Bully Netting for Lobster: The Keys Night-Netting Guide

Bully netting is the Keys' classic way to catch lobster without ever getting wet. On a calm, dark night you idle across a shallow grass flat, scanning the bottom with bright lights, and when a lobster turns up walking in the open, you drop a long-handled hoop net straight down over it. It's deadly effective, it's beginner-friendly, and it's legal at night even when night diving isn't, which makes it the go-to method during the Keys mini-season.

What bully netting is

A bully net is a large, weighted hoop net on a long pole. The technique is simple in concept: lobster are nocturnal and walk out onto the shallow grass flats to feed after dark, so you move slowly across that shallow water at night, light up the bottom, and when you spot a lobster in the open you push the net down over it and scoop. No mask, no tank, no diving. You're working from the boat (or on foot in very shallow water), which is exactly why it's so accessible.

Why it's worth knowing

Two big reasons bully netting earns its place in your toolkit:

• It's legal at night when diving isn't. Night diving for lobster is banned in Monroe County during the two-day mini-season, but bully netting is still allowed. Harvesting at night with a bully net or hoop net is legal statewide any time the season is open. So when everyone else is off the water at night during the Keys mini-season, you can still be catching. (More on the diving side in the lobstering at night guide.)
• No diving skills required. If you're not a confident free-diver, or you're bringing along people who aren't, bully netting puts everyone in the game from the comfort of the boat.

The gear

You don't need much, but a few things matter:

• A bully net. A long pole (often 8 feet or more) with a weighted hoop and a deep bag net, so it drops fast and the lobster can't tail-flip out.
• Bright lights. Powerful lights aimed at the bottom are the heart of the whole thing; you're hunting by eye in shallow water.
• A shallow-draft platform. A skiff or flats boat you can ease along with a push pole or trolling motor is ideal, since you're working skinny water quietly. In very shallow areas you can also wade.
• The usual catch gear: a measuring gauge, gloves, and a place to put your catch.

How it works

The rhythm is methodical and quiet:

1. Get on a shallow grass flat after dark, on a calm, clear night. Lobster need to be out foraging, so calm water and good visibility are everything.
2. Ease along slowly with the push pole or trolling motor, sweeping the bottom with your lights.
3. Spot a lobster in the open on the grass or sand.
4. Drop the net straight down over it and push the hoop to the bottom before it can react. Lobster shoot backward, so come down on top, not from the side.
5. Scoop and measure. Lift it, check the carapace against your gauge, and keep only legal bugs.

The rules still apply

Bully netting is a different method, not a loophole. Everything else holds:

• You need a saltwater fishing license and a spiny lobster permit.
• The carapace must be larger than 3 inches, measured before you keep the lobster, and you must carry a gauge.
• Egg-bearing females must be released.
• Daily bag limits are the same as diving: 6 per person in Monroe County and Biscayne National Park, 12 elsewhere during mini-season, 6 statewide in the regular season.
• No-take zones are still off-limits. Check the no-take map before you go.

Staying safe

Most of bully netting's risk is just night boating in skinny water:

• Run proper navigation lights and know the flat before you work it in the dark.
• Know your draft and the tide so you don't get stuck on a falling tide; many flats are inches deep. See how to set up your boat for lobstering.
• Watch the weather and other boats, and use the same good judgment as any night trip. The lobstering safety guide covers the rest.

Frequently asked questions

What is bully netting?

Catching lobster at night from a skiff (or by wading) with a long-handled, weighted hoop net. You ease across shallow grass flats with lights, spot lobster foraging in the open after dark, and drop the net straight down over them. No diving involved.

Is bully netting legal at night in Florida?

Yes. Harvesting lobster at night with a bully net or hoop net is allowed statewide any time the season is open. Unlike night diving, bully netting is even legal during the Keys mini-season, when night diving in Monroe County is prohibited.

Do the normal lobster rules apply to bully netting?

Yes. You still need a license and spiny lobster permit, the carapace must be larger than 3 inches, egg-bearing females must be released, the daily bag limits match diving, and no-take zones are off-limits.

Regulations change. Always confirm the latest rules on the FWC spiny lobster page before you go. Last updated June 2026.