(WSVN) - The Spiny Lobster Sport Season, commonly known as the “mini-season,” has arrived in South Florida.
The long-awaited event kicked off on Wednesday and is set to run through Thursday.
Fishermen were seen out and early, staying overnight in preparation for the event.
“The mini season in Miami, Florida is a zoo,” said Shannon Bustamante with Shore Spartans. “Everybody is gonna want to target these crustaceans, these lobsters that is, like, the gold that we have here in Miami, Florida and the Caribbean.”
7News cameras captured fishermen showing off their catches at Crandon Park and Pelican Bay Marina.
“I like to go before the craziness starts today,” one man said. “We went lobstering last night. Had a really good time. Caught a couple of lobsters, only 12 with my buddy over there.”
The daily bag limit is 12 per person, except in Monroe County and Biscayne National Park, where the limit is only six.
“It’s our opportunity to load up, get as many lobsters as we can before the commercial guys drop these traps,” said Bustamante. “Once those traps start soaking after a few days, it gets very scarce out there. Everybody that has their honey hole in Biscayne Bay or off Elliott Key, they’re going to go to their honey holes before everyone hits their spot.”
There are also size restrictions, however, as the lobsters cannot be too young.
“The carapace of the lobster must be greater than three inches in length; it’s important that they measure correctly from the hard part of the carapace,” said Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Officer Leon Rodriguez.
Rodriguez also emphasized the importance of having the proper safety equipment on board, as well as being aware of divers in the water .
“Perhaps the most important equipment that you might have on the boat, it would be your flag, your divers down flag,” he said. “On that note, boaters that are navigating close by, they must stay outside of that 100 or 300 feet distance if navigating at normal speed. If they need to come within that 300 to 100 feet, they must slow down all the way down to idle speed if they are gonna come close to a dive down flag.”
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