Fishing anf Lobster in BVI

I know this question has been asked a lot but i was wondering if any one has recently been down to fish since the new enforcement.

My charter company (Conch) just sent me a email saying that they are registering all boats for fishing.

Does this mean i can catch lobsters with a lobster snare as long as i am just snorkeling and it is before July 31?

Does anyone have a good contact down there to get a fishing license?

Does anyone have any recommendations for fishing? Bait? Handlines?

Lobster and Conch can only be taken by the locals. It is never okay for a tourist to catch either one.

Here is the e-mail I recently used to obtain fishing license
cfd@gov.vg

You can however go over to the USVI and take two spiney lobsters per day per person. The chances of catching a spiney lobster snorkeling however is not much above zero.
G

You obviously suck at it. Caught many lobsters snorkeling over the years. Sorry. TO everyone else, YMMV.

Whiteviper, it depends how seriously you want to fish. You can always drag a lure in the channel, but not much edible. If you want to catch and eat, tuna, mahi, and such, you will need to go to the south drop. Fishing outside I would use rigged ballyhoo with a skirt. I don't believe in hand lines, to me it's not fishing.

The average snorkler might see one lobster in a week in the USVI. Most of the good USVI lobster spots are in 30 to 50 feet of water. I have been lobstering there for 20 years. I have seen exactly one lobster caught by a snorkler and his hand was a bloody mess from the spines. It's completely different then lobstering in the keys or other areas where they can be found in water under 10 feet deep.
G

GeorgeC1, I agree, never see anything shallow. Lobstered in Keys a lot! Easy! Never see any in BVI. Good to know I'm looking too shallow but why the bloody hands? Never been cut up by lobster! Little scraped maybe.

There are many techniques to "catching" spiny lobsters. The most important is knowing where to look.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hh63dwAbmGM

There are plenty of lobster at Diamond Reef, pretty shallow, but I'm not putting my hands between fire coral and sea urchins to get the lobster.

It's called a snare. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/jester.gif" alt="" />

I have one, but they're illegal in BVI

I use the boat mop. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/busted.gif" alt="" />

You can also try a charter in Maine. The local lobstermen will gladly fill a five gallon bucket with real lobsters for child in a dinghy for a $20 Bill and sometimes even a $10.

There is some mighty wishful thinking !

Try it... The price paid to lobster fisherman in Maine cab swing from $3-6 per pound. A bucket held high with a $20 Bill will usually register a very cooperative response.

Don't give away secrets!