They said they caught one fish. Cops say they had nine out-of-season lobsters

A father and son from Miami face almost 40 fisheries violations each after wildlife police say they poached nine out-of-season spiny lobsters.

According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, one of the agency’s plainclothes investigators responded to a report on Saturday of people spearfishing near Snake Creek Bridge in Islamorada and saw the swimming with spearguns.

It is illegal to spearfish in the Upper Keys from Long Key to Key Largo.

The FWC investigator ordered the men, both named Raciel Rodriguez, to unload their spearguns and swim to shore.

Investigator Chris Mattson asked the men if they caught any fish. They said “one,” according to the agency. But when Mattson opened the cooler, he saw nine lobsters, and they were all shot with spears, Fish and Wildlife said in a statement.

Mattson also said the men speared an undersized schoolmaster snapper.

The eight-month lobster season does not begin until Aug. 6. There is also a two-day “miniseason” on July 29 and 30.

Tne Rodriguezes, ages 55 and 19, were arrested on charges of spearfishing in the Upper Keys, possession of undersized schoolmaster snapper, not having a lobster measuring device, nine counts of possessing speared lobsters, nine counts of possessing out-of-season lobsters, nine counts of being over the bag limit for lobsters and six counts of possessing undersized lobsters.

The men spent the night in Monroe County jail and were released Sunday on a bond of $6,500 each. They could not be reached for comment.

Meanwhile, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office also cited three people from Miami over the weekend with fisheries violations and issued them orders to appear in court.

The two men and one woman were fishing near the Long Key Bridge. According to the sheriff’s office, they had seven undersized mutton snapper, two undersized yellowtail snapper and an undersized black grouper.