Saturday May 8th

Got to go out yesterday, 2nd time this year. My boat was in the shop, so a friend of mine asked me to go with him and his wife. Seas were flat, but the vis was bad due to the flooding, and there was some top current. I shot this Barrcuda, 2 mangrove snapper, and various sheepshead. My buddies wife shot a Barracuda bigger than the one in my picture, and they got mangroves and sheepshead also. Saw several Gag grouper, and tons of red snapper. I think they know that the season is closed.

the hole is rather large, but it is on the other side. shaft hit in the lateral line behind the gills and broke his spine. Never heard of a incident of ciguatera this far north, and I have been spearing and eating them for 30 years. (grilled some of that one yesterday). I dont shoot them much when the other seasons are open. I have had guys on my boat who say that they would never eat one, they stink, they are poision, bony etc. and these are the same guys that enter the local spearfishing tournament, and eat the fish fry after the tournament. I know for a FACT that the fish at that fish fry were barracuda and spade fish, because I saw them donated. That was in the 80's, it may be different know, I havent entered that tournament in many years. Do you have cig problems in your area? dosent it show up in other large predators such as Amberjack and large snapper?