You can catch your own lobster dinner in Florida — but there are rules you should know

Hungry for lobster? You can soon catch your own.

The two-day lobster miniseason in Florida runs Wednesday and Thursday, and thousands of people will visit the Keys and other spots in the state for a chance to bag their legal limit of Florida spiny lobster.

The crustacean’s tail meat is not only sought after in South Florida, but across the nation and as far away as China, where it has recently become a delicacy.

It’s called miniseason because the short stretch comes ahead of the regular commercial and recreational spiny lobster season that runs Aug. 6 through March 31. Miniseason runs every last consecutive Wednesday and Thursday of July.

Even though miniseason stretches across the state, Keys waters are particularly popular with bug hunters.

Expect many more cars and trucks on the road along the archipelago, many pulling boats, as well as more vessels on the water. That’s why locals either consider miniseason a welcome jolt to the slower summer tourism business — or a headache that ties up traffic along the Overseas Highway and creates hazardous conditions on the bay, ocean and gulf.

When is lobster miniseason?

Lobster miniseason runs July 27-28. Every year, miniseason begins at 12:01 a.m the last Wednesday of July and ends at midnight as Thursday ends. That start time is important. If you’re caught lobstering at 11:59 p.m. Tuesday, you just might end up in county jail.

How did miniseason come to be?

The miniseason was approved in 1974 by the Florida Legislature as a way to ease conflict between recreational anglers and commercial trappers before the regular season started, said Andy Newman, spokesman for the Monroe County Tourist Development Council.

What should you know before heading out on the water?

Going on the hunt for spiny lobsters, which unlike their Maine lobster cousins are clawless, requires following a bunch of laws you need to know before heading out.

“Miniseason is a great time for residents and visitors alike, and I want to ensure everyone is aware of the law, and behaving in a responsible, and safe, manner,” Monroe County Sheriff Rick Ramsay said in a statement.

The Keys sheriff’s office will have extra deputies on the road, boat ramps and on the Atlantic Ocean, Florida Bay and Gulf of Mexico to make sure everyone is following these rules. The main law enforcement presence on the water, however, will be officers with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

It is important for people coming to the Florida Keys to hunt for lobsters to note that some of the rules for miniseason are more strict for the island chain.

And, no matter if you’re following the law or not, there’s a good chance your vessel will get boarded by FWC officers or marine patrol deputies conducting resource and boat safety checks.

“Anyone caught with illegal lobster will be charged accordingly,” the Keys sheriff said.

What are the rules of lobster miniseason?

• The bag limit for lobsters in the Florida Keys is six per person, per boat. The same limit applies to lobstering within Biscayne National Park in Miami-Dade County. For the rest of Miami-Dade and the rest of the state, the bag limit is 12 lobsters per person, per boat.

• Lobster hunters statewide need to have with them a Florida saltwater fishing license with a current lobster permit. Throughout the state, anglers must carry with them a gauge to measure the lobsters. They must be measured in the water if they are harvested while diving or snorkeling.

• The carapace, which is the body and head of the lobster — basically the part that is not the tail — must be greater than three inches long. Tails must measure more than 5 1/2 inches long.

• Lobsters must be brought to shore whole. Only once on shore can the tail and carapace be separated. All undersized lobsters must be returned alive and unharmed to the water.

• No egg-bearing female lobsters can be harvested. You can not spear or use any other tool that can pierce or break the lobster’s shell anywhere in Florida.

• In the Florida Keys and adjacent federal waters, there is no diving or snorkeling at night. People can still use a bully net to catch lobsters one hour after official sunset until one hour before official sunrise. Bully netting is using a basket net at the end of a pole and a light to spot and catch lobster at night from a boat.

• Recreational trapping is prohibited. All divers and snorkelers must display a diver down flag.

What areas are off-limits during lobster miniseason?

• The Biscayne Bay and Card Sound Spiny Lobster Sanctuaries; anywhere within the city limits of Layton, a small incorporated municipality less than a mile in size near the Middle Keys; Dry Tortugas National Park; Everglades National Park

• The 18 Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Special Preservation Areas. They are marked off by several yellow buoys.

• The four Special-Use Research-Only Areas of Conch Reef, Tennessee Reef, Looe Key Patch Reef and Eastern Sambo The two Ecological Reserves of Western Sambo and the Tortugas John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park in Key Largo.

Are there special lobstering rules in the Florida Keys?

In Monroe County and in the municipalities of Marathon, Key Colony Beach, Islamorada, Layton and Key West, there is no diving or snorkeling within 300 feet of a residential shoreline, in any man-made or private canal or in any public or private marina.

Can you have a cold one while hunting for lobster?

While it is legal to drink alcohol on a boat, it is illegal to operate a vessel under the influence of alcohol or drugs. The FWC recommends that people planning to have booze on their boat designate a designated driver who will not drink.

What happens if you break the lobster rules?

Breaking rules is not a good idea, especially in Monroe County where the State Attorney’s Office is known to seek jail time for doing so, and judges often oblige. The possible penalty for each undersized lobster is 60 days in jail, a $500 fine, or both, according to the Monroe County State Attorney’s Office. Violating some of the rules, like harvesting egg-bearing females or using a spear gun to hunt lobsters, puts you at risk for the same penalties.

More information on lobster miniseason

The Monroe Tourist Development Council started a public awareness campaign ahead of miniseason, which includes a website people can visit for rules and regulations, boating and diving safety tips and recommendations on harvesting lobsters while being aware of the sensitive Florida Keys marine environment.

Also, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission will have an informational booth at Key Largo’s Waldorf Plaza, mile marker 100 on the ocean side of U.S. 1, in front of Divers Direct. FWC officers and other staff will demonstrate how to properly measure lobsters and provide the latest rules and regulations.The booth is scheduled to operate between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. starting through Tuesday.