Legal Places to Hunt in the FL Keys

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nabusmc

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Location
Daytona Beach FL
# of dives
25 - 49
Hey everybody. Me and a few of my dive buddies are planning to go to the FL keys to spearfish in early october. I've done some research and found that there are a ton of wildlife preservation areas and state parks around there. Does anyone have any good advice on where to go for legal spearfishing or and good charter boats that go out in that area to spearfish? Much appreciated and look foward to seeing you all out in the water.
 
Stay out of the shaded areas and 3 miles off shore north of 80.51. Watch out for yellow bouys marking no take zones and buy a chart so you know where you are at.

Good charter boats? Hmmmm, what part of the keys are you going to exactly?


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Stay West of Long Key 80.51. unless you are in Federal water. Federal water is NOT 3 miles from SHORE. Shore is defined as 3 miles from ANY LAND. This means if there is an island offshore of the Keys the line moves 3 miles out from the island.
It really isn't difficult if you look at a chart. If you are from Long Key to the Dade County line you must be on the deep reef to spearfish. If you are West of Long Key you can spearfish in shallow water also. You CANNOT spearfish or pocess a speargun in ANY state park in the Keys.
The SPA's are well marked with bouys - except for Looe Key!!!!!! Be real careful there.
The best spear charter in the Keys is probably Sub Tropic in Key West

Hope this helps
 
Spear-o friendly charters in the Keys I have used....

Blue Water Divers- Key Largo
Conch Republic- Tavenier
Ocean Quest- Islamorada
Tilden's- Duck Key and Marathon

It is best to be the first to book that day and specify that you are spearfishing. That way there does not have to be any of the back-and-forth between you and other divers who may not enjoy spear fishing.

My experience has been the better spearfishing tends to be closer to Marathon than Key Largo.
 
Shore is defined as 3 miles from ANY LAND. This means if there is an island offshore of the Keys the line moves 3 miles out from the island.

Whoops, that's a great clarification especially for the gulf side! Thanks!!
 
Glad to help.
There is ZERO tolerance by FWC down here and usually it's people looking for lobsters who have their vacations ruined by honest mistakes.
The rules here in Monroe County can be confusing. Especially spearfishing since Federal, State, City & County rules are not the same on certain species and geographic areas that can be hunted.
Anyone looking to come to Middle Keys, if you contact me I will be happy to be specific for the areas you would like to hunt/dive.
 
Keys Mobile Diving

That there's all you need to know!

Steve's a great guy and will take you wherever you want to go.

Rachel
 
Possession onboard in SPAs is not banned if guns are stowed properly.

Sometimes you will have some dweeb come up while you are spearfishing somewhere legally and give you grief.FWIW the best spearfishing is in 60' or better anyway.
 
You cannot bring in fish that you've caught though.

R
 
100% correct.
You are permitted to "transit through" SPAs. This means non stop. Same is true with fish permitted to be speared in Federal waters but not State waters. Non stop to "home port".
State parks - no pocession of a speargun, regardless of how it is stowed.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/teric/

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