even under old burnt objects, so be sure to leave no stone unturned (literally).
I would recommend staying for a week even though the real season is from Wednesday to Thursday so you can participate in another activity that the area is famous for: fishing.
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If you’re not out diving for lobsters, there’s plenty of world-class fishing to be had up and down both regions of the Florida Keys.
Bradford Todd Picariello reportedly owned a private business called Outlaw Fishing Charters in Marathon, Florida. (Stock)
As a native Floridian, my summer never feels complete without taking a trip down to our state’s most famous island in late July, and I hope some of you will be able to experience that magic for yourself.
Summer is all about creating memories that last a lifetime, and I can’t think of a better place to create new ones than the Florida Keys during the spiny lobster season.
