trip report 8/13 off NJ Jeremiah Hupka

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

jhupka

Contributor
Messages
629
Reaction score
16
Location
Hunterdon County, NJ
# of dives
200 - 499
So we head out about 7 am out of Barnaget to the Atlantic. Nice flat sunny and calm. We shoot out about 9 miles off shore to the Hargraves only to see the Dina Dee on that, and fishing boats on the other wreck next to it......hmmmm so lets hit a wreck called the chain steamer, well it was NOTHING but chain. We managed a few fish and 3 lobsters off that but not much to see in the 80 feet but still manage an hour covering all that distance as I ran the reel out to the end twice.

Next dive the Dina Dee cleared but NO WAY would I dive a wreck after another boat just pulled off of it. So we start heading inshore and decide on the northwest barges. We hooked into the fishing line near the main high part of the wreckage so I put the hook into an actual piece of wreckage and let the carnage begin as there are fish all over the place. We managed around an hour again. Off this on a nice 26 inch fluke and various other fish including a nice black fish. I saw a few MONSTER sea bass but could not get to them try as I might.

I push for a 3rd dive as I knew we would not get out Sunday. We were going to do a quick dive on a wreck called el buggo or a small one by one of the range buoys but there were boats nearby and the owner of the numbers rather not hit them with people around them. So off to another unknown wreck in about 70 feet. Well let me tell you that 15 to 20 minutes turned into an hour and I would have stayed much longer. We hit just the main beam of an old wooden wreck. Started off with a nice sea bass and then lobster one popped out. Keep in mind I brought ONE bag down (normally have 2) and Anthony left his on the boat. We use stringers for fish and he is a bit of a pansy with lobsters. We chased the lobster among the ribbing and Anthony finally grabbed him. In the bag he goes. We continue down and lobster after lobster keeps showing themselves and not even showing concern to us. So in the bag they go. Toward the end of the ribbing a 23 inch fluke met the end of the spear and while anthony strung him up I used his pole spear to pop another sea bass. At this point he was low on NDL and we were at the end of the long piece. We saw quite a few sea bas hunkered down in the end but passed them by to wander back to the anchor line.

So we left at least 4 lobsters that showed themselves to us on the main piece and there were pieces off the main part that we never got to explore. That may be worth diving for two dives next time to fully explore and make room for other lobsters. There may even be artifacts on it.

So they had all set to go when we surfaced except us because the capt wanted to be in by 2 and it was 2. He was a bit shocked when I handed him the lobster bag, it was a bit heavy. All in all the haul was 5 fluke, 9 sea bass, 2 black fish, 1 cod, TWELVE lobsters (9 on the last wreck) and a single scallop also on the last wreck.

So the scallop was eaten at the dock. Gave 2 lobsters to the capt, cleaned the other 10 and ate the claws before dinner, saved the tails for later, and the bodies for stock. Cleaned all the fish up and got a nice collection of filets too.

pictures
Facebook or on facebook tasty sea creatures album Jeremiah Hupka | Facebook

Jeremiah Hupka
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/perdix-ai/

Back
Top Bottom