A lobster hunter with speargun got a premature start, cops say. So, no lobster for him

When it comes to lobster season, the Monroe County early bird special involves free lodging in the county jail. That’s where Miami Beach resident Dennys Llopiz was taken Saturday night.

The eight-month lobster season begins Monday.

Llopiz, 27, was booked on five misdemeanor counts of violating saltwater fishing regulations after, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office said, he got caught with nine out-of-season lobster.

Marine Deputy Wilfredo Guerra spotted Llopiz spearfishing without a dive flag near Long Key Bridge.

A check of Llopiz’s bucket and three coolers found the nine lobsters, a hogfish and a parrotfish. Guerra said Llopiz compounded his flouting of the fishing laws by catching seven undersized lobsters and a too-small hogfish.

The sheriff’s office says Llopiz admitted to getting eight of the lobsters with a speargun, a no-no even during lobster season.

Llopiz’s previous trips through the criminal courts, at least in Miami-Dade County, involved misdemeanor marijuana possession and a pretrial intervention program that headed off prosecution of a 2014 grand theft auto charge.

This story was originally published August 5, 2018 at 2:31 PM.