Need Lobster Catching Pointers For Jacksonville

[Diver2654]

I'm getting ready to go to Jacksonville, FL to go spearfishing on 8/14/2010 with my brother. I have heard that there are lobster there. I could use some pointers on how to catch them. Do you use any special tools or do you need to be at any certain depths? We are planning on going with two friends who only hook and line. They tell us that there is a ledge about 10 miles out that goes from 60' to 70'. They say they catch alot of fish on it all the time. We have never dove off of Jacksonville. What can we expect? We have just got back into diving and we have only dove on the Gulf side. Our friends boat is a 17' and we have an 18' so we are only going if it is nice. How has the seas been lately?

 

[mselenaous]

From my days in Jax a few years back, we went to an area south of Jax/No. of St. Aug. known as "21bottom" to find natural ledges at 126ft deep. You have limited time at that depth, but lot's of lobsters especially at dawn. "Bugzilla" lives there. As the morning passed, there were more groupers than lobsters.
Good luck, have fun, and dive safe.

 

[Rhone Man]

Definitely gonna need a lobster snare (or lobster loop I think they are sometimes called in Florida).

There was a good thread a few months ago where people were discussing tips and tricks for catching lobster; if I feel slightly less lazy later on I will try and dig it up and post a link.

 

[Rhone Man]

Here it is:

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/underwater-hunting/158237-wanted-lobster-hunting-tips.html

If you bring back Lobzilla, don't forget to post your boast.

 

[htn123]

I looked at the "wanted: Lobster Hunting Tips" thread and the first thing jumped at me is the stick with the nylon hose. It is ILLEGAL here in FL.
Reason is you don't know what size of the lobster you will get when you stick that nylon thing in the hole. And you might break the antenna with an undersized lobster.

I took my son to his first lobstering and he did awesome in this video. He got 2 of the biggest lobsters on the boat.

YouTube - ‪Lobster Mini Season 2010 Key Largo (1)‬‎

Now, you can do a little faster with the tickle stick. ie: get that stick in there and just shove the lobster out. Don't need to be so gentle as my son did in the video. Also, get the net out of the way. Be patient, wait for the lobster to be out in the open then just put the net on the back of him then push him in. Don't use the net to block the lobster exit. Just let him out in the open and then get him.

Hope you catch your limit.

 

[Rhone Man]

I looked at the "wanted: Lobster Hunting Tips" thread and the first thing jumped at me is the stick with the nylon hose. It is ILLEGAL here in FL.

I think someone made a similar point in the thread - the original question in that other thread was about lobster hunting in California, which was where the nylon hose suggestion came from. I still reckon it is unsporting though.