Maine angler jailed in Keys after illegal snapper bait bust

A routine patrol near the Boca Chica Channel Bridge ended with Arthur Lane, 44, of Lebanon, Maine, in the Monroe County Jail after a Lower Keys marine deputy says he caught him using an undersized mangrove snapper as bait.

The encounter happened about 8:56 a.m. on April 23, 2026, when Lower Keys Marine Deputy Luis Guiardinu observed the bait violation in Monroe County, according to the report. Lane admitted to the offense before being arrested and transported to the county jail.

The case lands in a county where fishing rules are not treated as fine print. In Florida state waters, mangrove snapper must measure at least 10 inches total length, and the species is open year-round. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says the Florida Administrative Code is the final authority on fishing laws. That makes size limits, bait rules and harvest restrictions part of the daily enforcement landscape in the Keys, where charter boats, private anglers and commercial operators all depend on healthy fish stocks and on a level playing field for those who follow the law.

For Monroe County, the stakes go beyond one fish and one arrest. Fishing is part of the local economy, part of the visitor experience and part of the identity of the Keys, which is why wildlife violations can bring a fast response from marine deputies. Using an undersized snapper as bait may look small in isolation, but officers treat it as a violation that can affect conservation goals and the fairness of the fishery.

The arrest also fit a broader pattern of Keys enforcement. Another recent Monroe County patrol in Islamorada led to a similar undersized mangrove snapper case, showing that deputies are watching for the violation up and down the island chain. For out-of-state boaters, the lesson is plain: Florida fishing rules apply the moment they enter local waters, and even bait can turn into a criminal case when it is under the legal size.