MINI SEASON

Mini Season Bitches!

Good luck today.

WELCOME TO THE KEYS

Mini Season Starts This Week

Well the time we have all been waiting for is finally here. Mini season starts this week and we arrived in the Keys yesterday. The viz is not nearly as bad as we thought it might be, the storm doesn't seem to have stirred up too much junk. 

For those of you heading down this week remember to drive safe, we were stuck in traffic for an hour and a half because of some dumb ass. Besides there are always cops all along Hwy 1 and you don't want to start off your trip with a $200 ticket.

WEATHER REPORT

Tropical Storm Approaches Keys

Heavy rain continues to fall in Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and the Lesser Antilles.

It is moving off toward the west at 10 to 15 mph. That motion and speed should bring the system toward southern Florida Friday. Showers, gusty winds and increasing surf could arrive as early as Thursday night in advance of the system.

After the system passes by Florida Friday night it should move toward the central or eastern Gulf coast. On that projected path the system would pass near or to the east of the oil spill in the northern Gulf of Mexico. The Weather Channel

Ha! Tropical storm... please. Unless its a Category 28 hurricane I don't care. In less than a week from now I am going to be diving for lobsters even if looks like the 50 year storm out there. 

Indications are that this is gonna be well into the Gulf, spreading oil all over Louisiana by the time we get to the keys, but I'm sure we will have to deal with some vis problems as a result. Last year was the first good vis trip in a while so it sucks to have to think about going back to trying to catch bugs in pea soup.

GULF OIL SPILL

Latest Fisheries Closure

No news is good news as far as I am concerned at this point.

GULF OIL SPILL

BP Plans to Stop Oil Leak (No, Really)

BP may be able to hold back the flow from its blown out Macondo well until next month, sparing the Gulf of Mexico any more oil as engineers prepare to kill the source for good.

Doug Suttles, BP's chief operating officer, said that a new cap fitted on the well's broken riser pipe last week will be kept closed indefinitely, blocking further oil from leaking into the water, while scientists continue a "well integrity test" to check for leaks below the sea bed.

Unless data readings taken inside the well indicate trouble, he said, BP hoped to keep the cap shut "all the way along to the point where we can get the well killed" - a procedure that is due to begin in the final days of July and should be complete by 13 August. 

The kill process is the only method that can end the crisis, sealing the well permanently with mud and cement, though keeping the cap closed should ensure that no further oil is spilled in the meantime. Scotsman

Could it be true? Could the end be near? At this point I am not getting my hopes up. I am just glad that after months of agonizing suspense I can feel 100% confident that this will not affect mini season... at least not this year.

Its nice to know that our trip to the keys will not be interrupted but I can't help to think about what damage this could do to the reefs. Hopefully BP can actually shut this thing off finally, especially since they opened it up last week and have been letting it spew oil unabated in order to put this new cap on.

THE SALTY METER

Click HERE for overall scores.

Intangibles

Mr. Wolf

The last time Mr. Wolf joined us on a trip he managed to find us a place to stay for free. I'm not sure if the owners actually knew we were staying there but thats besides the point. He also lends a lot of credit to our group by virtue of his full, gray beard. The rest of us schmucks show up looking like we have been sitting in a cubicle for the last 363 days, but not Mr. Wolf. Any boat that sees him skippering our vessel knows right away that there are some salty bastards aboard.

Total Intangibles Score: 8


Catching Ability

Brett

The success of our mini season lives and dies with Brett's performance. When it comes to catching lobster I would go as far as to say there are few who can rival Brett's speed and finesse. Not only does he catch lobsters faster than anyone, but he can do it with or without a tank AND without ripping off the lobsters' legs and antenna. Thus, ensuring any shorts he catches can grow-up big and strong to feed us next year. Until anyone can catch their limit in one quarter of the time Brett can I will consider him in a league of his own in this category.

Total Catching Score: 10


Experience

The Zipp

Zipper grew up lobstering in FL and he can certainly navigate his way around the boat and the keys. His main problem in this category is his patchy appearances at mini season. Although over the years Zipp has recorded many a mini season, he does not annually attend. For example, Zipp has taken the last two years off, but he is back now and hopefully has not lost a step. I think this inconsistency takes its toll more on his lobster catching skills than it does on his knowledge in other areas. When it comes to working the anchor, spotting lobster hiding spots from the bow of the boat, and taking care of gear when we get back Zipp never seems to miss a step.

Total Experience Score: 6.5

LOBSTER ALE

Take One Down and Pass it Around

When you are out shopping for some tasty beverages to take down to the Keys with you keep an eye out for this salty beer that I found. I happened to stumble across it at Total Wine, but I have no idea where else you would find it. 

Its actually not bad, and I can picture it going well with our lobster feast. Too bad its not made with lobster or it would be perfect.

Now I do realize this is a Maine lobster and typically I don't pay much attention to anything that has to do with those other guys, but when it come to a lobster beer beggars can't be choosers. So until Florida Brewing company comes out with a Florida lobster beer, Lobster Ale will have to be my lobster beer of choice.