Sunday Diving

  • My buddy Joey called me a few days ago and wanted to get some diving in before he graduates from the US Navy Rescue Swimmer School and gets shipped off. Fortune favored us and we got a trip put together in short order thanks to my regular dive buddy Jeff.


    Jeff wanted to do a long run offshore for a shot at some Almacos and some deep water grouper and we didnt have any problem with that. Red Snapper has been closed and the cobes just haven't been cooperating lately, so any inshore diving was going to be pretty slow.


    We made a 90 mile run offshore. It was a loooong ride in some rather unpleasant wind chop, but not the worst we've ever been out in.


    The water was the bluest I have ever seen it in MS since moving here. We had absolutely beautiful conditions. The wind let up a bit and was blowing about 10 knots. Water was 83 and the air temp about the same.


    The first rig we dove was pretty dry (no shooter fish) but a nice dive and a good place to get "warmed up" and into the groove. We probably shouldnt have stayed so long...the next rig we came too was holding a good amount of fish. Unfortunately most of them were sharks:D Had a good time though and the Almacos cooperated in short order. had one on the boat in less than 10 minutes and it was a good one...a personal best, as a matter of fact.


    Joey got his first one a short while later and it put up a good fight for him. Glad the fish didnt disappoint him:laughing3: Shooting inside the rig structure probably wasn't the best idea, but he managed it just fine:laughing: My buddy Jeff shot one as well and managed a few grouper down deep. He's a "tankie" but we don't hold it against him:)


    Finished off the day at a rig a bit shallower than the others and found a good school of mangroves. Put a shaft in a 29" mangrove as soon as I hit the corner of the rig. Joey also got a really nice one and Jeff followed suit. Didnt weigh the mangroves but I would say they were all around 12-13 lbs.


    Epic day!


    Just for reference with the mangroves, the Almacos in the pics were around mid 30s. VERY healthy fish! Fat bastard fish for sure!

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