Headed out with Harry to find awful vis conditions on the reefs and wrecks. We decided to head way out to see if we can find better conditions. Didn't find much better but at least we didn't come home empty handed.
Ran into these Giant Tilapia on a huge weed field, in federal waters, they take the record away from Hogfish and Red Grouper for dumbest fish.
Here is the little one at 11.5 lbs.
Conditions sucked when we arrived at the first wreck which was furthest out into the ocean. We were greeted by barely legal AJ and spade fish. Vis was 40ft of clear blue water followed by 60 feet of cold murk. We tried to make the best of it and would dive into the murk and hide in it while looking up for fish. Harry was able to land the King. We came to the conclusion that if it was bad way out here it must be terrible everywhere else.
So we went about 10 miles further and found a huge weed filed. Thinking there would be dolphin we circled it and saw bunch of Tripletail. Seeing as it will be the only thing we can spear I jumped in and headed for the field. There were tons of triple tail. The first one came up to me, I had a camo suit I borrowed from Dan, and decided to hang out under me thinking I was seaweed. I popped him in the head and proceeded to swim toward the boat until he put up quite a fight.
I went back in and spent 5 minutes looking everywhere with Harry. Didn't see anything under the weeds and was going to leave until I looked behind me. There were about 6 huge tripletail with a bunch of smaller ones following me around like dogs. I hit the biggest one and stoned it. Harry dove and saw a bull coming up so he charged it and scared it away. Thanks Harry. He told me and 2 seconds later I was in the boat. We headed back in around 11am and marked some nice reefs we will explore on the next trip.
Catch
11.5lb Tripletail
17.3 lbs Tripletail
11lb King
davie,
those are excellent eating! they are so stupid you don't even have to get in the water, you can just free gaff them.
sorry to hear about the conditions, I kept looking last night for a masscre report...:(
Yeah I wanted to get a bucket to catch the first one but it was too much trouble. Harry wouldn't spear them because they were not a challenge. I told him to me anything bigger than average is a prize.
forget about that, it's a fine meal!
harry is too funny, maybe on the next trip you should hide one of his fins so he has to dive all day with one, present him with a little challenge 
seaweed---congratulations on some beautiful fish :thumbsup2:
Great story and pictures also.
I know that if I shot fish that nice from my kayak that I'd feel I'd been challanged
Sounds like you are liking the camo wetsuit
Is your Giant Tilapia a freedivingspearfishing fourm record?
are tripletail and tilapia the same fish, that is huge information to me hahaha
nice catch guys...way to persevere and make the best 
Isn't tilapia a fresh water cichlid? We call them chopas overhere both the tripletail and the freshwater tilapia. Those you speared are nice size........and good eating.:)
The tripletail was awesome, thanks Davie. My first time trying it. If I ever get a chance I'm shooting my limit of these fish, easy or not.
Davie the is the Tilapia king! When i told Davie there was a bullshark underneath the weeds and he ran on top of the water with his Tilapia! :laughing3:
are tripletail and tilapia the same fish, that is huge information to me hahaha
nice catch guys...way to persevere and make the best
Don't think so. Harry is in the restaurant business so I call it tilapia to kid around.
They look like Tilapia but obviously they are not.
Here is a Tilapia picture
nice tripletail davie and greek,
me and my old man used to drive by and gaff them, thru the side of the boat when H&L fishing.
Excellent eating also
they are usially found offshore either under weedline or floating debris
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