At 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday, July 27, the most fanatical members of the “bug crowd” will be en route to, or already scouring, their favorite lobster honeyholes, though most divers will wait until first light to give it a go.

The 2-day mini-season is here again, and spiny lobsters are fair game until the stroke of midnight on Thursday night, July 28. Special regulations apply. The bag limit is 6 lobsters per person per day in Monroe County and Biscayne National Park waters; you may keep 12 lobsters per day elsewhere in Florida.

Divers need a Florida recreational saltwater fishing license and a crawfish stamp. Lobsters must measure greater than 3 inches carapace length, and all egg-bearing females must be released unharmed.

Only properly licensed, active divers aboard a vessel are permitted to take a bag limit. So you can’t nab 6 extra bugs for your Aunt Molly up on deck catching rays and reading her novel. For a thorough explanation of special regulations and closed areas, visit myfwc.com/marine/lobster.htm.

If you’re new to the game, you’ll find a great how-to read, “Tricks for Taking More Bugs,” in your July 2006 copy of Florida Sportsman. Happy hunting, and think safety first while on the water!