Florida fishermen have only a few days left to pull traps and grab limits before the spiny lobster season officially ends across all state and federal waters on April 1.
This annual closure applies to both recreational divers and commercial operations, marking the start of a four-month hiatus designed to protect the species during its peak spawning months.
While the regular season won’t reopen until August 6, local enthusiasts already have their eyes on the calendar for the popular two-day recreational sport season.
This year, the brief “mini-season” is scheduled for the last Wednesday and Thursday of July, falling on July 29 and 30. This forty-eight-hour window allows recreational harvesters a head start before the commercial traps return to the water in August.
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State officials remind everyone that these seasonal dates are strictly enforced to ensure the long-term health of the lobster population.
Those looking for specific size limits, bag counts, or gear requirements can find the full breakdown of recreational rules at MyFWC.com/Fishing under the “Crabs, Lobster and other Shellfish” section. Commercial harvesters can find their specific regulatory updates by navigating to the “Commercial Regulations” tab on the same site.
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