What to know as Florida’s spiny lobster mini-season begins

Related video: How to catch a Florida lobster

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — The sport season to fish for spiny lobster is back, beginning tomorrow, July 24, until Thursday.

The sport season is just a preview for the regular season that starts on Aug. 6, and goes until the end of March.

Spiny Lobster Sport Season Rules

In order to experience the mini-season, folks are required to have a recreational saltwater fishing license and a lobster permit.

Lobsters must be harvested whole while in state waters and cannot be punctured.

There is a daily bag limit of 12 per person, unless you’re fishing in the restrictive areas — such as Monroe County or Biscayne National Park — where the limit is 6 bags.

Spiny lobsters must be at least 3 inches long.

Participants may not take egg-bearing lobsters, and only commercial fishermen are able to lay traps.

Violators could be punished with fines or even jail time.

Sport season is open to anyone with a license, so the FWC is advising boaters to be safe while on the water.

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