At 12.01 a.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) on July 24, 2024, the Florida mini-season began with lobster harvesters heeding regulations.

The two-day recreational harvest follows the bonus harvest day that residents enjoyed on July 14 courtesy of governor Ron DeSantis.

This time round, recreational fishermen will follow extra rules that the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) issued on July 23.

At the outset, FWC’s Captain Rafael Almagro said that safety for fishermen and their families will be a priority.

He went on to reiterate that the bag limit remains six lobster per individual in Biscayne National Park and Monroe County. However, the rest of the Sunshine State affords a maximum catch limit of a dozen per person per day. Additionally, each specimen ought to be at least 3 inches long.

Florida is strict on weight and daily limits, which means that harvesters with extra loads or undersized catches will have to forfeit them.

Another regulation during the Florida mini-season is trap-only harvests, to ensure the catch-and-release safety of undersized lobster.

But these rules are just a byword for most Floridians understand them. What is of current import is the prediction of fair weather for Wednesday with a 10 to 15-knot southeasterly breeze.

The sea gusts however could reach 20 knots, while the sea surface will be 2 to 3 feet at high tide.

Other than the moderate sea levels, the lobster event also promises variety for harvesters with its three-species range. The most popular is the Caribbean spiny lobster while the priciest at between $8 and $10.69 a pound wholesale is the American lobster.

Ultimately, the Florida mini-season will only be a prelude to the commercial season which runs from August 6 til December 10. For extra statistics regarding the mini-season, read on below!

Florida Mini-Season & Lobster Statistics

Since 1974, when the Florida legislature created it, the mini-season has enabled families access lobster fisheries the same way as commercial fishermen. Though time-limited, recreational lobster fishing represents 22% of the yearly lobster harvests in Florida.  According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), the two-day sport season brings in 2 million pounds of lobster annually. In total, both commercial and recreational fisheries average 9 million pounds of the crustacean per year. 

Which are the best spots to catch lobster during the mini-season? 

Florida Keys, Fort Lauderdale and Miami beaches are some of the best reefed coasts to catch lobster during the mini-season. FWC states from a survey that the Keys attracts 57% of non-Keys residents who fish lobster in both the mini-season.

How many individual lobster are landed in a typical mini-season? 

Using 1999-2000 mini-season results as a gauge, Florida lands 432,000 lobsters each mini-season. These landings come from around 47,000 individuals in the space of two days. 70% of the catches came from the Keys archipelago, south Florida.