Florida's Lobster Mini Season
 

Just came across this:

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/...ster.sized.jpg

For full sized image go to: http://blogs.trb.com/news/specials/n..._stepbyst.html

I try to cut bugs some slack myself these days. Still, there is lots of good info in the article listed above, good things like divers flag offset distances, etc..

What is with the mortality rate during mini season anyway? Lost two today as of this hour, more may be on the way. Not talking about lobsters but about all the people?! Rates are down because they shifted the season to midweek. Still, guys are taking themselves out. If you have been out of it for a while, have let your condition slip too far, why not blow off mini season? Get back into shape, have the old ticker checked out and if all is good have at it again. Take precautions when it comes to boats cause they are gunning for mini season divers too, sometimes with the diver's help. Then again for all the wholesale raping and pillaging of bugs in this special event, perhaps it is Mother Nature's sense of fair play kicking in?

Rick,

Where does one find a tickle stick? :)

I tried to do a search on tickle sticks at work but every sight I went to was blocked with our internet filtering.

Dive shops have 'em

Any dive shop should have them Chris. Not sure why they still allow hand capture or nets either for that matter. The use of a padded snare and tickle stick are fairly lethal in my experience. Most importantly, they do far less to damage, amputate legs, etc. than either other method of capture. You have less chance of getting caught yourself by a moray or ripped up on spines and rocks.

If you prefer to mail order, they can be found at:
http://www.diversdirect.com/scripts/...tickle%20stick
and
http://www.diversdirect.com/item-sea...searchinput%23

Man you guys have some clean minds. You two are no fun. :)

Chris, you can borrow mine for your honeymoon!

Hows that?

Danny

I got it. Thought it was funny. So many meanings to stuff.

http://www.urbandictionary.com/defin...m=tickle+stick

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=kite

Danimal,

After reading the definition from Scott's post you can keep your tickle stick. Mine is quite sufficient. :)

LOL.

Rick,

Back in Hawaii my friends and I use to go lobster diving at Waimea Bay at night. I was the one who always kept a look out from the churchabove Wiamea for cops because it was illegal to catch lobsters durring that time of the year. Its pretty easy to spot someone in the water because the use of flash lights at night in the water. Before my friends would come in I would signal 2 flashes for coast is clear or 3 for cops on shore. This one night my flash light went dead right after I gave the second flash and yes there were cops on shore. So my buddies got caught and they were given a stern warning, which meant HPD had a good dinner the next night.