FLORIDA ADVENTURES
Lobstering in the Keys, our staycation tips, about tickle sticks and making plans.
Planning a summertime getaway to the Florida Keys? Be ready to catch a major dose of “bug” fever, best cured by plunging right into the turquoise-tinged waters armed with tickle sticks. The end of July kicks off Florida’s twoday spiny lobster mini-season―a prelude to the full session in August―and the chance to catch your own delicious dinner.
The Middle Keys, from Islamorada to Marathon, are prime hunting grounds for Florida lobster, clawless crustaceans nicknamed bugs because of their tangle of appendages. Seventy percent of all Florida lobsters are harvested in Monroe County.
Florida’s spiny lobster season offers a different approach to a typical Keys vacay, especially for those who can do without the wee-hours nightlife of Key West and the early-morning crow of the city’s roosters. Stay at Hawks Cay Resort on Duck Key and you’ll enjoy fitness and wellness amenities, a marina with expert lobster hunters. “Our private boat was already booked months before for the first day of this year’s mini-season,” says Jessica Pritt, shop manager and an instructor for Dive Duck Key, a dive shop and boat charter at the resort.
Florida’s annual mini-season is always the last consecutive Wednesday and Thursday in July (this year July 27-28), begins promptly a minute after midnight and concludes at midnight the next day. It gives recreational divers and snorkelers a head start on commercial fishermen. Unlike their cold-water kin, Florida lobsters lack claws, have an additional gram of fat and more calories but less cholesterol. Some grow as big as 3 feet, although most average about 2 or so pounds, Pritt says.
Monroe County allows six lobsters per person, per day―except in the waters and marine sanctuaries of state and national parks. The regular season is Aug. 6 through March 31. The warmer summer months are best for snorkeling shallow bayside.
No matter the destination―5 miles offshore in 30-foot deep water or free-diving off the bay shoreline―lobstering isn’t a leisurely activity. Poke a lobster the wrong way with a 2-foot “tickle stick,” you just might lose dinner. Startled bugs move backward quickly. A tickle stick coaxes lobsters out of hiding while protecting the reef. Hunters typically wear gloves and
The Middle Keys, from Islamorada to Marathon, are prime hunting grounds for Florida lobster.
carry a mesh bag or a basket, aka lobster hotel, around their waists. “They’re fast,” Pritt says of lobsters.
Duck Key, between Islamorada and Marathon, is famous for its large population of lobsters. That is the reason a group of former college buddies from Michigan, for instance, makes the 29-hour road trip annually for a week of bug hunting by day and grilled tails with melted butter upon their return. They stay at a friend’s parent’s house and hang out at Hawks Cay at night. The resort offers traditional rooms and suites and two- to four-bedroom villas in neighborhoods scattered throughout the property. Its amenities are for relaxation and rejuvenation and one bucket-list experience―swimming with resident dolphins. There’s a fitness center, family and adult-only pools, a tidal-fed lagoon and beach, and the Calm Waters Spa offering treatment rooms, a Vichy shower, exercise classes and summertime specials. The resort also offers bikes, paddleboards and kayaks for exploring. Dive Duck Key hosts scuba trips, provides onsite certification. Many guests inquire about lobstering after overhearing conversations about bugs and tickle sticks. “Guests learn about lobster season, walk in and ask how they can try it,” says Pritt.
There’s also some consolation if your bug luck runs out. The resort’s restaurants offer several Florida lobster dishes, including sliders, tempura, thermidor, mac 'n' cheese and ceviche, according to executive chef William Ryan. They’ll even cook your lobster catch. “Our guests travel from all over the world to go fishing and lobster diving and indulge in the fresh seafood that the Florida Keys is known for,” Ryan says.
Complete your lobster quest with a quick trip to town and Marathon’s no-frills Keys Fisheries Market & Marina, where a sign keeps a running tab of sales of its signature lobster Reuben sandwich.