Home Tournaments Calendar Weather Merchandise Sponsors

Go Back   Spearboard.com - The World's Largest Spearfishing Diving Boating Social Media Forum > United States Geographical Locations > Florida East Coast Spearfishing

Florida East Coast Spearfishing Let's talk here about spearing on Florida's Atlantic coast. Reports and other issues about this region belong here.

Reply
 
Thread Tools Rate Thread Display Modes
Old 09-19-2017, 08:47 AM   #1
joespy66
Registered User
 
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 83
Boating prohibited in keys

I have heard that FWC is prohibiting boats from being out on the water in the keys. I have also seen several ramps blocked to prevent boats being put in the water.

While I agree that it is probably a good idea due to all the debris in the water I also think that its safe enough during daylight hours at reasonable speeds.

Anyone know when the prohibitions will be lifted and ramps opened? I'd really like to get into the water right after to start clearing traps without buoys to avoid needless killing of lobsters.
joespy66 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-19-2017, 10:14 AM   #2
Megabeast
Registered User
 
Megabeast's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Jacksonville, FL
Age: 44
Posts: 2,531
Re: Boating prohibited in keys

Go to the ramp and ask an FWC guy.. or call.
__________________
Spearfishing is underwater grocery shopping
Megabeast is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-19-2017, 11:47 AM   #3
joespy66
Registered User
 
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 83
Re: Boating prohibited in keys

I have sent an info request to FWC. No response yet. They are probably busy. Just hoping someone on this board knew more.
joespy66 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-19-2017, 03:57 PM   #4
hogphish
Registered User
 
hogphish's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Stuart
Posts: 486
Re: Boating prohibited in keys

from my experience with Katrina this was done because of theft
hogphish is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-19-2017, 09:24 PM   #5
underdogII
Registered User
 
underdogII's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Port Salerno
Posts: 105
Re: Boating prohibited in keys

Quote:
Originally Posted by joespy66 View Post
I have heard that FWC is prohibiting boats from being out on the water in the keys. I have also seen several ramps blocked to prevent boats being put in the water.

While I agree that it is probably a good idea due to all the debris in the water I also think that its safe enough during daylight hours at reasonable speeds.

Anyone know when the prohibitions will be lifted and ramps opened? I'd really like to get into the water right after to start clearing traps without buoys to avoid needless killing of lobsters.


Best leave traps alone. Felony to molest traps. Buoy or no buoy.
underdogII is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-21-2017, 06:16 AM   #6
joespy66
Registered User
 
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 83
Re: Boating prohibited in keys

Received response that ramps in keys are open if not blocked with debris and prohibitions lifted.
joespy66 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-21-2017, 09:47 AM   #7
muttonluvr
Kayle's Katch 2
 
muttonluvr's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Jensen beach,FL
Posts: 316
Re: Boating prohibited in keys

Let's go down and clean out all the ghost traps.... Great idea.... Thanks for the help.....
muttonluvr is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-21-2017, 12:32 PM   #8
Jankglass
Registered User
 
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Key largo
Age: 34
Posts: 196
Re: Boating prohibited in keys

you are allowed to head out in the upper keys. coast guard doesn't want you over a plane if your less then one mile in shore. they are patrolling
Jankglass is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-21-2017, 11:54 PM   #9
TheMackDaddy
hoos your daddy?
 
TheMackDaddy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Cali
Posts: 2,124
Re: Boating prohibited in keys

Quote:
Originally Posted by underdogII View Post
Best leave traps alone. Felony to molest traps. Buoy or no buoy.
what if you just verbally harass them? is it just a misdemeanor #MeToo
TheMackDaddy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-23-2017, 07:03 AM   #10
joespy66
Registered User
 
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 83
Re: Boating prohibited in keys

Was down last weekend and conditions broke my heart. The reef on the ocean side of Marathon is covered in a fine white silt. It covered everything!! It was like cave diving. The wrong kick and it was blacked out. On the bayside all my old bug holes were filled in.

There were 100's of abandoned lobster pots tangled together filled with lobster. I tore open a few dozen to let them escape but gave up after hours. All the bugs were soft probably due to starvation as they slowly died in the traps.

How is it not against the law for the commercial guys to throw out more traps before cleaning up the tangled up ones? I thought they were limited on the number of traps they can lay. Not only are the abandoned traps killing lobster senselessly they are hazards to navigation.

Hey FWC either fine the commercial guys are allow average boaters to clean them up without fear of being arrested.
joespy66 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-23-2017, 11:28 AM   #11
TheMackDaddy
hoos your daddy?
 
TheMackDaddy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Cali
Posts: 2,124
Re: Boating prohibited in keys

Quote:
Originally Posted by joespy66 View Post
Was down last weekend and conditions broke my heart. The reef on the ocean side of Marathon is covered in a fine white silt. It covered everything!! It was like cave diving. The wrong kick and it was blacked out. On the bayside all my old bug holes were filled in.

There were 100's of abandoned lobster pots tangled together filled with lobster. I tore open a few dozen to let them escape but gave up after hours. All the bugs were soft probably due to starvation as they slowly died in the traps.

How is it not against the law for the commercial guys to throw out more traps before cleaning up the tangled up ones? I thought they were limited on the number of traps they can lay. Not only are the abandoned traps killing lobster senselessly they are hazards to navigation.

Hey FWC either fine the commercial guys are allow average boaters to clean them up without fear of being arrested.
because they are commercial and have probably have a lobbyist group, the would not be required to do anything that would ever cost them extra money
TheMackDaddy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-23-2017, 04:01 PM   #12
FOWLER2673
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 31
Re: Boating prohibited in keys

We spent the weekend in the keys but rough weather and terrible vis ran us out.
FOWLER2673 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-05-2017, 12:37 AM   #13
slowboat
Registered User
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Key West
Posts: 302
Re: Boating prohibited in keys

dove 3 days after storm , no problems , fwcc and cg cooperative , slammed the bugs , penned them up and sold them later , water clear until water releases from upstate , then 5 ft vis , even now , bugs gone , hogs thick
slowboat is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-05-2017, 12:49 AM   #14
slowboat
Registered User
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Key West
Posts: 302
Re: Boating prohibited in keys

lobsters were molting , they don't get soft because of starvation , they have a exoskeleton and shed the shell , then inflate with water , the exoskeleton hardens and they grow internally to fit the shell , the com guys will come and extract their traps out those balls of traps , you robbed them of income . at 27 bucks apiece we retrieve our gear , tangled or not . it just takes a while . lobsters can not eat for a month before they atrophy and lose weight , but chances are they will cannibalize the next one to molt before that happens. don't bust open traps .
also a trap is a habitat , and a lobster with half a brain can leave at any time , they choose to stay in it .
also if the tag you have to put on the trap cost you a 100 bucks per certificate you would be eager to recover it
our season is now over , abruptly , many of us will lose our asses due to the storm .
busting open a trap in a ball causes them to lose what little income they might have recouped . the lobsters migrated to the west toward tortugas , and by now are in CUBA .
season over .
slowboat is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-05-2017, 12:52 AM   #15
slowboat
Registered User
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Key West
Posts: 302
Re: Boating prohibited in keys

try reporting locations of these trap balls to fwc , or Florida keys commercial fishermans assoc . that way you are actually are helping , btw , if our traps are found in the water after season , we get fined for each trap .
slowboat is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Bookmarks

Thread Tools
Display Modes Rate This Thread
Rate This Thread:

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 07:24 AM.


The World's Largest Spearfishing Diving Social Media Forum Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2002 - 2014 Spearboard.com