JUP Rpt Aug 6 - Looping Bugs on the Opener

[Johnoly]

Last week was mini-season which is a 2-day jump start to the regular opening of FL lobster season today. I jumped on ScubaWork's boat DivOcean with Captain Dean, DM-Kayla and a bunch of lobster hunters for opening day. Flat calm top side, 75° water below, 1.5knt current and blue 70 ft of visibility.

I limited out and everybody scooped up bugs. Opening day boat food snacks deserved 20 servings of steak and lobster. Awesome crew, great dive friends, and a fun start to the season.

 

[MrChen]

Very nice. I went out with Narcosis. I didn't limit, but could have... First dive, I found 5 keepers right off the bat. The first one, I tickled it out with my looper and a green moray came out of nowhere and grabbed it. It was able to get out of the moray's mouth, but the moray then had it's attention on me. I had to use my looper to keep it at bay. I was with my cousin, and he didn't realize I stopped. I didn't want to lose him, so I ended up moving on to catch up because the current was really strong, leaving all 5 for someone else or another day.

The next dive, we found a large cement sewage pipe segment and it had a couple. I ticked one out for my cousin and I caught the other one. He was struggling to get in position with the current and then we had a goliath grouper with us. I went to snare the lobster anyways and found a lionfish 12 inches from my head, so I backed off. I went to spear the lionfish and my rubber band broke. Brutal... So I poked at the LF to get it to move. Meanwhile that lobster was on high alert. 1.5 times around the pipe and we gave up, we were burning too much air and it was a struggle to maneuver around. I caught 3 on this dive.

2nd dive, found an egger pretty early and then nothing for 45 minutes. My cousin pulled his DSMB out and started screaming. I dropped down and found 3 keepers. Got the first 2 real fast. I was down to 800lbs of air (on an HP120) and the 3rd one backed up in a hole too deep while I was catching the other 2.

I finished with 5.

 

[Johnoly]

....., leaving all 5 for someone else or another day.


I finished with 5.

Just waving goodbye to a honey hole while ascending is the sign of a very experienced diver who knows not to make a bad decision and just wait another day.

Big Congrats on 5,,,most on our boat got 1 or 2. Thanks for the conditions report!!

 

[tekkydiver]

Compared to last year it seems like there are fewer boaters and divers great viz and calm seas. At least in S. PB and N. Broward area

 

[Scuba_Jenny]

Buddy and I did 2 beach dives Sunday morning in Hollywood. First dive was where we went for mini season. Figured we would clean up.. The lobsters were few and far between. Current moving pretty good to the north. Heading back north, we saw two guys coming south. Both had empty bags. Girls 5, Boys 0.
Second dive was a well known site and didn't expect much. But we mananged to both limit out there. 7 total. Sweet.

 

[Scuba_Jenny]

Compared to last year it seems like there are fewer boaters and divers great viz and calm seas. At least in S. PB and N. Broward area

Lotsa beach divers this year... stiff competition.. lots of flags out..

 

[Johnoly]

Compared to last year.......

Just from what I'm hearing from friends dive reports of mini-season thru opening day.....

*) Kinda like every other town....it's either full or empty. Ft. Pierce, South Jup, Pompano, & Keys found lots.
*) North Jup, WPB/Boynton, Miami reports said difficult to find bugs
*) FWC doesn't publish numbers, but heard record tickets handed out in mid to upper keys
*) Wholesalers are getting plentiful numbers, but not stuffed and still accepting daily catches.
*) 2nd day (Thurs) mini charters were difficult to sell out and many didn't run PM trips
*) Weds night Mini tank refills did not go all night and most completed by 8-9pm instead of 2am.

Every operator had different outcomes, post up if you heard different.

 

[Divin'Papaw]

Just from what I'm hearing from friends dive reports of mini-season thru opening day.....

*) Kinda like every other town....it's either full or empty. Ft. Pierce, South Jup, Pompano, & Keys found lots.
*) North Jup, WPB/Boynton, Miami reports said difficult to find bugs
*) FWC doesn't publish numbers, but heard record tickets handed out in mid to upper keys
*) Wholesalers are getting plentiful numbers, but not stuffed and still accepting daily catches.
*) 2nd day (Thurs) mini charters were difficult to sell out and many didn't run PM trips
*) Weds night Mini tank refills did not go all night and most completed by 8-9pm instead of 2am.

Every operator had different outcomes, post up if you heard different.

Lobster season in FL is not unlike deer season in the north. I watch both from the outside as neither is my thing. Just an observation.

 

[MrChen]

I had the opportunity to dive on a commercial fishing boat yesterday. It was more of a see what we can find launching from PB day. We went south between Mar o Largo and Breakers hotel. We did 2 dives, limited success. We then went north of the inlet and the results were the same on 2 more dives. I only had 3 lobsters to take home. A couple got away, caught some eggers, and found a honey hole of shorts (around 8). The entire boat, we caught 15 on the day between 5 divers, 2 of which were on scooters.

I think part of the issue was dropping near the main ledges, we weren't familiar enough with where to drop to increase our chances. I asked to be dropped 150 ft up the ledge to the east in Jupiter, knowing the charters drop on the main ledge and there wasn't going to be anything to find. The topology on the mapping software didn't always reflect what we'd see underwater, which also made it challenging.

It was a fun and tiring day. The boat was a 30+ft split hull with two big outboard engines. The thing hauled ass and made quick work of going up and down the coastline.

Conditions were great. 60+ft vis, 85 degrees in breakers. Vis was around 50ft in Juno with a thermocline at 30ft to 78 degrees (FELT GREAT). Both locations, a healthy NNW current.

 

[Johnoly]

Conditions were great. 60+ft vis, 85 degrees in breakers. Vis was around 50ft in Juno with a thermocline at 30ft to 78 degrees (FELT GREAT). Both locations, a healthy NNW current.

Thank you for the conditions reports & glad you got out !!