NewB to Fla Lobstering. What gear and techniques?

[LJinFLA]

I have been diving in Florida for about 2 years now, but have never gone Lobstering. Now some friends of mine have invited me along for the Mini Season and the opening of the regular season. I know nothing about how to catch them. Can anyone offer some advice?

What is best to bring in terms of eqipment. I know I need a lobster bag to keep the catch and a tickle stick, a license and stamp, and a measuring device. What else is best? Snare or Net? Both? How do you carry it all? I only have two hands. What else do I bring? how do I measure them correctly?

And finally techniques, any of you great hunters out there mind sharing tips and basic intructions on how i catch these bugs? i have seen many on previous dives and have played with them enough to feel that with a little stealth and little luck, I could probably grab many with my hands, but what is the reality of it. How do I find them? Cover a lot of ground looking for Antenae or pick a nice looking spot in the reef and hunt out every hole?

Any help would be appreciated,

LJ

 

[lord1234]

so the lobster bag is in one hand, the tickle stick in the other...keep all your toys such as measuring device hooked onto the handle of your lobster bag...

Technique wise: PIITB(god I always have wanted to say that in normal conversation). Yes Put It In The Butt. Tickle them from behind with your "tickle stick".....

When you see their claws sticking out of a hole, find the rear entrance to said hole, (there is always one even thoguh you may have to do some digging), and tickle their butt...then grab their tail, or around their head when they come out of the hole...tickle lightly because otherwise they will SHOOT out of the hole and no bugs for you.

 

[SRQDave]

It will depend on a couple of things: the terrain your friends intend to cover, scuba or free diving, depth of water, Ocean side or Bay side, weather.

Scuba is by far easier because you can take all the time you need. Put on about ten pounds extra and just hang out while you tickle them out of a hole one by one. The problem is you are weighted down by all your gear and it is a PIA if there is only one or two bugs. Free diving is good because you can cover a lot of ground and if your breath holding technique and tickling technique is good you can get them in one or two breaths.

We have found that a combination of these two can work really effectively. Have one or two guys with Mask,fins,snorkel drag behind the boat at idle speed looking for likely spots and antenna. Have them make a quick bounce down to scope out the potential. If only one or two then go and get them. If you find a 'lobster hotel', have the boat double back and put a diver in the water to get them all.

Most people who limit out every year get them on the bay side in 10' -20' of water. This is ideal terrain for the free dive / scuba technique. However, the water can get chopped up pretty quickly making vis from the surface tough sometimes. Getting out early is key. The water can be like glass on the bay side early in the morning. Six per person / 24 per boat is not that many when you can get 6-8 from a good hole. There have been many times we have limited out by 10am.

If your buddies are divers and want to hit up deeper water, the bugs are generally more spaced out. I personally have never found more than 3-4 bugs in any hole deeper than 25'. It uses up lots of air searching for them but the ones you do find are mostly keeper size.

Now for technique.......you will not get many just by grabbing them. Unless they are totally backed into a wall, you will have a hard time. If you are willing to go that route you have to be really agressive and be willing to reach shoulder deep into a hole. We usually wear cotton gardening gloves because they will get caught up in the lobster spines and fins and help you get a grip. Dive gloves are just not thick enough and won't last until noon. Grip really hard and do not even think of measuring them until you get them in the catch bag. You obviously know they swim backwards so just put them in the entrance to the bag and they will launch themselves into the bottom of the bag. I generally tickle them out of the hole and then put my net behind their butt as soon as I can. You can tickle them all the way out to the sand but they get real skittish and can jet away in any direction. So get them out of the hole just far enough to get the net behind them. They just say 'Boo' and let them scoot backwards into the landing net. Quickly pin the net to the bottom to get the entire bug in the net. Then grab the net near the top to seal him in. Depending on your technique (snorkel/scuba) you may put him in bag now or head to the surface. Having other people in the water helping out is really key. Unless everyone is an expert, it is much easier to work in teams with one guy tickling them out and netting them and then the two of you bagging them.

You will see ever manner of boat and technique but this method has served me well for 20 years.

Good Luck

 

[LJinFLA]

It will depend on a couple of things: the terrain your friends intend to cover, scuba or free diving, depth of water, Ocean side or Bay side, weather.

Thanks for all the great information. To answer some of your questions, it will definately be scuba, no free divers here. Ocean Side. Pompano for mini season and Marathon, I think, for a long week end at the beginning of the season. Pompano is about 30 to 60 feet. Marathon is 30 feet max, likely more shallow. i think it will be mostly reefs but it may be some sea grass plains too down in the Keys.

LJ

 

[ClassAction]

This gear config and technique sounds brilliant, and at the same time, pretty familiar...

so the lobster bag is in one hand, the tickle stick in the other...keep all your toys such as measuring device hooked onto the handle of your lobster bag...

Technique wise: PIITB(god I always have wanted to say that in normal conversation). Yes Put It In The Butt. Tickle them from behind with your "tickle stick".....

When you see their claws sticking out of a hole, find the rear entrance to said hole, (there is always one even thoguh you may have to do some digging), and tickle their butt...then grab their tail, or around their head when they come out of the hole...tickle lightly because otherwise they will SHOOT out of the hole and no bugs for you.

 

[CA Diver]

Firdt off: No offense BUT leave all that cheating gear at home and just grab them with your hand like we have to do here in California. We are not allowed to use a tickle stick or a snare or a net. You must catch them by hand and put them in the bag. At 3 1/4 inches they also must be 1/4 inch longer than in Florida. Most successful hunts are in the evening or at night when the bugs come out of their holes. Otherwise you have to either

A. Find one in a shallow hole where they have to stay within reach
B. Be quick or stealthy enough to grab them before they scamper too deep into the hole
C. Find the back door and catch them there.

Hope you all had a successful hunt and put a tail on the barbacue for me.

 

[ClassAction]

Most successful hunts are in the evening or at night when the bugs come out of their holes. Otherwise ....

Now around here, catching them at night is cheating (and illegal).