Florida Keys Lobster Sport Season Experience

Florida Keys Lobster Sport Season Experience
By: Tom S Power


The Florida Keys is a magical place. In fact Key West, the Florida Keys most distant island, is only 90 miles from Cuba. On the gulf side you can go offshore for miles, stop your boat and stand in knee deep calm as glass water and not see land anywhere around you. It's an true surreal experience for an ocean lover and nature loving person. I've encountered many a sting ray and types of sea life while there.

Nested away from the rest of the world, the Florida Keys have become a popular destination for Americans looking for a tropical vacation without traveling far from the country. There are several things to do for example award winning sport fishing, skin diving and snorkeling, trolling, kayaking, sailing, and species tours beyond belief. Each of the island destinations has some unique experiences. We invite you to visit each area yourself and discover the tropical paradise in the Florida Keys.

One of the main reasons for my travels to the Florida Keys is for Lobster Sport Season. The locals call it bug hunting. It only last for a weekend and the place is packed. If your into hunting for lobster, this is quite an exciting affair. Don't leave behind your snorkel, tickle stick and net! The kind of Lobster you'll find down there are the Spiny Lobster type, which have no pinchers and can get quite large. Spiny Lobster are larger than some Main Lobsters in cases. Remember, recreational harvesters are required to have a valid Florida Saltwater Fishing License with a current crawfish stamp. Consult a local tackle shop for exemptions to licensing requirements. Licenses are available through local convenient stores, tax collectors, many tackle shops and marine supply stores.

How expensive is it to travel to the Florida Keys? I'm finally getting to that. The Florida Keys is by far the most awesome tropical vacation destination for any fisherman, skin diver, or just plain traveler. But watch your pocket book! The Florida Keys is quite expensive. I shopped around extensively for the best motel rates and by far the best we found was a small place right off the highway called Big Pine Key Motel. They had the lowest rates and the largest rooms of every "affordable" place to stay down there which were around $70 and up! And I do mean up. Some establishments were asking over $400. If you've got the funds, I would highly recommend Little Palm Island. It's one of the top 10 resorts in the nation and the only way you can get to it is by boat. The Big Pine Key Motel is just a 20 minute drive from Key West and is surrounded by dive shops, fishing charters and great places to eat.

I'm going to leave you with a fair warning. The Florida Keys is protected by many environmental laws that are specific to endangered species. If you do any hiking lookout for the poison wood. It looks as innocent as a pear tree and 10 times more dangerous than poison ivy. The locals can't chop it down because it grows a berry that an endangered species of bird eats.


This article is a personal experience of mine during my travels to the Florida Keys and my experiences with Florida Keys Motels. I would like to give reference to the Big Pine Key Motel 1-888-872-9191 and thank them for their hospitality. I am a travel enthusiast and work as a Technical writer for a Texas internet marketing company located in San Antonio, TX. Enjoy your travels to the Florida Keys!