bully netting bugs... help?

[JackSpearo]

This will be my 4th mini-season (PS I know a lot of people think mini-season is crazy, but I love it). This year I will have access to my rental boat at nighttime, so I really want to try bully netting. Can anyone please give me any tips? Is it hard? Can you limit easily?

Thanks,

Jack

 

[Speargirl]

I have never done this as I sleep at night. Remember you need a big light to put in the water so you can see them. Because they do walk around at night it makes it much easier. But I can 100% guarantee you will be visited by FWC more at night than during the day.
I would say you have a better chance at the really big ones at night and you wont have to look very hard once you find them walking about. I see lots of boats at night around the bridges must be where they all hang out.
Good luck and follow all the rules as they get pretty bored and upset they have to be on the water looking for people to arrest. Bring coffee and some snacks for them.
Good luck and happy hunting

 

[DebbyDiver]

Remember too that it is illegal to catch lobsters at night in Monroe County...the Keys...during mini-season.

 

[Speargirl]

http://floridakeys.noaa.gov/lobster2006.pdf
http://myfwc.com/docs/RulesRegulations/Lobster_Brochure.pdf

Sport Season
The two-day Sport Lobster Season is always the last consecutive Wednesday and Thursday in July.
Begins at 12:01 a.m. on the last Wednesday in July.
Ends at 12:00 midnight on the last Thursday in July.
State and Federal Waters
Bag Limit: Six (6) per recreational harvester per day. The two-day total of twelve lobster per recreational
harvester in Monroe County, adjacent Federal waters, and Biscayne National Park can only be possessed when
transporting your catch by car on, or after, the second day.
(Diving at night for lobster is NOT permitted in Monroe County and adjacent Federal waters. Bully-netting and hoop-netting is permitted at night. “Night” is 1 hour after official sunset to 1 hour before official sunrise.)
Prohibited Areas:
• Artificial Habitats in State Waters
• Biscayne Bay/Card Sound Spiny Lobster
Sanctuary (closed only to the harvest of spiny lobster)
• Everglades National Park
• Dry Tortugas National Park
• Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary
The following no-take areas are marked by 30"
diameter round yellow boundary buoys:
• Sanctuary Preservation Areas (SPAs)
• Special-use Research Only Areas
• Ecological Reserves (Tortugas E.R. not currently
marked, refer to GPS coordinates)
• John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park
• All of John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park is
closed during the two day Sport Lobster Season
to the harvest of spiny lobster.
The following areas are under local jurisdiction and
subject to the following:
• Unincorporated Monroe County
• Islamorada, Village of Islands
• City of Key Colony Beach **
• City of Marathon
No diving or snorkeling within:
• 300 feet of improved residential or commercial shoreline
• any manmade or private canal
• any public or private marina
** In the City of Key Colony Beach this rule applies
during the 4 days preceding Sport Season and continues until 10 days have elapsed after the opening of Regular Season.
Measuring Lobster
Each harvester must have a gauge made for
measuring lobster while harvesting in the water.
All lobster must be measured in the water and
released unharmed if undersized.
Lobster carapace must be greater than three (3) inches.
All recreationally harvested lobster must
remain in whole condition while at sea.
Tails can only be separated on land. When the
tail is separated from the body, it must be
greater than 5-1/2 inches.





Lobster carapace must be greater than
three (3) inches.
Regular Season
The Regular Lobster Season is always
August 6 through March 31.
Begins at 12:01 a.m. on August 6.
Ends at 12:00 midnight on March 31.
State and Federal Waters
Bag Limit: Six (6) per recreational harvester per day
Diving at night for lobster is permitted.
Prohibited Areas:
• Artificial Habitats in State Waters
• Biscayne Bay/Card Sound Spiny Lobster Sanctuary (closed only to the harvest of spiny lobster)
• Everglades National Park
• Dry Tortugas National Park
• Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary
The following no-take areas are marked by 30" diameter
round yellow boundary buoys:
• Sanctuary Preservation Areas (SPAs)
• Special-use Research Only Areas
• Ecological Reserves (Tortugas E.R. not currently marked,
refer to GPS coordinates)
• John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park
• During the Regular Lobster Season no person shall
harvest any lobster species from or within any coral
formation (patch reef).
• The following “Pennekamp Lobster Exclusion Zones”
are closed during the Regular Lobster Season to the
harvest of any lobster species and are marked with white
and orange spar buoys:
• Turtle Rocks • Basin Hills North
• Basin Hills East • Basin Hills South
• Higdon’s Reef • Cannon Patch
• Mosquito Bank North • Mosquito Bank South East
• Three Sisters North • Three Sisters South
• City of Key Colony Beach
No diving or snorkeling within:
• 300 feet of improved residential or commercial shoreline, any manmade or private canal, any public or private marina
• This rule applies during the 4 days preceding Sport
Season and continues until 10 days have elapsed after
the opening of Regular Season

 

[DebbyDiver]

I stand corrected. Thanks, Becky!

 

[kwflfire]

I have never done this as I sleep at night. Remember you need a big light to put in the water so you can see them. Because they do walk around at night it makes it much easier. But I can 100% guarantee you will be visited by FWC more at night than during the day.
I would say you have a better chance at the really big ones at night and you wont have to look very hard once you find them walking about. I see lots of boats at night around the bridges must be where they all hang out.
Good luck and follow all the rules as they get pretty bored and upset they have to be on the water looking for people to arrest. Bring coffee and some snacks for them.
Good luck and happy hunting

Also check the flats that are right next to channels as they come from the deeper water onto the flats to feed.

Michael

 

[Orlando Eric]

How do you weave a bull into a net? -- what is a bully net

 

[Speargirl]

Marine Sports Lobster Bully Net with Sure Grip Handle Mfr # 5535
Our Stock # 476981725
Our Price: $14.99


The difference is that it is straight on the end instead of round so you can place on the floor of the ocean. Of course you would need to modify this one with a longer handle if you were night lobstering.

 

[Orlando Eric]

But where are the horns??

 

[JackSpearo]

But where are the horns??

And I thought I made bad jokes!