Lobster traps in Gulf side of keys

[tomlisasail]

Does any one know what the lobster trap density is on a direct route from Marco Island Fl. to Key West? We will be leaving Friday Oct. 12 ( which is during lobster season) and need to run all night . Forecasts indicate we will have to motor at night and I'm worried about grabbing a trap at night with the prop. Stone crab season doesn't start till Oct. 15 so there will be even more fun on the return.

[Davidhoy]

Originally Posted by tomlisasail

Does any one know what the lobster trap density is on a direct route from Marco Island Fl. to Key West? We will be leaving Friday Oct. 12 ( which is during lobster season) and need to run all night . Forecasts indicate we will have to motor at night and I'm worried about grabbing a trap at night with the prop. Stone crab season doesn't start till Oct. 15 so there will be even more fun on the return.

I did Fort Myers to Marathon two years ago, and it was a nightmare. It was wall-to-wall traps across Florida Bay. Going to Key West may be a bit better, but I would not recommend doing that at night, even if you're not running the engine.

[Davy J]

Haven't sailed directly from Marco to KW but have made the trip from Marco to Marathon. Once south of Indian Key Pass it became a minefield and only got worse as we approached the Keys.

To make matters worse, some of the floats are painted dark colors...

[Snore]

When I head south from Tampa, I go to the 10 fathom line and head south. That keeps me away from the crab traps until the end of the trip. Not sure they are lobster pots, but rather crab traps.

[tomlisasail]

We've done the minefield between Marco and Marathon. At least there are anchorages for nighttime refuge, but going to Key West you can't stop till you get there. I guess I better bring the dive tanks, I don't think I can hold my breath long enough anymore to free dive and release the trap.

[hernandobeach]

Lobster season does not open in October...…. not until next summer. Stone Crab season does and the crab boats are putting out the traps as fast as they can. They will be your issue.

[Davy J]

Florida's regular lobster season opened Aug. 6 2018 and runs until March 31, 2019.

[hernandobeach]

Sorry, my post did not copy from work complete. Lobster season is now open and will be until the end of March in FL. then no be open until next summer. The stone crab traps are worse in the Keys...…. more of them. Just where I live they will put out over 10,000 traps in the Gulf.

[Scaramanga F25]

Head west to 60-80 foot depths then South.

[jewt]

Have spurs installed to "help" cut any you may pickup. It is a mine field, even up Hawks Channel and there is no attempt to keep them out of the channel at all. Not running at night is a great idea but impossible from Miami to the west end of Key West unless you wish to anchor offshore and that is not recommended either. We made that run in December last year and it was a nightmare.

jewt

S/V Bifrost (still om the hard in Beaufort, NC)

[a64pilot]

I’ve done it a couple of times, and at night, I finally gave up and just run a course.
I wish I had a quarter for every float I have seen pop up behind my stern, illuminated by the stern light.
If you have a saildrive or a boat that is prone to catching lines, best go outside and avoid them

[The Perfessor]

I sailed to Key West from Ft Myers in May, and also the previous January. January the traps were numerous. We sailed through the night and kept a watch. I did some research, and it seems that generally your bow wake will push the trap away. I did run directly over a trap when chartering the Spanish Virgins, and that is exactly what happened. Maybe I was just lucky, I don't know. The Ft Myers to Key West ferry seems to just blow through all the crab fields with seemingly impunity... Dodging the traps does make the journey a little more adventurous and the watches more lively!

[Ken Z]

Lobster migrate towards florida bay, stone crabs migrate too. Fishermen seek the path of lobster and set their traps in that order, so they are always changing their trap line. Some traps can have 30 of line and be set in 15’ of water, so a lot of slack line can be floating, some fishermen will tie off the slack but don t count on it. Unless your in 80-100 foot of water you are in trouble at night, Try diving under your boat in 3-4’ swells and cutting multiple turns of tough poly trapline off,at night.....in 6’ swells. Line cutters can work, or can t. some floats break off and the floating poly is whats left , floating, hard to see with the best light. A fouled line must be dealt with or shaft, strut, gearbox will suffer. There is a cat. 1 off yucatan mezico, the gulf will be stirred up. Stone crab pots can be put out early, but not harvested until opening day. GOQOD LUCK.

[Cadence]

I only did it once. I do not recall the Gulf side being a problem. It was at night sloppy and under sail. The Atlantic side was another story. I suspect the reef has something to do with it? Pots everywhere.

[jlblan2]

We all need to get behind this. I have submitted it to the Florida Wildlife Dept and they basically said there was no problem the location of traps in Florida.

Crab traps are continually being placed within or extremely close to the marked navigation channels. Some of the buoys are dark in color causing low visibility. Also, some of the lines connecting the buoys to the traps (tethers) are too short to allow the buoy to stay on the water’s surface and therefore can’t be seen by the passing boater. These crab trap buoys are causing a great deal of expense to boats using the navigation channels within the state of Florida. I have contacted the Florida Shrimper’s Association and the Florida Boater’s Association and they endorse this effort. The Florida Wildlife Department is responsible to enforcing the current rules but they routinely pass buoys in violation without taking any action ( it is currently a violation to place traps and buoys in a channel). I was told by one agent that “he was tired of writing violations just to have them thrown out in court.” This situation is becoming so serious that human injury is inevitable. I believe that a modification the current regulations is needed to add:




1. All crab/lobster traps will be placed so that the buoys will be no closer than 50 feet from any marked channel. Marked channels are defined as Navigation Channels of the Inland Coastal Waterways or channels marked by the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers, USCG, state, county or local governments this includes the Hawk Channel in the Florida Keys
2. Each buoy must have the owners fishing (recreational or commercial) license on them (C#).
3. Each buoy must be visible for 100 feet during times of unobstructed visibility.
4. Each buoy must be visible for 100 feet at night by self illumination. This can be accomplished by LED lighting or glow in the dark technology.
5. All traps must have a mechanism that will open the trap if lost or abandoned so that the trap doesn't continue to trap and kill trapped animals.
6. All traps must be buoyed and the tether must be constructed of a material that can be cut with a knife
7. All trap-buoy tethers must be of sufficient length so that the buoy is visible on the surface of the water at all times.
8. Violations to this proposed rule would be a fine of $50 per violation and after 50 violations permanent license revocation.