23OCT2011 @ 2000 found some 8 ft viz and a colder incoming tide at my new honey cave. Almost instantly had two legal bugs in the bag a big grumpy rock crab which caused a ruckus in the kill bag and jail broke the lobby's out about five minutes later! Now I'm -2 lobsters and -1 rock crab but am confident in my swift right hand girlfriend. In about 30 minutes I stuffed 7 legal bugs back in my bag with another aggressive rock crab and tied the handles shut with some tuna cord I had while pointing out a handle of legals to a first time night diver! He ended up with 3 before he was feeling the cold in his 3mm.
As for the cabezon tale well it was somewhere between my 3rd and 4th bug when I spotted the biggest cab I've personally seen diving. I pointed out to my amigo so he can ID future meals and was kicking myself for not owning a hole gun yet and not bringing the pole spear that was back in the GOV so I armed myself with my blade and followed him into a crevice that was filled with more rock crabs than there was salt in the water. I immediately found myself in striking position and stuck him in the belly just below the pectoral fins and grabbed on to my personal best. He was easily over 18-19" I discovered once on the surface. I'm more than confident that he was scratching 21" because he was easily twice as long as a legal bug. Got a solid anchor in his gills and managed my bag open shove him in only to watch him roll twist and kick the f$_k out and into a no mans land mini deep cave! Learned my lesson right there I should gutted him and de gilled him while I had my blade out with a good grip on home before I went any further or just have my stringer next time a leave the bag for the lobsters.
Headed back out every night this week to attempt to redeem myself and make the most of this work vacation I'm on!