How to Get the Most Out of Your Marine Electronics for Lobster Mini Season in the Florida Keys

Lobster mini season is one of the most exciting times to be on the water in the Florida Keys. For two action-packed days, divers and anglers head out early to find spiny lobster before the regular season begins. With so many boats on the reef and limited time to fill your limit, having your marine electronics dialed in can make a big difference. Whether you're launching from Key Largo, Islamorada, Marathon, or Big Pine, here’s how to use your gear to stay safe, scout smarter, and catch more lobsters.

1. Mark Your Lobster Spots in Advance

Before mini season begins, use your chartplotter to save key locations like coral heads, rocky ledges, and patch reefs. If you’ve found good spots in the past, revisit your saved waypoints and organize them by depth or location. While scouting ahead of time, make sure to drop pins and add notes such as lobster activity, current flow, or bottom type.

If your unit allows custom icons, assign specific symbols for lobster spots so you can quickly locate them during the rush.

2. Use Sonar to Locate Ledges and Bottom Structure

Spiny lobster love to hide in cracks, under ledges, and around coral rubble. Use your sonar to find these types of bottom features, especially in 10 to 40 feet of water where divers spend most of their time during mini season.

Side scan sonar lets you cover a wide area quickly by scanning both sides of your boat. Down scan imaging provides a detailed view of the bottom right beneath you. Look for sharp drop-offs, rocky terrain, and anything that breaks up the seafloor.

Adjust your sonar settings so the screen clearly shows hard bottom returns. Use manual range if needed to focus on the bottom 10 to 15 feet.

3. Use Radar to Navigate Busy Waters

Mini season is one of the busiest times on the water in the Florida Keys. Boats are often packed around popular reefs and channels, and visibility may be low during early morning runs.

Radar is essential for navigating safely in these conditions. Use it to detect other vessels, avoid collisions, and monitor nearby boat traffic. If your system supports MARPA, you can track moving boats in real time.

Overlay your radar onto your chartplotter screen for better awareness. You can also set guard zones to receive alerts if a vessel enters your perimeter.

4. Anchor Precisely Over Your Target Spot

If you are diving off anchor, GPS precision matters. Use your chartplotter to triangulate your anchor drop so you're positioned directly over your intended spot.

If you have a trolling motor with GPS anchoring such as Minn Kota Spot-Lock, you can hold your boat in position without dropping an anchor at all. This is especially helpful when moving quickly between nearby ledges or when you want to avoid damaging sensitive coral zones.

5. Record Your Dive Paths and Track Productive Areas

Your chartplotter’s track log can record your boat or diver movement. This is helpful when covering new ground, especially in patch reef zones south of Marathon, around Duck Key, or on the oceanside of Islamorada.

By reviewing your tracks, you can avoid doubling back over unproductive areas and focus your efforts on new territory. Add notes or icons to your map for each productive drop to build your go-to mini season map year over year.

6. Check and Update All Systems Before You Launch

In the weeks before mini season, take time to update your electronics and test your systems. Make sure your chartplotter, sonar, radar, and GPS are all working properly.

Update your software for Garmin, Simrad, Raymarine, or Furuno units. Back up your waypoints to an SD card or the cloud. Test your transducer for clean signal, ensure your radar dome is rotating, and verify that all your cables and fuses are intact.

Also check your VHF radio and make sure your MMSI number is programmed correctly. Mini season is not the time to find out something isn’t working.

Get Your Electronics Ready for Mini Season in the Florida Keys

Mini season in the Keys is fast-paced and competitive, but with the right prep and properly tuned electronics, you can fish smarter and stay safer. Whether you’re heading out from Tavernier, Plantation Key, or Summerland Key, a properly set up boat gives you an edge over the crowds.

At Better Boat Electronics, we specialize in sonar tuning, radar setup, custom waypoint management, and mobile installations throughout the Florida Keys. If you want to be ready before the opening day, or for next time, reach out and we’ll make sure your system is working at its best.

📍 Serving Key Largo, Islamorada, Marathon, Big Pine, and Key West, as well as South Florida!

📞 Call us at (305) 849-8129

🌊 Visit us at www.betterboatelectronics.com