Boat ramps full as anglers take advantage of extra day of lobster miniseason
All ten boat ramps at Blackpoint Marina in south Miami-Dade County were thoroughfares of trucks backing in trailered vessels Sunday morning as anglers were eager to get out into Biscayne Bay to hunt for spiny lobster for the first time since the recreational and commercial season ended for the Florida delicacy in March.
Before the season starts back up in August, there is always a “miniseason” for the clawless crustaceans on the last consecutive Wednesday and Thursday in July. This year, however, Gov. Ron DeSantis designated Sunday as an extra day of preseason lobster fishing for Florida residents only.
“I think it’s great for the residents that we’re getting the extra day,” said 19-year-old Lucas Bonell, who, with his girlfriend Samantha Windsor, 19, and his parents Michelle and Milton Bonell, prepped their boat to head out to the bay.
“Hopefully, we can get our spot before it’s too late,” Lucas said as he noticed all of the trucks lining up to put boats in the water.
To catch the lobsters, anglers either scuba dive or snorkel for them, usually using a “tickle stick” to coax them into hand-held nets. At night, anglers use a “bully net” that is lowered down to the ocean floor while standing on the deck of their boat.
The Bonells intended on putting their boat in the water at Matheson Hammock Park and Marina nearer to their Palmetto Bay home, but the ramp there was so busy, police moved people on from the entrance on Old Cutler Road, said Michelle Bonell.
Still, they were excited they found a ramp at Blackpoint Marina.
“It’s all brand new. Brand new day,” said Milton Bonell. “We’re looking forward to it.”
Brian Garcia, 26, his girlfriend Vanessa Chavez, 26, and their friend Bryce Jessee, 33, returned from their expedition around 11 a.m. as the other boats were going out. They departed the marina at 5:30 a.m.
“We were trying to avoid all of this,” Garcia said, noting the lines for the boat ramps.
Getting an early start paid off for the friends. They hit their bag limit of six lobsters per person, per boat, even if it meant first waiting out some nasty weather.
“It was raining in the morning, but once we got past the thunderstorms, we were good,” Jessee said.
The trip was Chavez’s first time hunting for spiny lobster.
“I was a little nervous about it at first, but overall, it was really good,” she said.
Alex Lage, 21, Marlon Gonzalez, 22, and Darien Gonzalez, 20, got out to their spot outside of Boca Chita around 7:30 a.m., which proved to be an opportune time for lobster fishing.
“We limited out by 9:30 a.m., so it was good,” Lage said.
Others came back to the dock empty handed.
Dito Valdes and his friends got into the water only to find the unfortunate downside to lobster fishing — the bay bottom littered with lobster carapaces, basically the heads of the lobsters after they’ve been detached from their tails, which is illegal.
Lobsters must be brought back to shore alive and in one piece.
“We just saw a bunch of broken tails, but that was about it, brother,” Valdes told the Herald as he hooked his boat trailer back onto his truck.
During regular miniseason, the Florida Keys is usually the desired destination for people looking to fill their coolers with spiny lobster. Police agencies in the Keys were worried that the extra day might stretch their officers thin as they prepare for the annual miniseason in less than two weeks.
As the afternoon moved along, however, that had not happened, Capt. David Dipre with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, told the Herald.
“Overall, this miniseason is working good so far. There seems to be plenty of locals taking advantage of it. We’re not inundated like we usually are in regular miniseason, and we haven’t found anyone who isn’t a Florida resident trying to get in on the harvest,” Dipre said.
