Finally- Blood on the New Gun

My kind of day, good company and nice fishes ...

That's a monster snapper. I wish our muttons would get like that. Say Bill, isn't this kind of a dive report? Can we put it in a regional section? Where did you guys dive? The Miami section is the only active one and I'd like to get the other sections going.

nice nice nice

:0:0 Now that is some rubbing in my face report.

here i'm recovering from surgeries and trust me now i'm really thinking on getting WOODY wet. If i catch a grouper like the smallest on that picture. I'm a happy camper:thumbsup2::thumbsup2:. Hopefully July we can do our killing. And some awesome pictures there. with WOODY speargun brothers, from another mother.

Quote from pargo

That's a monster snapper. I wish our muttons would get like that. Say Bill, isn't this kind of a dive report? Can we put it in a regional section? Where did you guys dive? The Miami section is the only active one and I'd like to get the other sections going.

Probably right Dan. This was in Pensacola Bay.

I'll add a little more detail, just for Alvin We started the day looking for one of our old standby wrecks that always hold snapper. It barely registered on the bottom machine, but Dad decided to dive it anyway. It was gone. Nada. No trace. How does a pile of junk that has been there forever just disappear?

So we moved on to the wreck where we had seen tons of snapper the previous week. No fish on the bottom machine, and couldn't get a bit on the rods. Not shaping up to be a great day.

So we slowly idle over towards one of my better grouper spots, watching the sidescan sonar as we go. We mark up something that looks promising, and stop to fish for a while. We pick up a couple of almost legal snapper, so Wood Guy goes over the side to see if anything bigger is home. Turns out to be a big metal dumpster, but all he scores is the smaller of his two fish. While he is down, I idle around and mark a second target that shows a few more fish. We get a few promising strikes on the rods, but no hook-ups. My turn, so over I go. JACKPOT! It's an 18' sailboat, intact, and sitting upright on the bottom. Monster snapper are swimming through every open hatch and the cabin door. I tag my limit with a couple of 8-10 lb snapper and a nice grouper, but the big red only shows up while I'm occupied stringing a fish. Back on the surface, I tell Dad that he really needs to see this wreck. He goes back down and shoots his personal best!

Great new wreck, and I can't wait to go back!

:nono:
That makes the surgery hurts even more:D

Save some of those snappers for me. By the way did you tried the freediving in those places?

Wanted to Alvin, but visibility on the bottom was only about 10', with snot at the top that limited vis to about 6'. Biggest problem was that the top snot made it REALLY dark at 50'.

Good story Jeff. Maybe it was moved a little by a storm and you couldn't see it because of the bad vis.

what other fish you see in the bay jeff. Barracudas?. or some other fish you can eat?

Quote from pargo

Good story Jeff. Maybe it was moved a little by a storm and you couldn't see it because of the bad vis.

Maybe, though it seems unlikely that it would have survived a direct hit from Hurricane Ivan a few years ago, only to be moved by something much less severe. Another possibility is that it was washed out by the passage of a large ship, as it was only 32' deep and not far out of the normal passage area for ships in and out of the Naval Base. I lost one of my favorite wrecks (an overturned fiberglass boat) when they towed the aircraft carrier Oriskany out to sea a couple of years ago. I could only surmise that the propwash from the big tugs either buried it, or tore it loose such that the tide could move it.

Core - We often see mangrove snapper, though they are usually too small to shoot. Also lots of sheepshead and flounder at times. Lately I have been seeing more red grouper, though all too small so far. Yesterday, I saw four species of grouper on a single wreck, which was a first for me (Gag, red, scamp, and Nassau). I've never seen a Nassau inshore before. There are lots of Spanish mackeral in the bay, but it's fairly unusual to see them on a dive unless you get buzzed by a big school. I have also seen cobia, jack Crevalle, African Pompano, and triggerfish, but only rarely.

:D:laughing3:DamnTin Man with that selection i will shoot to the first shadow that form down there. i have to say it . In a scuba trip i confused a big Nassau in a cave with a black. Speacially because he was straight forward. and i didn't recognize it. when i pulled it out i was dissapointed because of what it was. but still we ate it. It was around the 15 pounds and i have never seen one that big before on a dive. I guess i'm not the only spearo to kill fish in caves by mistake

Quote from CORE SUB

:0:0 Now that is some rubbing in my face report.

here i'm recovering from surgeries and trust me now i'm really thinking on getting WOODY wet. If i catch a grouper like the smallest on that picture. I'm a happy camper:thumbsup2::thumbsup2:. Hopefully July we can do our killing. And some awesome pictures there. with WOODY speargun brothers, from another mother.

Your time will come bro, just be patient ...;)

Quote from monster slayer

Your time will come bro, just be patient ...;)

Hard to do while i see all that blood been spilled all over. I feel like an addict that need his drugs right now;)

No promises . . .

Quote from Tin Man

No promises . . .

:laughing3::laughing3:. Common do it for Woody:rolleyes1:. You guys build it and will be fair that we get the first stain toghether.:D

Those Red Snappers are big. Will love to get one of those. and go straight to the grill. And try some different recipes onthe filets. I guess we all like to cook. so we can do a seafood cookout. and post pictures for all to drool on it

Bonita pesca