FL lobster license question...

If my husband and I are shore diving and bug hunting, do we both need a fishing-lobster license? Or just one of us? Also, I have read that people have the license on their person while they dive...is this required or can I keep it in my car while I dive?

If you are both hunting lobsters then you both need to be licensed. You are allowed 6 lobsters per licensed diver. If only one of you are licensed you can still dive together but the unlicensed diver is not supposed to participate in the hunting. You are supposed to have your license and photo ID with you in the event you are checked by FWC. I carry mine in a water tight container and tie it to the float of my dive flag. You can get licensed immediately by calling 1-800-FISH-FLA. They will issue you a number that you can present to the officer if you are checked. You also need to have a lobster guage on your person while lobstering. Make sure they are legal size and remember to check them for eggs too. I've seen people just quickly turn the lobster over to check for eggs but sometimes they have a very small cluster of eggs under one of the fins under the tail. The FWC will lift each fin looking for a tiny cluster of eggs so be dilligent when checking for eggs.

Good luck hunting!
-Chris

To add a little, you both need a fishing license AND a crawfish (aka lobster) stamp. You can get 7 day fishing licences if you like, the CF stamp is good for the year. I get them on line, fill out a little info, put in a CC and they are in the mail in a few days.

Although you need a saltwater fishing license to take anything, I don't believe you need a crawfish stamp to take the other three species of lobster we have in our waters. The spanish, slipper or shovel nose. Nor is there a size limit or number limit for them. I believe the license only applies to Panularus argus or spiney lobster. The "female with eggs" applies to all spieces.

Craig

Lobster Information

Above is a good link that I found that should answer all your questions and then some. I hope this helps. Happy Hunting, LOL

i dunno about florida, but here in california you're allowed to have your license in your car. At least, the lobster diving book i bought told me that It doesn't have to be on you in the water, but wherever you keep your "shore gear", so if that's your car it's ok. But the gauge needs to be on you at all times, and losing it is not an excuse. That means that if you drop and lose your gauge while hunting, you're expected to release any lobster you have immediately and stop hunting, so 2 gauges is pretty much necessary (especially since they're so cheap and small).

Sam Maghsoodloo:

i dunno about florida, but here in california you're allowed to have your license in your car.

Click to expand...

Depends on the officer. Most won't let you go to your car in my experience. When you get out of the water with your bugs they want to see it while you are standing on the sand. I have heard of tying it to the flag also if you are out on the 2nd reef line and aways from shore and the FWC boat stops you. But again, it just depends on who the officer is that stops you.

Even if 1 person is bug hunting if it appears to the FWC officer that actually 2 people have/are harvesting lobsters - YOU WILL BE FINED!!
Awfully cheap insurance to buy a fishing license and crawfish stamp and just go enjoy without any hassles.
Unfortunately, common practice down here has been for people to dive in groups where not all have licenses but they "manage to harvest only the limit of the licenses". That is the reason for the zero tolerance policy in the past 2 years.

Thanks for the info on your experiences. I figured we would both need them anyways.