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.

Funny stuff.
Nice article, Rick.

Good thing they weren't Maine lobsters, or there would be another dimension to the story. Or should I say dimension-less.

Frank

Screwed that up, happens when you rush stuff. Back in the oven, back out soon once it's done!

Well, sometimes Chris. Looked for a hidden meaning, missed it, oh well.

In the spirit of getting some back, gather round for a story...


It took place in a land far away overseas and decades in the past. It happened to someone I know but who shall remain nameless. He had just been coasting along over a couple of miles of reef just looking around. He had no bugging gear with him as it happened. He came up on a tire on the sand in about 15 ft. of water. I think they call them "condos" these days but back then, just tires. The hubs were long gone but they were fairly sprouting with antennae.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/...bcd14ffe29.jpg
Like the Bug Coop only deeper
From: http://flickr.com/

Not the easy broken chromed aluminum variety but those bound to Panulirus argus, Spiny Lobster. He thought, hmm maybe should bring some bugs home to dinner, uh, for dinner. Problem, he had no gloves and had experienced the slice and dicing that comes with barehanding bugs that don't want to be manhandled.

The ever inventive mind hatched a solution, take your bathing suit off, wrap it around your right hand and you're good to go. So, hand clothed and privates free to the deep blue sea he descended to address the bugs. Tires have the unique quality of making lobsters feel more secure and providing an infinite distance along which to travel, in circles at high speed inside the rim. Catching them is easier than shooting fish in a barrel, even without a gun. Just plop your hand in the inner recess of the tire and wait for the bugs playing Roller Derby to slam into your open fingers. As this was long ago and far away in a distant land, he tailed the bugs making it easier to hang on to them. Five lobster were gathered in this fashion sans bug bag and off to shore again.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/lobster_s.jpg
Do these guys have attitude or what?
From: http://dive.scubadiving.com/members/divetips.php?s=682

The guy was uneasy about putting his burden down and covering up his privates lest a greedy triggerfish fly in and scarf up the bootie, the bugs that is. So, cupping the tails in both hands he swam in au naturale for a time. Doing the odd barrel role to look around he happened to notice a permit fish in tow. A BIG permit and an eager one at that with a strange look in his eye?

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/01_28_B_29sm.jpg
Permit on the hoof
From: http://antiguaisland.blogspot.com/20...7_archive.html

The diver was back peddling facing the permit hands in front along with everything else as it happened. It was a good sized one about the size of a Thanksgiving serving platter. The fish would rush in and then back off. This was starting to unnerve the guy more than a bit, considering a) he thought permits were midwater feeders, no crustacea or annelids in their diet b) despite the presence of bugs there was other potential fodder. There is a certain degree of irrationality that comes with certain types of threats to guys. This was one of those touchy situations and trophic analysis aside, Ockham's razor aside, it wasn't clear to the guy what was in the permits mind or on the menu. The damn fish kept charging in! The guy kicked it THREE TIMES and it still kept running in, dammmuh! He had kicked sharks only twice in the past and the toothy tiburons had fled. Not so our permit though. New problem, the water was getting shallower. He is envisioning running up on the beach holding the bug tails, flapping about with a permit dolphining in his wake to the general entertainment of the bathers on the beach. Understand in some cultures, having your right hand covered and nothing else ... means absolutely nothing?


http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/...say_cheese.jpg
The offending fish saying ahhhh. LOOK at the size of that mauw, gives me the willies!
From: http://captaintadburke.com/the_fishing.html

Coming down to the moment of truth and precious little water, he decided to throw the permit a bone, uh tail. It was the biggest one too, damn! The permit glided up, sniffed it and charged along after the diver AGAIN. In about two feet of water and shoaling at this point, kicked the fish one more time with feeling and it whipped around to gorge on the bug tail on the bottom. He was then able to drop the tails for a second, don his suit and walk out with what shreds of dignity the permit sneak attack allowed.


Moral: Five bugs in the hand are good, but four and safely covered privates are better if permit'ed!?


Text Copyright FKA, Inc. 2008

Great story Chris. It is amazing how far you can see a light shined up to the surface from below. It looks like green circular explosions sometimes. Glad you guys got off with a warning and the police got to tuck into some fresh lobster.

Hey Frank,

Maine lobster, now that would be nasty. Permit on one side trying to take a bite while the Maine guys are chopping away at the other side as you descend into the "lost dimension."Do people dive up there in just bathing suits, or not? Or is it too chilly? Harder to repeat this story with a drysuit which is comforting.

Thanks Scott, sorry to put it up before it was finished.