Outdoors

Captain's Corner

Season is near end: Florida's spiny lobster season ends March 31.

By BILL HARDMAN
Published March 24, 2007

Season is near end: Florida's spiny lobster season ends March 31. The spiny lobsters in the Gulf of Mexico aren't as prevalent as the ones in the Keys, but the ones in the Gulf get bigger. The average weight of a minimum legal-sized spiny is about a pound. It takes about four to five years for a spiny to weigh that much. We've caught Gulf spiny lobsters in excess of 11 pounds.

Where to look: Many spiny lobsters are never seen because many divers don't use an underwater light to look under the deep ledges. Of those who do take a light, many don't use them enough. I once found a 5-pound lobster under a ledge that a diver had just passed.

Want to see some gulf lobsters? Today at the Fort De Soto boat ramp starting at 5 p.m., the weigh-in for the TBSC Winter Invitational spearfishing tournament begins. Some of these divers should turn in a few big lobsters. There is no charge.

[Last modified March 23, 2007, 22:56:44]