Assuming you already have a boat, getting started lobstering requires only minimal investment in equipment. You’ll need a snorkel, mask, gloves and fins plus a special measuring device and a tool called a tickle stick, which is a lightweight rod used to coax lobsters out of holes and crevices.
Beyond that, the intel in this video by Peter Miller, host of "Uncharted Waters" on the Discovery Channel, is the only other thing you’ll need to head out and catch your own lobster dinner. In the video, Miller and a crew of friends hunt spiny lobsters from a 39-foot Invincible Open Fisherman powered by triple Mercury® 400hp Verado® outboards. Miller describes the best types of lobster hot spots and demonstrates the necessary equipment to catch them. He also details appropriate safety measures to take when lobster diving.
Learning from an expert like Miller is a great advantage for a beginner, but what’s even better is the underwater footage he shares, which shows exactly how to use the tickle stick to get lobsters into the net. You’ll see how to coax lobsters from several types of structure, how to use the stick and snare end to capture them and how to measure a lobster’s carapace to be sure it’s of legal size to harvest.
After hitting a few hot spots near Biscayne Bay and loading the cooler, the crew cruises back to the dock and even demonstrates how to clean and grill lobsters – though, they do toss the heads and the lobster mustard (that yellow goopy stuff some folks call tomalley), which some people think is the best tasting part of all. You might feel differently, but there’s only one way to find out: Watch this video, gather your gear and go catch a batch of spiny lobsters for yourself.
See more great fishing content from Peter Miller on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.