LOBSTER BUST

FWC Seizes 345 Shorts from Lobster Boat

State wildlife officials made their biggest illegal lobster seizure of the 2010-11 season in the Florida Keys Thursday night.
About 345 undersized lobsters were seized from the 40-foot Trinity on Stock Island at 7 p.m. after it returned from a six-day fishing trip with 5,000 pounds of lobsters worth about $30,000, said Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) spokesman Bobby Dube. KeysNews

Well, sucks to be them. Nothing like 345 shorts to really put a dent in your profit margins. This is why you need to hire a full-time measuring man like Sack. What he lacks in catching prowess he more than makes up for in ability to put a plastic gauge on top of a lobster.

The best part of the article is probably the commentators. A bunch of the captain's family were trying to defend him and everyone else was just ripping on them. Gotta love the internet commentator veil of secrecy.

LOBSTER LINGO

Hookah [hook-uh]

- Noun

1. An floating air compressor used by lame amateur divers that supplies them with air while underwater. An alternative to using a scuba tank, in which the diver is attached to a hose that feeds to the surface where a gas powered motor provides a continuous supply or air.

2. A water pipe used to smoke flavored tobacco known as shisha.

Synonyms: third lung

Example: I hope that douche with the hookah drowns.

Mini Season 2011 Update

I realize that many of you were anxiously awaiting an update on the status of lobster mini season 2011.

After much negotiating, phone calls, and visits to potential locations we have successfully turned a potentially season ending situation around.

While we are not 100% out of the dark yet, it does appear that the season will go off as planned. It will require some travel and work by all attendees but it can definitely be done. In addition to planning for the last week in July, it now appears that there will be a recommended meeting for all in Minneapolis over the weekend of July 9th.

Please stay tuned for future updates.

LOBSTER SEASON OFF TO STRONG START

Mini Season Catch is Not Making Me Rich

"Spiny lobsters are abundant in supply and demand is strong, according to several of the state's largest lobster producers who provided data to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services," said an agency report Thursday.

Dockside prices paid to fishermen this season have been running $5.50 to $5.25 per pound, according to reports. A legal size lobster generally weighs about a pound.

At the start of the 2009 season, the poor economy and frozen lobster left from the previous year pushed wholesale prices down to just about $3 per pound -- a rate not seen since the 1980s. KeysNet


I am as glad as anyone that the lobster population is plentiful this year, we can skip that part of this news article. The real reason for this post was to bitch that the twelve tails I brought home are only worth $60 and the year before that they were only worth $36! I know you can't put a price on fun but c'mon, at least give me triple digits here.

As much as I love the Keys, after reading this, there is no way I envy fishermen down there anymore. I mean how many bugs do you have to catch just to break even? Probably like 50,000. I mean its a pain in the ass just to catch twelve, no thank you, I'll keep doing my fishing at Publix.

P.S. Those "trap molesters" (as the article so eloquently puts it) are damn ballsy. I don't even want to know what some crazy, old, salty fisherman making $3 per lobster would do if he caught you stealing from his trap.

SMART PHONE BACKGROUNDS

In case anyone wants the flag image for their phone background here are two versions that should hopefully work. If they don't let me know.

Droid

iPhone

MINI SEASON PHOTOS 2010

Thanks to Burns we actually have photos of this trip, check them out here.

IS IT REALLY OVER?

51 More Weeks Until Mini Season 2011

Congratulations on another successful hunt... unfortunately the Ghost Lobster escaped again but we found plenty of his friends, so I'm not gonna complain. Here are some observations from this year's trip:

     1.     There seemed to be less boats out this year then previous years, the lobsters better send BP a Christmas card.

     2.     When your captain is wearing a pink and black Speedo, the FWC lets the Coast Guard handle the boarding of that vessel.

     3.     For all the threats of oil and tropical storms leading up to this season, the water could not have been more calm and clear.

     4.     Don't believe the hype, Keystone Light is not as smooth as Keith Stone, and it may make your feet swell... just a heads up.

     5.     People who drive vans for a living are sketchy, period.

     6.     Having random sketchy people around can and will make for an interesting night.

     7.     One piece of drift wood was the difference between wanting to go dolphin fishing again next year and never wanting to go fishing ever again in my life.

     8.     Pirate flags are not underrated.