Florida's lobster mini season in full swing

JUPITER, Fla. - Click here to view lobster photos from South Florida divers!

Florida's lobster mini season began at midnight Wednesday.

Divers geared up early at Jupiter Dive Center in search of 'bugs' as many divers refer to them.

"When you get them out, and you actually look at them and they're a full lobster, it's like a big bug, like an alien but tastes pretty good," said Mark McCune who drove to the Jupiter Dive Center from St. Petersburg.

He wrapped up his 400th dive a few weeks ago... and hunting for lobster, he says, is a perfect 401st.

"When you add the chase, of trying to catch something live, makes it even more exciting." Asked how hard it is to catch them he said, "takes some practice, takes some skill."

"Some people find it very easy, some people find it very difficult, as we say every year, there's people that’ll catch plenty of them, and people that won't see any, one of those things, it's a technique you prefect, swim slowly, see antennas sticking out from rocks, see one, go and catch 'em," said Jupiter Dive Center Owner Gerry Carroll.

The state expects thousands of divers to flood the coasts the next two days and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says divers should be up to date on all mini season rules.

"You cannot catch females with eggs, the carapace on the lobster has to be minimum of three inches and they have to be measured in the water," Carroll said.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says officers will be on the water enforcing size regulations.

FWC even has special dogs to sniff out illegal catches.

During mini season, divers can only bring home 12 lobsters per person.

Scripps Treasure Coast Newspapers Photographer Sam Wolfe shot the above footage while diving with Ana Boardman, of Port St. Lucie, off northern St. Lucie County during the lobster mini season. Like a professional, he kept his camera rolling, even after a sudden and unexpected encounter. And he lived to tell the tale.