lobster hunting

[Lobzilla]

I am twelve years old and I'm new to scuba diving. I was recently certified and I am Jr OW. I am interested in lobster hunting. I would like to know where, permits needed, season, special tech., and whats used to catch them.

Lobster diving is a lot of fun. In the photo you see my 11 year old nephew with his first (undersized) catch.

As far as equipment is concerned you need at least a permit, a gauge, and a catch bag. If the local regulations allow, a tickler (stick) is helpful but not mandatory.

Here is a link to some regulations for Virginia. I would contact the agency for more details.

Lobstering will help you to build team awareness (you will get distracted) and will almost force you to improve your buoyancy and attitude control. Do not forget to check your air supply frequently as you will get excited and will easily loose track of time.

The best is to sloooowly hover down on the lobsters; most of the time they will get courious and come further out. You want to grab them from the top, at the 'neck', behind the claws. Then, look on the underside for eggs, check the tail for a notch (if there are eggs or a notch you must release), and use the gauge to see whether they are within the size limit.

The 'keepers' go into the bag tail first. You can keep them fresh and alive on land by wrapping them in a saltwater-soaked towel and putting them in a cooler with ice (do not expose them to freshwater).

And the lobsters you catch yourself taste a whole lot better that the ones from the store

 

[ktomlinson]

That snorkel looks huge on him! Good for him for catching one so young (him, not the lobster)

 

[blueringocto]

Thank you all for your posts. I will definently look at all the URL's:fruit:. I do love my sea food and my mom is right about being a dork I cant wait till I get to go bug hunting Hopefully soon we can move out of boring Virginia and go to the Sunshine state(Florida). Whooo Hooooo!!!!!!

 

[porgyhunter]

Hey Octie..Getting back to ya. Everybody has their own method, mine is 1st I use a one hand catch bag ''extremely convienant'' on the ''open handle'' I mount the lobster gauge. I also carry a small pole spear ''smooth three prong end'' This you can use for ''tickleing'' or spearing flounder when they come to investagate. Also if you have deep rocks a light atteched to your BC on a retractable holder works well. I could write volumns on where to find them and catching tecniques, but the learning is the FUN. Keep safety minded, it's easy to go headlong into danger chaseing a stubbard bug. Good Luck

 

[Mantadiver]

Try spearboard.com

 

[bg7003]

I don't think they'll give you a problem if you eat them right in the water. It was lunch time and I just pulled up a lobster and didn't feel like swimming the 100 yards back to the shore. I cracked the tail off and ate him raw right out in the bay. Came back to shore an hour later to see a game warden just shaking his head and laughing.