So I don't see any other threads about people actually going spearing and posting trip reports or offering any heads up on local conditions. I hope I am not upsetting guideline or rule in so doing. If there isn't such a rule am I the only one going spearing, or just the only one posting about it?
Chris, Ryan, Robb and I ran out to capitalize on 70 degree highs and wind under 5mph for some spearing. We Ran NW from the pass about 16 miles (about 3.5miles from shore) to some hard bottom numbers and to keep checking old coop numbers for survivors (no luck). Some of these hard bottom numbers were covered over a bit since the last time and had only 6" of relief, but we ran over a nice new ledge too, so it worked out. Vis was 25-30' further west dropping to 10' as we worked our way back towards the pass.
Dive one for me was alittle dissapointing, as we drop in I am scanning for fish and I see a nice gag only to look alittle further and see Robb completely lined up waiting for that perfect shot. He nails is and I go about exploring 4-6" limestone structures looking for lobster only to find a sheepshead. I haven't shot a sheepshead in quite some time and when its all I surfaced with it was noticed and pointed out by my friends. It was however pretty large at 20". To further add insult to injury my wireless computer lost sinc with the transmitter at some point on the boat and was therefore only a gauge all day, glad I know my EAD tables! There were many baby red and scamp grouper all over this area, which bodes well for 2-3 years from now.
Dive two was amazing afterbeing burned so bad on dive one. It was a 4' ledge completely undercut and in some parts at least 15' "deep" that I could see!! Awesome. Nailed a nice 15# gag with a perfect stone shot, got immediately cocky and scalped the next 15# gag and burned the whole rest of my dive trying to coerce him onto my stringer but the terrain was way against me and humbled, I had to surface with only the one fish while Robb brings up a gag and 3 nice mangoes, all three from the same shot, which given the 8# size of these guys is pretty freakin amazing. More baby reds were here as well, say 50 or so with some scamp and gag thrown in. Red snapper were abundant in the sand north of the ledge.
Dive three was on a well known ledge called Oleander which I hadn't been on in years. At a solid 2-3' high and forever long it is alway a fun dive. I managed another nice gag and scalped another, and to say I scalped it more of an exageration, it was more of an abrasion than anything else. with the lower vis on this spot I lost this one before he holed up but I have no doubt he will be fine. Ryan gets a gag and a nice mangrove and Chris finds a few more shovelnose lobster.
All day I think we had 6 gags, 5 mangroves, and 6 shovelnose. Water temp was a constant 59*
Chris, Ryan, Robb and I ran out to capitalize on 70 degree highs and wind under 5mph for some spearing. We Ran NW from the pass about 16 miles (about 3.5miles from shore) to some hard bottom numbers and to keep checking old coop numbers for survivors (no luck). Some of these hard bottom numbers were covered over a bit since the last time and had only 6" of relief, but we ran over a nice new ledge too, so it worked out. Vis was 25-30' further west dropping to 10' as we worked our way back towards the pass.
Dive one for me was alittle dissapointing, as we drop in I am scanning for fish and I see a nice gag only to look alittle further and see Robb completely lined up waiting for that perfect shot. He nails is and I go about exploring 4-6" limestone structures looking for lobster only to find a sheepshead. I haven't shot a sheepshead in quite some time and when its all I surfaced with it was noticed and pointed out by my friends. It was however pretty large at 20". To further add insult to injury my wireless computer lost sinc with the transmitter at some point on the boat and was therefore only a gauge all day, glad I know my EAD tables! There were many baby red and scamp grouper all over this area, which bodes well for 2-3 years from now.
Dive two was amazing afterbeing burned so bad on dive one. It was a 4' ledge completely undercut and in some parts at least 15' "deep" that I could see!! Awesome. Nailed a nice 15# gag with a perfect stone shot, got immediately cocky and scalped the next 15# gag and burned the whole rest of my dive trying to coerce him onto my stringer but the terrain was way against me and humbled, I had to surface with only the one fish while Robb brings up a gag and 3 nice mangoes, all three from the same shot, which given the 8# size of these guys is pretty freakin amazing. More baby reds were here as well, say 50 or so with some scamp and gag thrown in. Red snapper were abundant in the sand north of the ledge.
Dive three was on a well known ledge called Oleander which I hadn't been on in years. At a solid 2-3' high and forever long it is alway a fun dive. I managed another nice gag and scalped another, and to say I scalped it more of an exageration, it was more of an abrasion than anything else. with the lower vis on this spot I lost this one before he holed up but I have no doubt he will be fine. Ryan gets a gag and a nice mangrove and Chris finds a few more shovelnose lobster.
All day I think we had 6 gags, 5 mangroves, and 6 shovelnose. Water temp was a constant 59*
